Urm, this was not in the script for Widnes
WIDNES Cricket Club’s firstteam promotion hopes took another dent with a disappointing home defeat to Urmston in the Vivio Cheshire County League First Division on Saturday.
Despite heavy overnight rain, the Beaconsfield Road wicket was dry and firm and once again on winning the toss the home skipper Chris Kirby invited the visitors to bat.
He was without his vice-captain and opening bowler Sean Moore and entrusted the new ball to the promoted Tom Keen and Ben Hewitt.
Calum Turner and Michael Ness made a sound start for Urmston and it was not long before Kirby replaced Keen with the medium pace of Danny Moore.
It was in the 16th over with 59 runs on the board before Widnes had their first success of the day, Ness caught at midoff for 29 by Alex Hewitt off his elder brother’s bowling.
Michael Thomas (seven) assisted his skipper Calum Turner in adding a further 20 runs before being caught at cover by Ben Hewitt giving Moore the first of his three wickets.
Calum Turner was next to go having made 32, well caught at slip by Matty Burns, again off the bowling of Moore.
Another catch by Ben Hewitt, this time off the bowling of Marcus Fourie accounted for Max Buckley for 20, leaving the visitors on 104-4 after 30 overs.
Chris Turner now took charge of the Urmston innings and at the end of their 50 overs was still there on 63.
Moore claimed a third wicket trapping Shannon Howie lbw for nine while Fourie got a second, Cole Turner caught by Moore for 12 and Keen bowled Ian Grindley with the last ball of the innings for seven. Urmston had compiled 189-7 from their 50 overs at the crease.
Widnes were confident the 190 required for victory was well within their capabilities and made an aggressive start with Danny Naughton smashing three fours and a six off the first three overs.
Frustratingly for the home XI, he then gave Ness fielding at mid-on a simple catch off the bowling of Cole Turner.
The same bowler then accounted for Burns, lbw for 10 and Alex Hewitt, who had his middle stump uprooted having ● made just three.
The visitors then resorted to an allspin attack of Grindley and Chris Barlow and they put a stranglehold on the scoring rate. Ben Hewitt departed, caught behind off Grindley having made nine off 28 balls, and when Fourie fell in similar fashion for a hard-earned 63, victory looked a distant hope. And so it proved. Mike Byrne grafted for a solid 22 before being bowled by Barlow while Kirby was dismissed by the same bowler attempting a reverse sweep for 15.
Keen remained undefeated on 11 as Les Connolly was bowled first ball by Barlow and James Wearden suffered a similar fate on receiving his opening delivery from Grindley.
Widnes were all out for 161 in 45.1 overs to lose the match by 28 runs.
The five points Widnes collected from the match now sees them 22 behind second-placed Davenham and 65 adrift of leaders Oulton Park.
This Saturday they travel to Upton and may have to rethink their strategy of giving the opposition the first knock. ● WIDNES’S second XI welcome their counterparts from Cheadle to Beacons- field Road this Saturday afternoon.
They are now in a battle to avoid relegation following a 10 wickets defeat at the hands of Urmston.
Widnes were bowled out for for 162 with veteran skipper Tim Wearden carrying his bat for an undefeated 101. The only other batsman to make double figures was his opening partner Will Myers who made 22.
Urmston knocked off the required 163 without losing a wicket inside 29 overs thanks to superb innings of 95 from Furkan Hassan and Bivan Saha who made 56.