Marple edged on sorry track
MARPLE travelled to league leaders Timperley last Saturday and lost out by four wickets on an overcast, cool afternoon.
They were presented with a ground not really up to the level expected of Premier League cricket.
Whilst the current dry spell of weather has been challenging for all clubs, the Timperley ground was in a particularly poor state.
The outfield was hard and rutted, and the pitch was uneven and rough.
To make matters worse, there was an unusually short boundary on the pavilion side, the wicket having had to be moved from a more central part of the square.
Standing in as captain for Paul Wood was former Cheshire skipper Andrew Hall. He lost the toss, and Marple were asked to take first knock.
After a maiden from Cheshire opening bowler Jack White, Mark Bennett top edged his first ball, a long hop from Ed Galley, to fine leg.
The aforementioned White barely had to move to complete a simple catch. Marple were 0 for 1 again. Mike Schofield soon followed, caught at short leg off Galley for a single, and Marple were right up against it very early in the piece.
White’s body language surprisingly indicated that he was not that keen on bowling, and home skipper Brown replaced him with off spinner Shafiq after four accurate overs.
This move paid off, as Jackson was adjudged lbw to his first delivery, the score 11 for 3.
Andy Wild joined Makin, and the pair showed resilience to try and get Marple into the game.
Makin broke the shackles by taking Galley for 24 in three overs, pulling the left arm seamer brutally to mid wicket several times.
The fourth wicket pair added 56 runs with Wild playing a solid supporting role. Brown mixed up his bowlers in an attempt to break this stand, and at 67 Makin was given out lbw to slow left armer Horsfield for a fine 43 with nine fours.
Makin’s natural gift of watching the ball closely and playing instinctively helped him enormously on this pitch, and his innings was the most fluent of the entire match.
Wild had batted with good application, and he added a further 32 with Andrew Hall, at number six this game. He lost concentration when Galley returned though, being bowled for 25 after misjudging the line of a fullish delivery.
From 99 for 5, Marple were only able to add a further 15 runs as Galley ripped through the tail. White returned after having been warned for arguing with the umpire to collect a couple of late wickets, and Marple were all out 114.
Hall ran out of partners and was 19 not out, with Galley taking a commendable 6 for 40 for Timperley.
Marple’s bowlers needed to be right on the mark immediately to have a semblance of a chance defending such a small total. They were not able to manage this.
Nineteen runs came from the first three overs, as Shafiq continued his excellent form. Timperley have a star studded batting line up, but on this pitch even they were unable to find much fluency. Jack Grundy has a happy knack of taking important wickets, and here he had three big ones in quick succession.
Former Gloucestershire and South African state batsman Grant Hodnett (4)edged a beauty to Greasley at slip, and Shafiq (27) chipped back a simple caught and bowled.
Brooke Guest, the Lancashire second team wicket keeper batsman was then lbw first ball for a duck.
Despite some loose deliveries being sent down, the batsmen were never “in” on this surface and with Timperley at 36 for 3 Marple had a chance.
Greasley was not able to settle quickly though, and only found his rhythm after a few overs.
By such time, Kulkarni and Olivier had added 46 more, not entirely in convincing fashion.
However, Greasley eventually got in on the act, bowling a little more quickly and picked up three wickets in rapid succession.
Olivier (22) was superbly held from a skier by Makin, Kulkarni (27) was smartly taken at short leg by Jackson and Fisher was lbw for nought.
At 88 for 6 the game was not yet done. Galley could not lay a bat on Greasley, but Brown (20 not out) steered his side to victory without further loss. Grundy had 3 for 33, and Greasley 3 for 37 for Marple.
Despite bowling some wicket taking deliveries, both were guilty of letting the batsmen off the hook at times.
This was ultimately a poor game of cricket, certainly not helped by the conditions.
Despite their win, Timperley were not ecstatic at the end being relieved just to get home. Marple sufferered a second successive defeat which leaves them in ninth position in the league.
Next week they are back at home with a game against Chester Boughton Hall, 12.30pm start.