The weather did its best to thwart the Foxes on Saturday but thankfully there were enough dry spells between

the showers for the game to be completed. Endon 116 all out lost to Elworth 118/4 by six wickets

This was thanks in no small part to the umpires, Keith Healey and Paul Stratford, whose measured and considered response to the conditions was noteworthy.

The start was delayed, inevitably, the rain having fallen persistently during the morning. When Russ Ballard won the toss, he had no hesitation in asking Endon to bat although the home side made a promising start with Jordan Weaver and Ollie Rogerson raising 32 in the first seven overs.

Weaver hitting off-spinner Chris Winter, who opened the bowling with Mike Holt for six. However, once the first wicket fell at 33, Weaver caught by Steve Morgan at long-off for 17 off Winter's bowling there was a tumble of wickets.

In the next over, bowled by Mike Holt, Rogerson was caught by Chris Regan at mid-off for 14. This was redemption for Regan who had spilled a similar chance from Weaver a couple of overs earlier.

A third wicket fell with the score on 33 when Winter bowled Kev Cockerton for nought. George Sellers,

now in his third season back at his first club after a number of successful years at Leek, played solidly and for a

time he and Ross Dearden, another former Leek man, blocked Elworth's path.

Dearden also plays for, and captains, the Royal Engineers 1st XI so knows a thing or two about digging in. This was what we might have expected but the batsmen took the attack to Elworth when they could.

Each hit a six, Sellers off Morgan and

Dearden off Mike Holt. However, when the pair had added 19 Morgan struck a double blow.

Firstly, he bowled Dearden for six and then he had Harvey Ault caught, first ball, by Ballard at short cover. In the

next over, after Sellers had picked up a single from the first ball, Holt's next delivery saw Andrew Sibley bowled for

nought and Endon were floundering at 53/6.

All the time the clouds menaced Endon's attractive ground and the Foxes played with urgency attempting to negate any threat from the weather.

Morgan switched to the Pavilion End to relieve Holt and Winter returned at the Post Lane End. The pair were miserly, supported by some tight

fielding.

Ed Parrish made a terrific stop at short mid-wicket to prevent a boundary for Sellers. The spell was broken

when Alex Bailey hit successive balls from Winter for four and six, and in the next over took a boundary off

Morgan.

When Sellers hit Morgan for four the partnership had yielded 35 but to the next ball Sellers, perhaps enlivened by

his boundary played across the line and Morgan had him LBW for 27.

James Holt replaced Winter and his second

ball bowled Bailey for 20 , Endon were now 88/8. At the end of the over the umpires brought the players off as

the rain arrived and became heavy for a period.

When play resumed Marlon Martin hit a rapid 12, and had added 22 with Jack Chell, before he mistimed a drive and sent a catch to Winter in the covers to give James Holt a second wicket. Shortly afterwards the players were off again as the rain played cat and mouse.

Another resumption saw the innings end on 116 with James Holt bowling Josh Reynolds for two, Chell finished 12

not out. James Holt 3/15, Steve Morgan 3/28, Chris Winter 2/28, and Mike Holt 2/29 shared the wickets.

Ballard shuffled his pack and opened with Regan and Ash Rogers as he still had one eye on the weather. 19 came

off the first two overs, with Rogers hitting three early boundaries and Regan hitting one sumptuous off drive to

the ropes.

However, Regan, back after two weeks away, was caught at the wicket by Sibley off Cockerton for five

and Ryan Sloan took over.

Clearly Rogers was in no mood to dawdle, he scarcely ever is, he took three boundaries off Cockerton's next over, and the scoring rate was almost six an over.

Poor Cockerton must have wondered what he had done to deserve the treatment he was receiving as in his next over Sloan took three boundaries off him.

Now the rate was over six an over, the 50 coming up in eight. Dearden entered the attack from the Post Lane End

and reigned things in, Martin, after six overs for 25, was replaced by Chell.

The slow left armer saw Rogers hit him

for six but two balls later Rogers misjudged the line of one that straightened and was bowled for a thoroughly enterprising 40.

William Mashinge came in with the score 76/2 and Dearden's off-spin did for Sloan seven runs later, the Elworth

wicketkeeper bowled for 28.

Sloan is his own harshest critic and was unimpressed with himself, but he had played

an important part in moving the team towards victory.

Alex Banks came in at number five and immediately looked

his usual dashing self.

Always looking for chances to score, his innings included one audacious shot over his left

shoulder off Dearden which would have gone for four on a drier day but only brought two here.

Banks and Mashinge seemed to be cruising to the target but with eight required Mashinge was run out by a direct hit from

Weaver running in from fine leg.

Ballard took one off the last ball of the over and then hit successive fours, both through the slips, to bring up an important win. Banks finished 15 not out and Ballard nine not out.

Endon plugged away, exhorted by skipper Bailey to keep up the pursuit of further bowling points when defeat seemed

inevitable, their effort exemplified by an excellent piece of fielding by Josh Reynolds at cover when he made a

tumbling stop to a stinging drive by Mashinge.

Elworth's reward was 18 crucial points, Hem Heath also picked up 18 in a nine-wicket home win over Eccleshall.

They too confounded the weather racing to their target of 110 inside 16 overs. The only other match completed

was Newcastle's win at Little Stoke.

So far as the promotion race in concerned Elworth and Hem Heath benefitted from Knypersley's washout at Sandyford, Knype collecting only two points. This means that with four matches remaining Elworth lead on 291, Hem Heath are second on 276 and Knypersley third on 244, Elworth are at home to Knypersley on September 4th.

Before that, Sandyford visit London Road this Saturday. It is expected that Yasir Ali, who was the Foxes' professional for 10 seasons, will be in the visitors XI. The match starts at 12:30.

The 2nd XI beat Onnerley 1st XI to remain joint top of Division Four on 260 points with Newcastle, Porthill Park

are third on 256. Bagnall/Norton are fourth on 233. Onnerley reached 184/6 from 40 overs.

Skipper and opener Tom Salt, in his 16th season with the club, top scored with 73 before he was bowled by David Potter. Potter got both openers in fact, having Kyle Knowles caught by Sam Baldwin for five.

Jake Short with 40 made a useful contribution before he was bowled by James Yates. The visitors were making good progress until Joe Hodson intervened with two wickets in four balls, firstly trapping Mohammed Sakandar LBW for 15 and then bowling Tom Johnson for nought.

From 133/3 Onnerley were 135/5. Salt's departure with 161 on the board and just over three

overs remaining heralded some big hitting from Adam Edwards who hit both Hodson and Potter for six as his side

reached 184/6.

Early in the Onnerley innings Elworth's left-arm seamer James Burnett injured his back and was

unable to complete his first over. It is unclear how long he will be out, but he is certainly a key element of the

bowling unit.

In reply Elworth lost Will Happe early, caught at the wicket by Max West off Jake Short for four but Matt Yardley

(21) and Sam Baldwin (62) added 63 for the second wicket and then Baldwin and Joe Stephenson (49 not out)

took the score to 138. Joe Hodson joined Stephenson and scored 36 of the 47 required for the win, the Foxes

winning by seven wickets.

This Saturday they face a crucial match at Porthill Park who are third, just four points behind. Newcastle will expect to win at Moddershall, so anything other than a win may have a detrimental effect on their promotion prospects.

Division Three and lower the format now is straight win/lose which means that Elworth cannot deny their opponents victory which, in a promotion battle has always been a key factor. However, Tom Seabridge and his team fear nobody and will travel with the confidence that comes with success.