Learning curve
MACCLESFIELD 1st XI travelled to Urmston this weekend and looked to build on the strong start to the season.
Captain Rob Porter was glad to win the toss and elected to field having seen rain on the pitch during the warm-up.
Urmston opened with Calum Turner and young Max Buckley and started
steadily against Macclesfield’s opening bowlers until Craig Melrose made the breakthrough by removing Buckley for 2.
Lewis Jackson joined Turner at the crease for the home side and the pair shared a well made 79 partnership before Jackson was caught by Jack Ward off the bowling of Chris Moores.
Sumit Panda was the next man in and looked to up the run rate alongside Turner and push on to a strong total. Turner reached his half century with a boundary in 71 deliveries.
Ward re-joined the attack and broke the partnership to an LBW decision to dismiss Panda for 34.
In his next over, an error in the batsmen’s communication saw Turner run out for 88 with Urmston at 169-4.
Ward also then bowled Allison and Grindley for 15 and 16 respectively as Macclesfield restricted Urmston. A final Jack Ward wicket (finishing 4-61) with a good high catch from Otis Palmes meant that Urmston finished their 50 overs on 231-7.
After the interval, Macclesfield took about chasing down the Urmston total through Galeotti and Porter.
The pair started positively, playing through the infield and scoring a few boundaries each before Galeotti was dismissed, LBW, for 11.
Khalid Sawas then came to the crease and again looked to score runs off the bad ball before being caught in the slips for 7.
Porter continued to progress as he was joined by Ollie Marsden and the pair shared a strong 71 partnership including the captain himself reaching his half century.
When the pair both fell in quick succession (Porter 60, Marsden 30) the Macclesfield middle order still had plenty of work to do in chase of the 1st innings total.
Jack Ward and James Cross, the new men in, looked to score around a run a ball. The experienced Sumit Panda continued to be tricky to put away and took his second wicket of the day to dismiss Cross for 16.
Ward was then caught next over by Panda off Calum Turner’s bowling for 17. At 142-6 Macclesfield were still in with a chance although the required run rate was increasing to a tough ask.
Craig Melrose and Miles Bradshaw started strongly and scored several boundaries and perhaps the run chase was to be successful.
However when Melrose was caught for 30 and the score at 181-7, Macclesfield knew was a risk not worth taking to try and score at over 12 an over to win the match.
Miles Bradshaw continued to bat sensibly scoring at a run a ball and took Macclesfield safely over 200 for maximum batting points.
With Bradshaw 28 not out, Macclesfield finished 201-7 off 50 and the match was to conclude as a draw with Urmston taking 14 points and Macclesfield 8. A decent result and a lesson in not gifting points away.
The 1st XI welcome Bollington on Thursday for a T20 fixture before Brooklands on Saturday and travel to Toft on Sunday for a Cheshire Cup game
Macclesfield 2nd XI welcomed Urmston 2nd XI to Victoria Road in aim of continuing their high hopes for the season.
Second XI captain Stuart Parks won the toss and invited the visitors to have a bat and test against Macclesfield’s strong bowling attack.
Tom Key and Harry Massey opened the bowl