Macc hold nerve
MACCLESFIELD CC 1st XI were at home to local rivals Bollington CC 1st XI on Saturday in a game sponsored by East Cheshire Mortgages.
On a damp and dismal day, Bollington won the toss and elected to bat first.
Macc opened the bowling through Craig Melrose and Tom Key, and although both started tightly they couldn’t find an immediate breakthrough.
It took until the ninth over before the first wicket came, via Melrose.
A full-ish delivery moved away and took the edge of Harri Dickinson’s bat, the ball flying to gully where John Birchall took a sharp catch.
The very next over Macc claimed another wicket, this time from Key, as he dismissed Bollington’s other opener, James Longhorn, leaving the visitors 19-2 after 10 overs.
Jack Ward and Tom Barrass looked to rebuild for Bolli but after a short rain delay Macc claimed the wicket of Ward as Key nipped one back on to off stump, reducing Bolli to 30-3.
James Cross came to the crease and hit a couple of early boundaries.
However, not long after, Melrose bowled Cross, and Nathan Edgar soon followed in similar fashion as the visitors were now 45-5.
Barrass had hit a few strong shots for no reward and offered some respite for Bolli as wickets fell around him, however when Key bowled him with a ball which kept low, Bolli were really up against it at 51-6.
Tom Leese showed some fight as he hit 14 lower down the order but as wickets continued to fall, Bolli couldn’t build any momentum as Macc showed no sign of letting up.
As Melrose (4-41) and Key (3-32) finished their brilliant spells, Oli Marsden and Chris Moores came in to the attack and took the remaining wickets as Bolli finished on 85 all out after 33 overs.
Macc started well with the bat as Birchall (16) hit some powerful early boundaries.
However it wasn’t long until Ward and Dario Seale pegged the hosts back, as Seale induced the edge of Birchall which saw Pete Henshall take a good catch at first slip, and very next over, captain Rob Porter was trapped LBW by Ward for two, leaving Macc on 19-2.
Tom Tudor and Peter Barron attempted to recover this early setback for Macc but just as they were beginning to settle in, persistence paid off for Seale.
Bolli’s overseas player and the league’s leading wicket-taker produced an unplayable delivery to dismiss Macc’s talisman.
A full-ish, fast delivery swung in and then seamed away taking the top of Tudor’s off stump as Macc’s overseas player was bowled for just four.
Not long after, and Seale was at it again, this time taking the wicket of Oli Marsden who was caught in the slips by Henshall.
Macc were now 33-4 and had a lot of work to do. Alex Griffiths then came to the crease and immediately hit a lovely cover drive for four off Seale, relieving the pressure momentarily for Macc.
Bolli brought H. Dickinson into the attack and he also bowled tightly, frustrating Macc somewhat. Meanwhile at the other end Seale was giving nothing away and was a constant threat.
Griffiths and Barron managed to edge the score up a little however, taking it past the 50 mark.
After another rain delay, it was Macc’s turn to lose a wicket with the first ball after the break, as Barron was trapped LBW off Dickinson for 17, leaving Macc on 53-5 after 19 overs.