Porter pick of crop for Macc
MACCLESFIELD CC 1st XI entertained Bollington CC 1st XI at the weekend in a game sponsored by East Cheshire Mortgages.
Away captain, Rick Hough, won the toss and decided to bowl first. Macc started steadily through Alex Griffiths and Jim Melrose. The two openers put on 25 for the first wicket before Griffiths was caught off the bowling of Louis Whitehouse for 12.
Melrose and Khalid Sawas then built up a handy partnership for Macc, as the pair batted sensibly, putting on exactly 50 for the next wicket. Former Macc player, James Cross (1-45), got the breakthrough as Melrose edged behind for a well made 28, leaving the hosts on 75-2 around the 20 over mark.
Sawas continued to play well and himself and Peter Barron pushed the score along before Sawas was caught behind for 39, off the bowling of Joe Binder (1-47).
At 99-3 Macc were in need of a partnership in order to post a competitive 1st innings total. Rob Porter came in and played positively as he pushed the singles around and punished anything loose. After a short rain delay, Porter continued in this fashion.
150-4 soon became 161-5, however, as John Birchall was trapped LBW for 3 off the bowling of Tom Horsfield.
However, the momentum soon switched back to Macc, in a big way, as Craig Melrose hit some powerful shots. He moved to 42 off 17 balls at one stage, taking Macc beyond 200 in the process.
When Melrose was caught by Hough off the bowling of Horsfield (2-42), he departed having scored a marvellous 50 off 27 balls.
Macc ended on 256-7 off their 50 overs.
In reply Bolly got off to a perfect start. They kept up with the rate and didn’t lose any early wickets. Hough and Andrej Yaksender looked composed and settled in quickly, hitting plenty of boundaries.
They moved the score passed 50 and then built some more, accelerating the run rate at the same time.
Yaksender brought up a classy fifty before Bolly then brought up 100 for no loss.
And then captain, Chris Moores, struck with the big wicket of Hough, who was bowled for a well made 44, leaving the away side on 114-1.
Moores then struck again as James Longhorn was caught smartly in the covers by Birchall for 14. At 138-2, with plenty of overs left, Bolly were still favourites but the game was becoming more and more balanced as Moores and Porter bowled well at both ends.
Cross joined Yaksender and the pair moved the score along, but Yaksender was caught at long off by Sawas off the pace bowler for a terrific 80. The visitors were now 173-3, as Macc tried to apply more pressure.
Cross departed for a brilliant 47 off 42 balls and a couple of overs later, Porter then turned the game in Macc’s favour.
Bolly finished on 234-8 off their 50 overs in what was a highly entertaining game of cricket. Porter was the pick of Macc’s bowlers with figures of 4-56.