Cricket: Alderley back to winning ways at Toft

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Alderley Edge First XI secured their first Cheshire County Premier League win since July with victory over Toft at a low scoring game at Booths Hall on Saturday. Winning the toss Alderley skipper Charlie Reid chose to bat first with a second wicket partnership between Sam Perry and Ed Foster taking the visitors to a strong position at 94-1. In a horror period for Alderley the dismissal of Perry for 52 sparked a collapse which saw the away side lose 4 wickets in the space of 11 balls, including Foster for 41, to tumble to 95-5 with the home side in the ascendancy on the back of Matthew Cornes 4-51. A spritely 23 off 26 balls from Stephen Parry took Alderley past the 100 mark before he was dismissed by Lancashire compatriot Rob Jones (2-16) at 125-6. 15 from Richard Wilkinson and 10 not out from Alan Day in the company of the tail helped Alderley up to 168 before they were bowled out in the 51st over.

Alderley began strongly in the second innings looking to put pressure on a Toft batting line up missing Cheshire wicket-keeper Rob Sehmi who has been in sparkling form this season.

Openers Jake Hill and Richard Wilkinson both struck early as Toft fell to 15-2 before Wilkinson claimed the key wicket of Jones, caught behind for just 3, followed shortly after by Andrew Jackson in identical fashion as Toft slumped to 44-4, Wilkinson claiming 3-31.

A watchful 34 from number 3 Daniel Lord kept the hosts' score moving despite their early losses before falling with the score on 82-5, the first of five wickets for Stephen Parry. A seventh wicket partnership of 25 between Scott Craig and Ed Stubbs pushed Toft past the 100 mark before Parry swept through the lower order in claiming 5-24 to bowl out the home side for 130 in 47 overs, captain James Lomas stranded on 23 not out from number 9.

The 38 runs win consolidated Alderley's fifth place position with one game remaining with Chester Boughton Hall already confirmed as league champions.

In the reverse fixture at Moss Lane, Alderley's second XI fell to a 5 wicket loss despite an unbeaten hundred from the in-form Joey Chong.

After being asked to bat first Alderley breezed past the 150 mark off the back of Chong's ton and 48 from number 3 Jonny Scurrah. 22 from Blair Campbell in the middle order and a quick fire 27 from 28 balls, including two maximums, from skipper Jon Usher helped Alderley to a strong 238-5 from their 50 overs.

89 from Toft opener Paul Blackburn set the platform for the visitors to mount their chase with captain Paul Ashley striking 68 from number 4. But when Ashely was dismissed with 30 still needed from 6 overs Alderley sensed a chance for victory, however, some big hitting from number 6 Pete Talbot amassing 31 from just 22 balls saw Toft through to the win. Andrew Windle claimed 2-53 as the pick of Alderley's attack, George Valentine taking 2-84.

Match report by Andrew Windle.

Tags:
Alderley Edge Cricket Club, Cricket
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