Cantello’s call proves spot on for Bramhall
BRAMHALL’S 1st XI put their recent poor run of form behind them with a dominant performance at Didsbury on Saturday.
After winning the toss on a batsman-friendly track and rapid outfield, Beavers skipper Nick Cantello took the perhaps surprising decision to bowl first.
To the onlooker, this seemed like a gamble with the sun beating down and Bramhall still short of three key bowlers.
At the end of the first over, however, Cantello’s decision seemed to have been justified by a lively six balls from the returning Ashley West who picked up a wicket with the fourth as he sent the bails flying.
West soon followed up his initial success with two more, inducing a top-edged pull high to Luke Littlewood at deep square leg, and then a yorker to leave Didsbury struggling at 31-3 with their top three batsmen back in the pavilion.
Despite any significant contact between ball and bat resulting in a boundary, Bramhall found the best way to keep the runs in check by picking up regular wickets. The fielders seemed to be more energised than in recent games, and their energy was matched by the bowlers who continued to find ways to deceive the host batsmen.
Didsbury staged a mini-recovery to limp to 78-5 from 48-5, but Ryan Macciocchi picked up the first of his three wickets to send the home side towards a very low total.
The 40th over had just begun when number seven Nick Gregson, trying to hit some late last-wicket runs, was caught in the deep and the 10th wicket fell with the total on just 113.
Surprisingly, on such a good looking wicket, five of the home batters were bowled, and West and Macciocchi’s three wickets apiece were aided by tidy double wicket spells from Iftikhar Naseer and Luke Littlewood.
Despite Didsbury’s total exactly matching that of Marple in a recent Bramhall defeat, the Beavers were determined not to let another good opportunity slip by.
Ashley West, this time with bat in hand, started positively from the first ball and looked in excellent touch in an innings of 50 that included 11 boundaries from the 50 balls he faced.
His opening stand of 76 with Adam Wilde (19) took the game away from Didsbury, and even the loss of a second wicket almost immediately afterwards was not enough to see nerves get the better of the Beavers.
Cantello (22*) and Banthorpe (14*) saw the visitors home by eight wickets in the 28th over, wrapping up a comprehensive win which denied Didsbury a point.
Last Sunday’s Cheshire Cup fixture was conceded by the opposition at short notice, and Bramhall now face Hyde on June 10th.
The 1sts host Mobberley in the T20 this Thursday at Church Lane from 6pm, and then welcome Oulton Park – back in the Premier League again – for Saturday’s league fixture.
Bramhall’s 2nd XI picked up their third consecutive victory on Saturday, with a nervy win at home to Stockport Georgians, who were asked to bat first and quickly slipped to 34-4 with Gavin Tomlinson the chief architect with the new ball. A good fifth wicket stand of 82 saw the visitors regain some position in the match, but Georgians then proceeded to lose their last six wickets for 30 runs to post 146 in 29 overs.
After the break, Bramhall slipped to 62-4 before the innings was stabilised by a useful 61 run stand between Stuart Stoneman and Tomlinson. However, the former’s dismissal for a solid 51 soon after Tomlinson fell saw the nerves run amok and the Beavers looked in trouble at 127-7. A vital eighth wicket stand almost got them across the line, before youngsters Reece Linney and Ed Gray kept their cool to get over the line by two wickets.
The 2nd XI are now third in their division, and face high-flying Upton away on Saturday.
Bramhall’s 3rd XI match on Sunday at home to Timperley was marked by in-form Harry Oliver’s first ever century, with his rapid 106 not out from just 89 balls seeing the Beavers easily chase down their 172 run target by 9 wickets. Oliver’s innings contained seven 4s and ten 6s.