Birchalls’s best sees off Oxton
MACCLESFIELD 1st team recorded a third consecutive home victory on Saturday against third placed Oxton, as John Birchall recorded his best ever bowling figures for Macclesfield.
After skipper Chris Moores won the toss and elected to bowl first, Birchall ripped through the Oxton batting line up to take 8-44 as Oxton were bowled out for 101. The run chase was never in any danger, as the Macclesfield batsman took just 24 overs to knock off the runs three wickets down.
On a wicket that was slightly slower than in recent weeks, the Oxton innings got off to a steady start. Despite Tom Key and Craig Melrose not giving much away, the opening partnership of Luke Flier and Chris Williams took them to 37 without loss before Flier was caught by a flying Birchall in the gully. Birchall’s involvement here was a sign of things to come.
Birchall was introduced to the attack the very next over, and he immediately took the big wicket of the league’s leading run scorer Dane Williams for a duck, caught brilliantly low down in the gully by Chris Moores. 37-0 had become 38-2.
When Oxton’s overseas Michael Johnson (17) was caught and bowled by Birchall with the score on 69, Macclesfield sensed an opportunity and took it with both hands. 69-2 all of a sudden become 85-8, including a second wicket for Craig Melrose, as opener Chris Williams was brilliantly caught at cover by Khalid Sawas for 29.
On his return from injury Craig Melrose produced a measly spell of 2-29 from his 15 overs. He can consider himself unlucky not to have picked up a few more wickets, but will console himself in the knowledge the pressure he helped create led to Birchall picking up the wickets at the other end.
Oxton’s lower middle order had no answer to Birchall’s slippery speed, in particular his well executed Yorker. He had Thompson, Quadri, Fennah and Crick all caught, but the highlight was the delivery to bowl Chris Stenhouse. After hitting Birchall for 4 the previous ball, Stenhouse elected to leave the next one only to see it jag back considerably to take his off stump.
Overall it was a tremendous effort from the bowlers and fielders to bowl Oxton out for 101, a line up that contained two of the league’s most accomplished batsman in Williams and Johnson.
After being bowled out for 75 last week, it was imperative that the batsmen got the job done without any fuss. Oxton knew early wickets would set a few nerves going in the home changing room, but Alex Griffiths (13) and Angus Thomson managed to take all sting out of the game, in particular with their running between the wickets.
17 year old Thomson, opening for the 1st team for the first time, looked extremely assured in an innings that bodes well for the future. He was to eventually fall for 21 in a peculiar circumstances, given out caught behind despite it appearing to come off his pad.
At the other end Khalid Sawas (34) once again played fluently, unleashing some reverse sweeps for 4 off the bowling of Crick. He was disappointed to be caught at cover off Thompson with the finish line in site.
It was left to that man again Birchall to finish the game in emphatic style. He hit two consecutive fours before launching a huge 6 to take Macc past the total, finishing on 22 not out of just 8 deliveries.
The win takes Macc up to 9th, with the addition of a much needed confidence boost ahead of another testing trip to Widnes next week.
The 3s also recorded a resounding victory, winning by ten wickets away to Disley. Matt Griffiths and Dave Cowen both took five wickets as Disley were bowled out for 60. Tom Carter (31*) and Ian Kenny (21*) knocked off the required runs in the seventh over.
The 2nd team were on the receiving end of an early finish away at league leaders Nantwich. In testing circumstances Macc were bowled out for 49 in a ten wicket loss, and will look to right things next week at home to Timperley.