Elworth 150 all out beat Sandyford 101 all out by 49 runs

It was hot and sunny, Yasir Ali was steaming in from the Railway End, he took four good wickets and

a catch.

It was when he put his cap on you remembered it was the blue cap of Sandyford. Asked to bat when Joe

Ward won the toss for the visitors Elworth were soon navigating rough waters.

Yasir bowled Alex Banks (6), caught and bowled Ryan Sloan (10) and had William Mashinge (0) caught at the wicket by Ward first ball.

Ash Rogers and Chris Regan stopped the rot but on 49 the latter was caught by Rory Smith off Muhammad Naveed for 11. Rogers and Russ Ballard knuckled down to do a serious repair job.

Aunn Shah replaced Naveed and Craig Leese's spin

relieved Yasir, Leese received some rough treatment. Rogers clubbed him for six and Ballard hit two boundaries

through the covers before Rogers took another four off Shah.

The fifty partnership was reached in just 10 overs

and Elworth were enjoying a modest prosperity at 99/4.

No sooner was the landmark reached than the partnership was broken at 101.

Rogers, on 40, played an ugly shot and saw his middle stump leaning back, bowled by Shah. Parrish joined Ballard with Leese looking a different proposition.

Shah was replaced at the London Road End by the spin of Neil Skillcorn and with his second ball he had Ballard given LBW for 28. The next five overs saw just six added as the spinners teased and tested.

Eventually Parrish whipped two boundaries in one Leese over. Yasir returned and had James Holt caught at the wicket for five leaving the Foxes on 119/7.

Parrish was in dogged mood and, although he lost Chris Winter (bowled Skillcorn, 7) and Steve Morgan who

appeared unlucky to be given LBW to Skillcorn first ball, he coaxed the score up to 150 with no little assistance

from Mike Holt.

Holt could be excused for forgetting which way to hold the bat, so few times has he batted this season, but here he recorded his best score of the year, nine not out which included one splendid boundary off

Leese.

Parrish was last out for 30 with 150 on the board, caught by Yasir at long off from Leese's bowling. Yasir

claimed 4/24, and Skillcorn 3/28.

Sandyford's reply began in robust fashion. Darren Hoff played his first game for the club's 1st XI in 1995.

Here, in his first innings in the 1st XI this year, he smacked Chris Winter's first two deliveries through mid-off for a pair of

boundaries.

Things tightened up after that, Mike Holt and Winter each removing one of the openers with the

score on 18.

Winter bowling Joe Ward for four and Holt taking a remarkable catch off his own bowling to remove

Hoff when everyone else was looking at the boundary.

Holt picked up the next three in the space of his next four

overs. He had Mitchell Underwood caught by Morgan for two, Aunn Shah LBW for three and Leese stumped by

Sloan for 12, he finished with 4/18, his best figures of the summer; his fourth wicket was also his 600th in club

cricket, including 348 for Elworth.

Sandyford were 37/5 and Yasir Ali was on his way to the middle. He and Rory Smith added 41. Yasir took

boundaries off Mashinge and Winter, Smith took one off James Holt when he came on in place of Mashinge.

On 78 a piece of magic by Sloan saw Yasir's demise. James Holt bowled one down the leg side which was called a

wide yet Sloan, having stretched some way to his left pulled off a terrific stumping and Sandyford's chances were more or less over.

Naveed must still be in shock at Ballard's sensational catch at short cover. He mistimed a drive off James Holt the

ball went over Ballard's head, but the Elworth skipper made ground before diving and taking the ball one handed

inches above the ground.

In the next over Theo Sharman, making his 1st XI debut and still playing under 15 cricket, was bowled by Winter for nought, it was 85/8.

Smith, playing only his third 1st XI game of 2021, hit boundaries off J. Holt and Morgan but he fell to Ballard's second sensational catch.

Close in on the off-side Smith seemed to have

powered the ball past him but Ballard produced it like a conjurer to give Morgan his only wicket of the day.

It just remained for Skillcorn to hole out to Parrish at square leg for two off J.

