Alderley's First XI were beaten by 110 runs at neighbours Toft on Saturday with former Alderley man James Scott returning to haunt his former club with an audacious innings that proved the difference between the two sides.
Winning the toss, Toft decided to bat first and made good headway in the early part of the game reaching 91-1 on the back of 57 from opener Thomas Roe and 26 from Henry Hughes, both removed in the space of an over by Andrew Windle who took 2-37 from his 9 overs. Toft number 5 Toby Drummond steadied the ship with Andrew Jackson taking the score on to 142-5 with the game finely balanced before an incredible innings of 90 from just 39 balls from Scott, batting at number 7, swung things firmly in favour of the home side in a savage display of hitting.
Scott's inning's saw him hit 6 fours and 8 sixes as he built a 118-run partnership with Drummond before eventually being caught by Charlie Reid to give Alan Day one of his two wickets for the afternoon. Drummond finished unbeaten on 60 as the hosts posted 277-7 from their 55 overs.
In the second innings Alderley were quickly under the cosh at 26-2 with Andrew Jackson (3-35) making early inroads for the hosts. Opener Ed Foster held things together for Alderley with 39 and in partnership with Ed Fluck (26) began to put pressure back on to the Toft attack. At 138-5 the visitors were keeping pace with the challenging asking rate but wickets continued to fall and following the dismissal of Richard Wilkinson for 32, Matthew Cornes quickly swept through Alderley's lower order taking 5-59 to dismiss the visitors for 167 losing their last 4 wickets for just 30 runs, with captain Charlie Reid left stranded on 39 not out.
The win secured Toft's status in the Cheshire County Premier League for next season with the home side hovering above the relegation zone at the start of the day.
In the reverse fixture at Moss Lane Alderley's Second XI secured their place in the Second XI Premier Division for next season in bizarre circumstances where, despite losing the game, the home side were awarded the 25 points with Toft found to have fielded two ineligible players. Winning the toss and bowling first Alderley quickly reduced Toft to 31-3 with Ben Chapman picking up 2-35 in the early stages.
A knock of 62 from number 3 James Drummond provided the backbone of Toft's innings but another good outing from Mark Warnes, collecting 4-54, kept Alderley in control at 135-7 before some late hitting from Will Dunkerley hitting 21 from 22 balls lifted the Stags up to 169-8 from their 50 overs.
Alderley opener Calum Wilson's 34 built the early platform in the second innings but a strong Toft attack soon had the hosts in trouble at 74-6. A battling 39 from number 5 Andrew Kennedy kept Alderley in contention before being dismissed to leave the home side on 116-9. A final wicket partnership of 28 from Warnes and David Johnson, who hit 22 from 16 balls, gave the hosts a glimmer of hope before Pete Talbot finished things off for Toft completing a superb spell of 6-36 as Alderley closed on 144 all out in the 44th over.
On Sunday Alderley's Third XI completed their season with a win over Stockport Georgians at Moss Lane, securing a creditable 6th place finish in the process. Winning the toss, Georgians elected to bat first but were soon rueing the decision as they fell to 30-5 on the back of an opening burst of 4 wickets from Josh Chalk.
Opener Saj Hussain weathered the early storm to post 27 and a backs-to-the-wall innings of 42 from number 7 Max Davies gave the visitors total more respectability as they climbed to 133 before Chalk returned to take the final wicket in the 29th over, completing an excellent afternoon with 5-32. Opener Henry Stevinson's 27 set Alderley on their way in the second innings before an unbeaten 55 from Tejas Rao took the hosts to their target to register a 5-wicket win.
Match report by Andrew Windle.
