Prestbury share the spoils with Appleton

PRESTBURY hosted Appleton CC at the weekend and were held to a draw.

Prestbury skipper Steve Oldfield won the toss and decided to bat, Bryn Thompson and Ben McKeever opened the innings and started well, but with 15 runs on the board Thompson was caught for 4.

Aqeel Ahmed joined McKeever and both played well putting on 66 runs, but McKeever fell for a solid 25.

Oldfield came into bat and with Ahmed and took the score beyond 100 off 23 overs but at 127 Oldfield was out bowled for 12.

Ahmed got his 50, his second of the season, while Stu Costello strolled out to bat and straight away hit some elegant shots.

He and Ahmed took the score to 167 when Ahmed was out for a superb developed innings of 86.

Chris Hall unfortunately got a great delivery first ball and was bowled. Costello was joined by Max Cowley Jones and took the score on to 206 off 39 overs but Costello’s stylish innings came to an end when caught for 42.

Cowley Jones was next to go but again a well played innings, bowled for 24.

Ed Bourke fell for two, but JP Routs (9 not out) and Alex Insley (1 not out) closed the innings off 45 overs at 226 for 8.

After tea, Appleton had a target of 227 off 45 overs. Hall opened the bowling and struck with his second ball bowling Paltrat for 0. He then had Sharaf caught by wicket keeper Routs for 0 and Appleton were 12 for 2.

McDonald and Pearson put on 65 but Insley was brought on and had immediate success with the wicket of McDonald lbw for 43. Soon another wicket fell at 82 when zaidi was out for 1, lbw, bowler Bourke.

But it wasn’t till the 36th over at 150 before Pearson became Hall’s third wicket for 57, superbly caught by Cowley Jones.

At same score Aslam was out lbw to Ahmed for 0, and at 172 Ahmed got the wicket of McAuley for 36.

However, Wright and Cooper batted the last four overs for a draw, 196 for 7, 16 points each team.

Prestbury wicket takers were Hall 3 for 70, Insley 1 for 23 Ahmed 2 for 18, and a 14-over spell for Bourke 1 for 32.

Prestbury man of the match was Aqeel Ahmed. They are away at Bredbury St Marks next Saturday.