Alvanley’s bid to win promotion on course
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ALVANLEY Cricket Club’s first XI took another step towards the promotion spots with a fine home win over fellow contenders Brooklands last Saturday.
Upon winning the toss, home skipper Chris Charles asked the visitors to bat first and had immediate rewards as the irrepressible Billy Ouzounidis and Chris Charles again dominated with the new ball.
They reduced the visitors to 19-4 in 13 demanding overs with all four wickets soundly caught in a variety of positions by Simon Gee, Michael Rowlands, Jonno Whitley and Chris Wright.
Ouzounidis’s opening seven-overs spell yielded a fabulous return for 3-10.
A fifth wicket stand between AJ Hart and Ali Buchan added 54 as Brooklands looked to fight back and there were some worrying sights for Alvanley.
Jimmy Ecclestone, though, came to the fore and dried the scoring up from one end (eight overs for 18) while Lee Ainsworth eventually found his rhythm.
He removed the dangerous Hart for 41 and then sent down eight overs for just seven runs, following teammate Ecclestone’s fine example.
Whitley’s first bowl for the club yielded a wicket and the visitors were again in trouble at 92-7.
Some dogged batting from the tail and a few late blows, notably from Rob Leach who clubbed 29, took the Brooklands score to 147 at tea. Rowlands mopped up the tail with 2-12 off six overs, while Ouzounidis returned for his fourth wicket of the game.
Taking to the crease, opening batsman Rowlands, in fine form the previous week, carried on in the same excellent groove.
He smote the third ball of the innings for a four and had hit a quartet of convincing boundaries by the end of the fourth over to give his team a flyer.
Thirty-six runs were added for the first wicket before Stephen Charles departed lbw to Leach.
Whitley and Rowlands advanced the ● Billy Ouzounidis took four Brooklands wickets to help Alvanley’s first XI secure another victory last Saturday. score to 55 before the former was also adjudged adjacent, this time to a Raj Singh delivery.
Rowlands went soon after for a bombastic 41, tamely hitting a high full toss off Mark Law to Leach fielding at midon.
A fine half-century stand followed between Gee and Arthur Brummitt both batting assertively against some demanding bowling.
Gee fell with half an eye on the rain for 31 and when Brummitt went in similar vein for 24 – both victims to Singh – the jitters started.
Wright and Andy Bennion departed the scene with indeterminate shots and so it was left to Chris Charles and Ainsworth to get the team home. They did so with aplomb. Charles struck 12 not out and Ainsworth chipped in with an unbowed nine to take the team to victory, 25 points and third spot in the division, just four behind Lindow and 22 adrift of leaders Barrow. ● ON the same afternoon, Alvanley’s second-team bagged a fine victory over their counterparts from Bollington.
After calling the coin flip correctly, Alvanley batted first.
And thanks in the main to excellent knocks from opener Chris Jones (61), Josh Nicholson (55) and Glenn Pickersgill (39 not out), they posted 216-6 from their 50 overs at the crease.
Gregg Bishop was easily the best of the Bollington bowlers snapping up 5-53 from his 15 overs of work.
In reply, Bollington made a real fight of it with Matt McGuinness (61), Ged McKernan (45) and captain Callum Goodhind (40) impressing with the bat.
But in a thrilling finish, Alvanley’s bowlers held sway and dismissed their hosts for 200 in the 48th over of their response.
David Summers led the Alvanley attack snapping up 5-46. ● THIS Saturday Alvanley’s first-team visit Stockport while the seconds host their counterparts from Sale. Both matches start at 1pm. ●