Weather frustrates Cheshire Cup hope
CHESHIRE CUP SECOND ROUND
MACCLESFIELD 1st XI were scheduled to have two games last weekend, one in the league and one in the second round of the Cheshire Cup.
However, the league match was abandoned without a ball being bowled.
The team travelled to Timperley and waited around for four hours before the game was called off due to the wicket and surrounding areas being under water.
Frustratingly every other game in the league went ahead, meaning the seven points Macc picked up for the abandonment is a mini setback after a brilliant victory the week previously.
On the Sunday everyone’s attention turned to the home Cheshire Cup tie versus Toft.
The visitors put Macc into bat and Barron and Marsden built a steady opening partnership to take the hosts past 50 inside 14 overs.
Once Barron departed for 29, the Australian Nick Bertus came to the crease.
In much the same way, as the opening partnership, Bertus and Marsden pushed the singles around and punished any bad balls.
Bertus hit two magnificent sixes, one towards Victoria Road and one over the fence onto Parkside.
The pair added another 53 runs, taking the score past the 100 mark just after drinks.
When Marsden, who had played responsibly and compactly for 48, was unluckily caught down the legside, Macc still looked in control against Toft’s varied bowling attack.
Porter and Bertus injected a bit more pace into Macc’s innings and took the score past 150 for the loss of two wickets.
However the introduction of Akhil Shah, who claimed five wickets, really halted Macc’s momentum.
Porter (30) reversed swept Shah for four, but a couple of balls later was out LBW playing a similar stroke.
Macc just couldn’t go up the next gear as they kept losing wickets to Shah’s spin bowling.
And when Shah claimed the prize wicket of Bertus for 48, leaving Macc on 179-5, Macc’s hope of a big, big score had gone.
Still, the East Cheshire outfit batted on well, with good, late contributions from Griffiths (11) and Cutbill (10*) to finish on 208-8 off their 45 overs.
Macc started brightly in the field with an early wicket from Marsden caught by Raja.
Toft then regrouped through Drummond and Lancashire 2nd team player, Rob Jones.
The pair added 37 runs, but not long after Sultan Raja was entered into the attack, Macc were celebrating again as Jones walked past one and James Cross took the bails off, to leave Toft 42-2.
Toft then built a big 3rd wicket partnership with Jackson hitting some big sixes, whilst Drummond continued to play the anchor role.
Harlan Greig came into the attack for Macc and troubled the batsmen with his leg-spin.
Greig started well but Jackson hit two big slog sweeps to reach his 50 off just 39 balls, aided by a couple of dropped catches along the way.
However Greig was not to be denied and soon sent Jackson back to the pavilion when he was caught by James Cross after sky-ing a sweep shot.
Greig struck again in his next over when he trapped Hatcher LBW for a golden duck. The score was now 119-4 after 20 overs and Macc had seized the initiative.
However the players were taken off by the umpires at this point due to the rain and the conditions never improved. As Toft were ahead on run rate, they go through to the next round, leaving Macc frustrated yet again by the weather.
Meanwhile the 2nd XI were back to winning ways with a victory at home to Timperley. Macc posted a respectable total of 204 all out.
Runs were shared around with Khan (22), Fairclough (20), Griffiths (26), Longshaw (33) and Cutbill (31), ensuring the hosts past the double hundred total.
In the field Macc started well, with Key and Cutbill, reducing Timperley to 20-4 very quickly.
A potentially dangerous 80-run partnership ensued between Matthews (58) and Dickinson (40) before Macc wrapped it up through Whittingham who claimed figures of 6-34, bowling Timper- ley out for 135 inside 36 overs.
The 3rd XI won by 6 wickets away at Timperley, chasing 84 down after Matt Griffiths claimed figures of 4-21.
French and Flint finished the run chase off, ending on 20* and 14* respectively.
On Sunday the 4th XI won at home against Lindow, bowling the visitors out for 111, which included four run outs!
Macc knocked it off without losing a wicket, as Tom Carter (76 not out) and James Coombes (35 not out), saw the hosts home.
Next Saturday the 1sts travel to Nantwich, the seconds play Marple at home, the thirds play Prestbury at home and the fourths travel to Wilmslow on the Sunday.