Catches Set Marple on Road to Memorable Win! Super Max 130 Undefeated For the Seconds!

Marple 165 for 3 (25 points) 39.1 overs beat Bollington 164 all out (5 points) 48.3 overs by 7 wickets.

Marple followed up last week’s win at Warrington with an even more impressive performance at nearby Bollington last Saturday. The home ground can rarely have had such a firm pitch and quick outfield in the first week of May despite the cloudy and cold conditions,  and when the home openers, Harri Dickinson and Simon Dunn, got Bollington off to a flying start Paul Wood may have rued his decision to field first.

Although Marple opening bowlers Pat Morahan and Andy Wylie had to be watched when on target, both were guilty of serving up a boundary ball each over. The hard hitting Dickinson, strong on the drive, and newcomer Dunn, were both in excellent touch as the new ball was regularly despatched to the fence. Greasley and Wood replaced the openers and managed to put a bit of a brake on proceedings, despite Dickinson lofting Greasley for an enormous straight six.

The partnership reached 66 before the first of several excellent catches brought Marple back into the game. Morahan picked up Dunn (34) at backward point with a brilliant take diving to his left off skipper Wood, and five runs later Andrew Hall took an equally good one at slip to remove Edgar for just 2. What followed was a horrid middle order collapse for Bollington, as further excellent catches from Makin, Wylie, Ed Saxelby and Bennett reduced them to a parlous 81 for 6. There were three wickets apiece for Greasley and Wood at this stage.

Bollington are, however, a side with real depth to their line up this season, and solid efforts from Tom Leese (29) Tom Horsfield (17) and Richard Hough (21) made sure Marple had to work hard to get through the batting card. Captain Hough was carrying an injury, hence his unusual position of number nine game in this game. The second half of the innings was one of tight cricket, with all four Marple bowlers on the mark, and the home batsmen showing good character. A competitive total of 164 all out was a fine recovery after the middle order’s demise. For Marple, Greasley was on song with 3 for 30 from 15 overs, and was well supported by Wood 3 for 31 from 7 and Morahan 3 for 42 from 12.3 overs. Wylie’s figures of just 1 for 56 did him scant justice.

Bollington had convincingly won their first two games of the season, and having a more than handy pace attack, were justifiably confident that they could cause Marple’s excellent line up problems. Both James Crisall and Mark Makin though, cracked some superb boundaries in the opening overs from the bustling Ward and Dickinson.  Ward looked incredulous when Makin hit him high over his head. However, he had the last laugh when Makin (10) played loosely and was bowled at 25 for 1. Dickinson bowled only a short spell, and it was a surprise that Dario Seale had not opened the bowling. Seale, from Barbados, and having represented the island’s youth team, has some serious pace. He has a smooth run up and when loose proved quite a handful. Crisall (24) had once more looked in fine form, but he became the second wicket when adjudged lbw to Seale at 39 for 2.

Marple have two of the premier batsmen in the league in Andrew Hall and Paul Wood. Both have class and experience in abundance, and today they showed why they are a cut above most other players in this division. There was watchful defence, but neither player missed the chance to keep the scoreboard ticking along. Amongst the memorable shots played was a superb backfoot cover drive by Wood off Ward, and the consecutive pull and off drive by Hall off Seale when eleven runs were taken from an over.  Left arm spinner Plant bowled a tidy if wicketless spell, and it began to look as if Marple’s high class third wicket partnership might take them all the way to victory. However, Seale changed ends and bowled Hall (42) when the former Cheshire man played lazily at 133 for 3. Jim Morgan, at number five, is not a man to hang around, and he gave Wood sterling support. Wood now came fully into his own, as the final 32 runs came in quick time. Morgan (14 not out) struck three brutal boundaries in support, but fittingly it was Wood who hit the winning runs with a lofted four off Plant. This was a third successive half century this season for Wood (68 not out), and was probably the best, considering the quality of the opposition bowling. After three games, Marple are top of the Cheshire County League first division.

This was a terrific victory for Marple against a potentially very talented Bollington team. A seven wicket win was probably the team’s best performance since defeating Alderley Edge at Moss Lane at the end of the 2015 season. Next week will see the side play at home for the first time this season with a game against Sale, 1.00pm start.

Max Fitzgerald, fifteen years of age, played an incredible knock of 130 not out, as Marple seconds chased down an imposing score of 209 for 9 by Hyde’s second team at Werneth Low on Sunday. Max’s sensational innings took Marple to a well deserved seven wicket victory, and put their early season woes to one side. Skipper George Clarke had a stronger bowling attack to choose from and they did him proud, with Andy Massey taking four wickets, Clarke three, and Jack Grundy, who bowled a couple of excellent spells two. Marple keeper Andy Wild hit a solid 56 in sharing a terrific 133 opening stand with Fitzgerald.

Despite posting a score of 205 for 5 at Sale, Marple’s third eleven could not prevent a five wicket defeat in their first league game of the season.  There were encouraging performances though from Matt Barrow 72 not out, Jonny Arrowsmith 36, and Ryan Ellis a ferocious 54 not out. Marple toiled hard in the field, with all the bowlers doing a steady job. Jacob Combey was the most successful bowler with 2 for 59. Luke Greasley also hit the stumps directly twice to give him two run outs.