Holt's bowling, the innings was over for 101 and it was mission accomplished. To compliment Mike Holt's 4/18, son James took 3/26, Winter 2/22 and Morgan 1/19.

News had earlier reached London Road that Hem Heath were already on their way home having

bowled Audley out for 51 and polished the runs off for the loss of one wicket.

Liam Banks 5/12 and 32 not out clearly having another red-letter day. This added to the sense of urgency about the situation, fewer that eight points for Elworth would see Hem Heath knock them off top spot, although the news from Knypersley was more encouraging as Wood Lane had set Knype 209 to win.

They fell short and could only draw. The table now shows Elworth top with 314 points, Hem Heath second with 299 and Knypersley third on 255.

Knype need to gain maximum points from their three remaining games and see Elworth gain fewer than ten in

their three. The match at Elworth this Saturday could be memorable and has an earlier start at 12 noon.

The second team produced perhaps their performance of the season in a two wicket win at Porthill Park. Two

players were unavailable due to covid.

With the league's arrangement for matches cancelled due to covid expected to see Newcastle awarded sufficient points for them to romp to the Division Four title, the promotion

race is between Elworth, Porthill Park and Bagnall/Norton. Bignall End may sneak into the picture, but it is

unlikely.

In last Saturday's match, Porthill scored 182/8 and Elworth were reduced to 82/7. Will Happe, batting down the order due to a hand injury, came in number seven with the score 79/5.

He and Matt Isherwood added 74 for the eighth wicket, Happe's share was 35 to Isherwood's 29. When the latter was out, Elworth still needed 27.

Happe promptly took 13 runs off an over from David Cotton which set the tone. He skilfully saw his side home,

ending 60 not out, with stout assistance from Will Lewis (two not out).

In Porthill's innings a collapse from 130/2, which saw all the bowlers contributing backed up by some excellent

out-cricket, was sparked by Connor Flowers dismissal of Will Price, caught and bowled.

It was continued by Ben Morgan who dismissed both Cotton and Lucas Heath and completed by Isaac Austin who got Nathan Stubbs and Charlie Tatton.

Austin took 2/32, Flowers 2/13, Morgan 2/26, Mike Stewart 1/23 and Matt Isherwood 1/44. Before Newcastle's points total is adjusted, they and Elworth are leaders on 278 points with Porthill Park on 264 and Bagnall/Norton 251, there are 54 points available.

This week Elworth are away to Meir Heath and Porthill are

away at Stone SP. Both will expect to beat struggling opponents.

The following week Elworth host Newcastle while

Porthill travel to Meir Heath and the season concludes with Elworth visiting Bignall End whilst Porthill host

Barlaston.

On paper Elworth's run-in is the tougher but matches are played on grass not paper, and last Saturday's remarkable win will have put the team in good spirits.

Having clinched the Cheshire County League 3rd XI Division Two the previous week Elworth's 3rd XI found

themselves without skipper Ryan Johnston for the visit to Bowdon.

Johnston had been called into the 2nd XI along

with Ben Morgan. Joe Hodson was also missing. Noah Hudson and Jack Davies who still play under 15s, Thomas

Statham under 16's and other young players such as Aaron Evans who also play age-group cricket were in the

majority.

Bowden won by three wickets after the Foxes had reached 121/9 from their 40 overs. Ryan Hudson top

scored with 42 and Aaron Evans hit 16.

When Bowdon replied Noah Hudson picked up two early wickets to give cause for optimism but while wickets fell regularly and the bowlers gave no easy runs, Bowdon, through Ben McNab (30) and Henry Sinclair (23) always kept up with the required rate.

It was Ben Sheridan's 29 not out that eventually took the home side across the line. For Elworth Noah Hudson took 2/13, Matt Isherwood 2/15 and Will Lewis fresh, from his important contribution to the 2nd XI the previous day, 2/42.

The side concludes its successful season at home to Mobberley this Sunday starting at 1pm. The 4th team finish with an away fixture at Cheadle Hulme.