Damaging defeat leaves Leek looking for favour
LEEK lost their grip on top spot in NSSCL Division Five after being beaten at home by local rivals Ashcombe Park.
Ashcombe Park put a spanner in Leek’s title aspirations after amassing 240-5 on their visit to Highfield.
Steve Proffitt (52no), Joe Thompson (44) and Chris Bradstreet (39) were in fine fettle for the visitors, while Brad Grindey and Joshua Woodcock took two wickets apiece.
Sam Slater’s 87, featuring 10 fours and two sixes, led the Leek reply, but Grant Roberts snared 3-32 to limit the hosts to 186-7 at the close.
Leek’s defeat saw them drop down to second place and allow Moddershall & Oulton fifths to open up a three-point lead following their easy success at Meakins thirds.
Half-centuries from Sanjaya Rodrigo (74) and Uchitha Jayawickrama (60) powered the Modd men to 239-9.
Steve Bishop (4-57) and Ian Higgins (3-47) shared seven of the wickets to fall.
Mohideen Farhan (47) and Bishop (28) impressed after tea, but Nishantha Jayakody’s 3-28 left Meakins all out for 125.
Alsager are in third, five points off top spot, after winning at Stafford.
James Bloor’s unbeaten 77 and Sam de Jesus’ 67 not out were backed up by Pierce Pickford (44) and Khalid Jamal (38) as Alsager reached 268-4. Mansoor Hussain took a couple of wickets..
Ali Siddiqi (39) shone at the top of the Stafford reply, although there wasn’t a game-changing contribution and they could only reach 170-8 in their chase.
Mark Evans and Ben Sharp both claimed two wickets.
Fourth-placed Caverswall still have a slim chance of finishing top after banking the 15 points at home against Sandon.
John Baker and Jack Amison made 55 and 48 respectively - and Adrian Johnson weighed in with 30 - in Caverswall’s 195-3.
Sandon made a decent fist of their response as Matt Smith compiled a run-a-ball 50.
Mark Attwood struck 25 as well, but three wickets apiece from Lewis Wright (3-15) and Robert Ratcliffe (326) dismissed Sandon for 163.
Blythe cruised to the points at home against Whitmore.
Blythe were always favourites once they had reached 246-4.
Dan Green hit 12 fours in his 85 and Matt Barlow chipped in with 67 in a fine batting performance.
The stage was then set for Haydon Simcock to put paid to any hopes Whitmore had.
Simcock helped himself to 5-23 to skittle Whitmore for 103, despite Shishir Tiwari offering some resistance with 20.
Knypersley won on their trip to Little Stoke. A third-wicket stand of 193 between experienced pair Chris Barry (89no) and Rob James (83) masterminded their progress to 2393. James Mountain picked up two wickets.
In reply, Todd Talbot made 57 and there was a first senior 50 for Zak Mosam (54), but Little Stoke were limited to 197-7 from their allotted overs.
Marcus Kiely, Callum Landon and Mitchell Edwards struck twice apiece for the visitors.