Wright and Bennion keep their cool to seal excellent win for Alvanley

ALVANLEY Cricket Club’s first XI helped themselves to maximum spoils with a five-wickets win over Middlewich last Saturday.

Glorious weather and a great batting surface made the toss decision tough for home skipper Chris Charles, but the memory of a draw at Middlewich prompted him to have a bowl first.

He himself benefited immediately, finding opener Nick Gill’s edge of the bat to the flying Si Gee behind the stumps who claimed a brilliant catch.

Middlewich’s number three batsman Kieran Boyle soon followed, held well at third slip by Ste Charles.

Middlewich consolidated well for a while moving to 43 before Robin Fisher picked up his first wicket, Chris Charles taking the catch to send Alex Gill packing for 17.

The stoic opener Richard Clorley soon followed, victim of a great change of pace from Sophie Ecclestone who trapped him lbw for 33.

And when she induced Hasnain Abbas down the pitch soon after, Gee was up to the task and stumped him in a flash and it was now 61-5.

Fisher then picked up his second wicket, Luke Houghton trapped lbw for nine, and Middlewich were floundering.

Stu Price and Kallum Boyle mixed attack with astute defence to take their team to a relatively healthy 121-6 but a brilliant stumping by Gee following the introduction of Mike Rowlands put paid to it.

Chris Charles returned to rearrange Price’s stumps and Alvanley were back in control.

Andy Bennion took an excellent boundary catch to remove Andrew Zimmer, again off the excellent Rowlands.

The same bowler then castled Nigel Stubbs with his next delivery to wrap things up at a very satisfying 129 as far as Alvanley were concerned.

Rowlands posted 3-15, Chris Charles recorded 3-36, while the left-arm spinners, Ecclestone and Fisher bagged two wickets each.

Alvanley’s response stuttered somewhat.

Rowlands feathered a catch behind to Houghton off a Price delivery for two, but the Ste Charles-Ian McDermott partnership looked confident enough.

They added 25 before Charles dragged a Stubbs delivery onto his stumps for 11.

Sam Baxter and McDermott worked hard to take the score to 51 when the latter again dragged on, and when Baxter followed soon after, the nerves were jangling at 64-4.

Gee looked a little unlucky to be dismissed four runs later, caught by Houghton off Price, and Middlewich had the tails well and truly up.

Bennion and Chris Wright were the sixth wicket pair, still requiring 62 to win the game.

They batted calmly, gradually accumulating runs. Singles were stolen and the occasional boundary found as the pair inched home.

Some aggression from the away team’s attack spurred the pair on as they got the final 20 runs in a rush.

Wright ended 34 not out and Bennion was undefeated on 26 in a stand of 65, the win coming with four overs to spare.