Alvanley share spoils in entertaining match
AS draws go this was a good one with plenty of runs and countless swings of fortune, but ulimately Alvanley had to settle for 14 points as visitors Christleton’s penultimate pair repelled the final few overs.
Alvanley chose to bat first on a flat straw coloured pitch but made an ignominious start as Michael Rowlands fell early to the new ball. Jon Whitley and Stephen Charles regained control, taking the score to 33 when the former chopped on to his stumps for 17.
The rebuild was left to Charles and Simon Gee and the two left-handers looked in little trouble.
At drinks, Alvanley had progressed to 74-2 and with 20 overs to go to 97. With wickets in hand this was a decent base. Charles raised his bat for a well-controlled 51 but fell to a rare seaming delivery immediately after. When Ian McDermott departed in the 36th over, suddenly Alvanley were in need of an injection of quick runs at 118-4. Andy Bennion joined Gee and the pair quickly upped the rate by pushing the field back and then running keenly. The pair added 64 in just eight overs and including yet another bat raise for the consistent Gee.
Bennion fell at 181 for a 28-ball 42 but Chris Wright, Billy Ouzounidis and particularly Chris Charles ensured the rate ticked over. Gee was out for a classy 69 and he was the chief contributor to a decent 233-7 off the 50 overs at tea.
Christleton came out to attack the new ball and added 42 in seven overs before Atif Bajwa was undone by Chris Charles. An early change at the Field End saw England spinner Sophie Ecclestone introduced. She found flight and dip but very little turn on this great pitch. It is tribute to her control and field placings that she therefore went for just 21 runs of 12 classy overs, including the scalp of Joshua Joseph.
With the run rate back under control, Charles rang the changes after he picked up his second victim, well caught by Ouzounidis. At 25 overs Alvanley had control as Christleton teetered at 84-4, Rowlands grabbing the fourth wicket. Morgan Jones was proving the mainstay for the visitors and he went on to compile 71 before Ouzounidis trapped him lbw and it was now 137-5.
Jack Gittens took the attack back to Alvanley playing some aggressive drives but good field placings slowed his scoring down and Jimmy Ecclestone’s spell proved pivotal in stemming the runs and then removing Gittens, brilliantly caught by his sister Sophie at point. Another wicket for Ouzounidis took Alvanley within two wickets of the win but numbers nine and 10 dug in and secured a draw in what was a very decent game, played in good spirit.
A haul of 14 points takes Alvanley up to fourth and close enough to second spot with 10 games to go.