Green celebrate with a weekend double
Hawk Green travelled to Mottram to face the unbeaten league leaders and amassed a decent total which the home side never really threatened the match.
The Green lost two early wickets – Josh Hampson and Pete Richards – both to Andrew Burke.
Skipper Josh Hampson and youngster Jack Needham set about repairing the situation and with some fine stroke play and excellent running they added 101 at almost a run a ball.
Unsworth was the first to fall when he was stumped off the bowling of Ryan Fitton for an excellent 65, 112-3.
Then Jack, in partnership with his elder brother, Paul Needham, added a further 44 runs before he fell to Oliver Andrew for 51, 156-4.
Jordan Henderson joined Needham at the wicket and hit 26 off only 19 balls, before he fell to Mike Scott. Shortly after, Needham was out for a fine 48 at 215-7.
The rest of the team enabled the Green to reach 232-9 in their allotted overs.
The Mottram reply saw them at 11-2 with both Josh Smith and Ryan Fitton back in the pavilion falling to Ryan Stringer and Jason Downey respectively. Skipper Stefan Fielding and opener Andy Mecalfe started to build a partnership before Metcalfe was LBW to Downey for a gritty 40 at 62-3.
The introduction of Henderson into the attack served twofold as not only did the runs dry up but he also removed the dangerman Fielding for 26 and also Jordan Irons, 101-5. Then a smart piece of fielding by Pete Richards ran out Chris Baird, 18, and apart from slight resistance from Aaron Fielding, 19, the remaining batters capitulated to leave Mottram 145 all out.
Green’s second team also defeated their Mottram counterparts in a very one sided game with Mottram closing on 141 with Holmes, Ridings and Richards sharing the wickets.
They passed the Mottram total, losing only one wicket in doing so with Andrew Bickley out for 60 and Justin Blackhurst not out 68.
Sunday saw the Green host Alvanley, presently top of the Cheshire County League Division 2, in the second round of the National Village Cup. Having elected to bat, Green found themselves 40-3 with Josh Unsworth, Josh Hampson and Jack Needham back in the pavilion.
This brought together Peter Richards and Paul Needham and the pair added 148 runs with both brilliant stroke play and excellent running which saw the fielding team’s heads drop and the fielding became careless as Richards in particular with six maximums plundered the attack before he fell for blistering 92.
Needham continued to flay the bowling and with Ben Littler added a further 51 runs before the former fell for an excellent 65, Littler was out for 34 valuable runs and enabled the Green to reach 247-6 in the 40 overs.
In reply, the visitors were never comfortable with the pace and bounce generated by the Greens bowlers and apart from the Charles brothers – Simon and Chris, 52 and 40 not out respectively – they capitulated quite tamely and closed on 155 all out with Josh Unsworth closing on 4-28 to complete an excellent weekend. Next Saturday the Green 1st Xl are at home to Buxworth wickets pitched 1pm.