Langley in bright start to campaign
LANGLEY 1st XI got their 2022 campaign off to a winning start at home to Weaverham.
New skipper Iain Mclellan won the toss and elected to bowl.
The visitors got off to a flyer, reaching 33 off 5 overs before Simm (17) was caught behind by Marsden off the bowling of Muhammad Faisal.
Weaverham reached 50/1 off 10 overs. Matty Doggart replaced Kenny Love and struck in his first over as H.Bell (27) drove him to mid-off where Faisal took a good catch.
Jake Lightfoot (12) was then caught superbly at slip by Matty Nicholls as Faisal claimed a second wicket and when Jude
Lightfoot (4) was again well caught at slip by Nicholls off the bowling of Doggart, Weaverham were in trouble on 67/4.
Weaverham dug in but lost wickets at regular intervals as Douglas (8) drove to Charlie McEllan at midwicket off Doggart and Pickering (19) was stumped by Marsden as veteran David Frame claimed his first wicket.
J. Bell (31) and Kellet (26) then put on 50 before the cunning Frame had the latter caught at fly slip, Ian Mclellan forced Bell into a wild swing and he was stumped.
Dowling (0) then chipped Frame to Charlie Mclellan at cover. Number 11 Wright then hit a brisk 21 before he hit Love to deep mid on where Charlie Mclellan took his third catch of the day as Weaverham were all out for 183.
Frame 3/24 off 11 overs, Doggart 3/65 off 11 overs, Faisal 2/29 off 9 overs, Iain Mclellan 1/7 off 2 overs and Love 1/52 off 7 overs took the wickets.
In reply, South African Nicholls looked in good order he reached 14 until he mistimed to mid off. Abid Hussain (1) soon followed when he was caught behind as Langley struggled to 25/2.
Chris Pattison and Matty Marsden both looked in good order, Pattison hitting a huge six over the road, the score reached 77 when Pattison (30) drilled a catch back to the bowler Bell who took a great reaction catch.
Faisal struck his first ball to the boundary and was also looking in good nick until Simms got one to nip back and he was bowled for 10.
At 92/4 the game was in the balance, Marsden was batting fluently and dispatching every loose ball. There were two crucial stands of 40 with Charlie Mclellan (11) and Sammy Bailey (9).
Langley were on the edge of victory with 6 needed when Marsden (94) was bowled – a great effort by the youngster off just 71 balls, hitting 17 fours and two sixes on his Langley debut.
An over later, Bailey fell in the same fashion.
It was left to Frame with the field in to drive over mid-on to win the game as Langley reached 185/7 off 33 overs.
Skipper Iain Mclellan was a happy man.
He said: “It was a great performance from the lads, we were missing a few today and the lads that filled in were fantastic, Framey and Doggart did a great job containing the middle order, I thought they got 20 more than they should of, Marsden batted brilliantly and
Pattison’s 30 was class. I’m looking forward to a good season, with three players back next week we can only get better.”