Delight at the double
ALVANLEY Cricket Club’s firstteam enjoyed a productive couple of matches winning a T/20 encounter at home to Barrow last Thursday evening before following that up with a league triumph at Tattenhall.
Thursday’s clash was a fabulous game of T/20 cricket on a glorious evening, in front of a sizable crowd and and a cracking pitch.
Alvanley chose to bat first and got away to a dream start as the first over disappeared for 12 as Mike Rowlands enjoyed pace on the pink ball.
Andy Bennion too started well spanking his first ball for four and after four overs the pair had added 55 runs.
Bennion was first to depart, attempting to emulate an enormous six, but losing his off stump for 27. Rowlands was not finished and drove with immense power to rattle to 46 before running himself out.
The remainder of the innings came in fits and starts with Chris Wright, Simon Gee, Lee Ainsworth and Chris Charles all reaching double figures.
A score of 159-8 was deemed around about par, so Alvanley still had work to do
Ste Charles and Billy Ouzounidis provided their captain with the perfect start bowling with control and with their field settings in mind.
The start was made even better by Ben Aveyard’s brilliant piece of boundary fielding being too good for Andy Metcalf who was run out-out without facing a ball.
The powerplay got even better for Alvanley when Ainsworth got the prolific Iroshan De Silva to nick a delivery into the gloves of the grateful Gee behind the stumps.
The powerplay yielded just 31 runs for two wickets. ●
Ainsworth made further inroads in the seventh over removing Barrow captain Alex Reid but the next partnership was likely to test Alvanley.
Phil Johnson joined David McClements and the pair batted positively to take the game back to the bowlers.
In the midst of this, Rowlands snook in a very tidy spell of four overs for 25, but the pair remained at the crease and when a flurry of sixes tipped the game slightly towards Barrow, it took a steepling boundary catch from Bennion to calm the nerves.
Death bowling of the highest order then came from Chris Charles and Ouzounidis and the Barrow effort ended nine runs short of a winning target on 151-5.
A thrilling game won by Alvanley sets up a group decider at home to Boughton Hall on the June 15.
On Saturday, Alvanley showed plenty of fight to win a tricky. fixture at Tattenhall with a second half that showed all their finest qualities.
Tattenhall asked Alvanley to bat first and with an an experienced, accurate attack, it was clear that run scoring was going to be difficult.
Michael Rowlands was trapped in front lbw by Alan Brock in the first over but there followed a serene period where Ste Charles and Jonno Whitley were comfortable without ever breaking free.
Whitley perished for 16 at 30-2 and there followed a similar stand between Charles and Chris Wright and at 70-3 a base was being established.
Wright was replaced by Simon Gee and all this time Charles was accumulating steadily until he reached a gritty 50.
He fell soon after and there followed a bit of a procession. As overs were running out the batsmen tried to up the rate but found the going difficult.
Gee stood alone stroking a relatively assured 31 before perishing to a catch in the deep by Connor Windell off Melvin Dobson. A few scurried runs from the tail took the score to 142 and left the game in the balance at tea.
This notion was proved wrong by Alvanley’s opening bowlers.
Their height exploited previously undiscovered life in the pitch and they regularly hit slices and gloves. Billy Ouzounidis removed opposition skipper Stuart Sadler in his first over.
The second wicket pair found both Ouzounidis and Charles a real handful.
Joe Prince went next, finding Chris Wright’s hands at cover and when Paul Kettle went lbw to Ouzounidis, Tattenhall were reeling at 15-3.
Windell followed next, bowled by the excellent Ouzounidis whose opening spell yielded 3-15.
Charles switched ends and brother Steve slotted into the ‘into the wind’ end.
His accurate start was rewarded with the key wicket of Glenn Coppack who edged to Gee and the hosts were now 26-5.
Chris Charles then gave Josh Harding a ‘going over’ and after a couple of high blows, removed his middle stump.
Ste Charles tempted John Gibbon to hit to cover and 35-8 was a dream scenario for Alvanley.
A stubborn resistance followed led by Dobson but Jimmy Ecclestone found a way of ending a 40 run partnership, trapping Gary Forster in front.
Rowlands provided the coup de grace and at 89 all out Alvanley could be well satisfied with a gritty win and a gutsy performance.