Elworth 126/2 beat Little Stoke 125 all out by 8 wickets

If Elworth followers feared that escaping with a draw at Hem Heath had, more or less, used up their supply of luck

in 2021, they need not have been too worried last Saturday.

The Foxes did not need the assistance of the fates to

secure a win which maintains their position at the summit of Division One with five games remaining.

Whilst calculators have been spotted as people try to work out what is required to secure promotion, it is too early for

that sort of speculation.

Russ Ballard won the toss and, to the surprise of some, invited the visitors to bat. He may have had one eye on

the weather which was not promising as the first ball was bowled.

Admittedly it was only spots, a mere bagatelle

to those of us who experienced the Hem Heath rain. The rain stopped fairly quickly although the sky was never

entirely benign.

Elworth got off to the perfect start with Salam Hanif caught by William Mashinge off the bowling of James Burnett for nought with only two on the board.

Burnett was in for the absent Chris Winter and had a

splendid afternoon finishing with 4/17. Elworth made two other changes with Ryan Sloan returning behind the

stumps and James Holt in to bolster the bowling, Will Happe and Sam Baldwin returned to the 2nd XI.

If Elworth thought they were on easy street they had reckoned without Rhys Owens and Gareth Morris. They are

at opposite ends of their careers with Owens just establishing himself in the 1st XI whilst Morris was playing 1st XI

cricket for Hem Heath 15 years ago.

It was the latter who scored marginally the lion's share in a 62-run partnership for the second wicket. It was slow going however with few boundaries,

Owens hit two, one an inside edge that shot away to fine leg, before he was caught by Sloan of James Holt for 24. From 64/2 Morris and Thilina Rathnayake moved the score to 83 before Rathnayake was caught at short fine leg by a prowling Mike Holt off Steve Morgan for eight.

Holt senior had a rare wicketless afternoon although his 11 overs only cost 18 runs. Morgan on the other hand finished for 4/11 co-incidentally the same as his figures in the fixture at Little Stoke in May.

James Ecclestone the visiting captain played a fine innings in that fixture, offering almost the only resistance that

day. Here, with the score 91, hopes his side harboured of a good stand between him and Morris were quickly

dashed when he hit a James Holt length ball straight to Alex Banks at cover and left for one.

When Morris, on 53, was next out well taken by Mashinge on the run from mid-off, off Morgan again, there was not much left in the tank and from 102/5 the innings subsided to 120 all out.

Along the way Ed Parrish took two excellent catches, the

second was outstanding. Firstly, he held Omar Abab low down at mid-off for six off Morgan and shortly afterwards

he took a superb one-handed catch at extra cover diving to his right to dismiss Atif Hussain also for six, this time

off Burnett.

The last five wickets added just nine runs and the innings ended on 125. When the Foxes replied they Sloan went early for five, but Banks and Ash Rogers took them from 8/1 to the brink of victory at 101.

The latter, as is his want, scored at twice the rate of the former, not that Banks was any slouch. The pair scored their runs in 18 overs, over five an over. It did not bode well for Little Stoke when Rogers discarded his helmet and promptly set about whoever was bowling from the Railway End.

Ecclestone was hit for six and when Rathnayake bowled the next over from that end he received the same treatment; Banks was also hitting freely with eight boundaries.

Both deserved 50, in the event Banks got one Rogers didn't. The former looked comfortable throughout, his must

uneasy moment was when Rogers straight drove a ball from Ecclestone who diverted it with his boot onto the

stumps, fortunately Banks was in his ground.

Rogers was victim of a fine caught and bowled by Thilina

Rathnayake when he had scored 47. Mashinge joined Banks for the dénouement which saw the Foxes ease to 18

points with Banks passing 50 and then hitting the winning runs with a boundary to square leg off Rathnayake.

Mashinge was eight not out.

Little Stoke had several young players in their side, Euan Irving, wicket-keeper Charles Worthington and Ben

Alcock are still playing under 16 cricket and it is only two seasons since James Mountain was playing in that age

group.

The club has a rich history, champions of Division One in 2002 with Mushtaq Ahmed in the team, and again

in 2007. They were Premier Division Champions in 2010 with Shabbir Ahmed assisting them. They are struggling

this season but whatever ultimately happens they have some talented young players to lead the fightback.

Elworth's win sees them top on 273 points, Hem Heath are now only fifteen behind as they beat Newcastle

batting first and picked up 23 points. Knypersley are on 242 and Eccleshall on 240. This Saturday Elworth travel to

Endon.

The Second XI won at Moddershall by 40 runs. Batting first after losing the toss Will Happe (54), Sam Baldwin (70)

and George Elliott (37 not out) saw 193/6 posted in 40 overs. Moddershall reached 153/8 in reply, Elliott Massey

top-scoring with 37 and Kalinga Liyanage contributing 31 not out.

Isaac Austin 2/13, James Yates 2/18, William

Lewis 2/33 were the pick of the Elworth bowlers. This win sees the Foxes remain top of Division Four in a

desperately tight race. Elworth and Newcastle are level at the top on 242, then come Porthill Park 238 and Bignall

End 228.

This week Onneley 1st XI visit Elworth, whilst Newcastle host Silverdale. Porthill are at Hem Heath and

Bignall End at home to Barlaston. On paper the Foxes have the toughest fixture, but a bookmaker would have all

the top four favourites to win their games.

On Sunday the 3rd XI won for the 10th time this season and they now only have to avoid defeat this Sunday, at

home to Hyde, to clinch the title of Cheshire County 3rd XI Division Two.

At Ashton on Mersey, they dismissed the

home side for 147 and knocked the runs off with more than six overs in hand. Skipper Ryan Johnston's good form

continued as he hit 45 not out.

Sam Sherratt contributed 21 and Ryan Hudson 19. Earlier Adam Copnall followed up his recent seven-wicket haul with four more taking 4/44. Noah Hudson took 3/7 and Sherratt 2/14.

The 3rd team is top of the table needing one win to secure their prize. When Hyde visit this Sunday (1pm) the stage is set for what could be a memorable afternoon.

The 4th XI, comprising predominantly young players went down to a more experienced Prestbury XI who top the

division.