Defending champions Wood Lane get their first win of the season

All divisions of the league were affected by the weather this week, with many matches abandoned or having reduced overs.

Premier Division

Defending champions Wood Lane got their first win of the season against Checkley, beating them by five wickets. They restricted Checkley to 76, Asad Ali taking 4-39. It then took them 31.5 overs to reach their target, Daniel Brierly (26no) and Deane Jervis (7no) seeing them over the line.

Longton and Leek could only manage a draw. Longton were put in to bat and posted 145-4 from 34 overs, Stefan Ruduch top scoring with 49. In reply Leek only managed to bat 27.3 overs as they finished on 101-3, Alex Mellor finishing on 58no.

A draw was also the result between Little Stoke and Knypersley. Little Stoke batted first and stuttered to 132-7 from their 55 overs, Greg Massingham (44) top scoring. Knypersley’s innings was cut short to 26 overs, as they finished on 54-1.

There was no play possible between, Audley and Porthill Park, Burslem and Cheadle, Hem Heath and Stone.

Division One

Elworth picked up the full 25 points against Barlaston as they defended 136.  Alex Edmonstone (46) and Matthew Buckley (38no) were the mainstay of the Barlaston innings, Mark Stanyer (4-55) was the pick of the bowlers. Barlaston were then dismissed for 92, Yasir Ali took figures of 4-23.

Aqab Ahmed’s 76no wasn’t enough to prevent Blythe losing by eight wickets against Leycett. Tas Hussain took 4-59 as Blythe were reduced to 148-6. Leycett then reached the target in the 36^th over, Richard Walker and Hassan Haleem both passing 50.

Whitmore and Meakin was abandoned in the second innings. Meakin were put in to bat and finished on 132-9, Imran Arif claiming figures of 5-44. The match was the abandoned in the first over of the second innings.

There was no play possible between, Meir Heath and Silverdale, Moddershall and Norton, Sandyford and Betley.

Division Two

Ashcombe Park picked up 20 points after they dismissed Eccleshall for 100. Josh Johnson and Rizwan Haider both taking four wickets. Ashcombe then knocked off the runs in the 23^rd over, Haider smashing 61no off 59 balls.

Newcastle & Hartshill also got the 20 points at home as they chased down 93 against Rode Park & Lawton. Sathpath Kelum ripped through the away side’s batting line up taking 7-36 as they were all out for 92. The home side then passed the target after 21 overs for the loss of four wickets, Muhammad Fayaz top scored with 61no.

Caverswall claimed the winning draw at home against Stafford. The home side batted first and posted 185-6 from 36.4 overs, Anthony Dutton top scoring with 55no. Stafford were then restricted to 125-7, the innings being built around Dave Foster (57no), the pick of the bowlers was Tom East as he took4-27.

There was no play possible between, Alsager and Woore, Bignall End and Weston, Kidsgrove and Oulton.

Division Three

Oakamoor comprehensively beat Fenton at home picking up 20 points. Matt Wolf demolished the away sides batting line up taking 5-20, the only resistance was Phil Hall’s 35no as Fenton were dismissed for 58. In reply Oakamoor passed the winning line in the 29^th over for the loss of two wickets.

Crewe also won batting second after they reduced Moddershall A to 104 all out; Shahid Mahboob was the main wicket taker with 4-48. Crewe lost seven wickets on their way to victory Mahboob top scoring with 30.

Asif Raza efforts weren’t enough to save his Bagnall side from defeat against Church Eaton. Raza took 8-57 in the second innings, but Church Eaton managed to hold on and win by one wicket as they chased down Bagnall’s 103. Matt White also took 5-50 in the first innings for the Church Eaton.

There was no play possible between, Hanford and Forsbrook, Wedgewood & Stanfields and Endon.  Norton-In-Hales and Stone did manage to get 31.4 overs in before the rain hit.

Wood Lane win Prem by a point

17th September

Link to Report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10355341&cid=200

Premier Division

Wood Lane pipped Leek and Hem Heath to become champions as they claimed a winning draw against Burslem. Having started the day in third place, Wood Lane batted first and set managed to reach 224-3 in 44 overs, Mathew Hagan top scored with 79 but was well supported by Jeff Maynard (54) and Richard Hassall (59 no). In reply Burslem finished on 174-8, Steve Norcup taking figures of 4-46.

Leek finished a point behind Wood Lane in second place as they finished the season off with a draw at home against Stone. Leek batted first and Alex Mellor (90 no) led his to side 195-3 from 36.2 overs with Chris Beach striking 52 from 49 balls. In the second innings only 20 overs were managed before the weather intervened, Leek having restricted the away side to 57-4.

Hem Heath started the day top of the table but finished a further two points behind, as they lost to relegated Barlaston. Hem Heath were dismissed for 105, only John Cheadle (49) and Andy Palmer (20) making double figures. Barlaston then passed the required score for the loss of two wickets.

Sandyford were relegated to Division One, when they lost to Little Stoke. The away side restricted Little Stoke to 140 all out, Andrew Barnett claiming 7-58 giving Sandyford a great chance, but in the second innings they were all out for 125, Shaaiq Choudery (5-57) the pick of the bowlers.

Knypersley managed to beat the drop with victory against Porthill Park. Nayyar Abbas took 7-51 as the home side bowled Porthill out for 111. Abbas then smashed 71 not out off 38 balls, as Knypersley passed the target inside 18 overs.

Longton against Audley  was abandoned after the first innings, which Longton finished 194-9 from their allotted 55 overs.

Division One

Checkley have been promoted to the Premier Division after  victory against Betley and champions and local rivals Cheadle beat Elworth. Checkley batted first and were given a real scare when Darren Snape took 9-36 as they were dismissed for 117. Things were even worse for the promotion hopefuls when Betley were 114-8 but captain Gavin Carr took the last two wickets as Betley finished 115 all out, Carr claiming figures of 7-37.

Elworth started the day in second but were unable to chase down 194, which would have secured their place in the top division. Vishal Tripathi (61) and Dave Wheeldon (65) were the main run scorers for Cheadle as they finished on 194-7. Chris Baker (8-30) then did the damage with ball for Cheadle, as Elworth collapsed to 82 all out.

Weston have been relegated with Oulton when they lost by three wickets against Leycett. Weston stuttered to 80 all out batting first and Leycett passed the finishing line in the 24^th over.

Blythe beat the drop even though they were defeated by Whitmore by 60 runs. Blythe restricted the away side to 150 all out, Aqab Ahmed taking 5-57. Blythe struggled with the bat and collapsed to 80 all out Lee Johnson with figures of 8-27.

Ben Cox helped Oulton gain the winning draw, as he hit 86 off 96 balls against Moddershall. Oulton set Moddershall 230 to win, but they finished on 151-2 from 40.2 overs, Craig Grimley (66 no) and Khalid Malik (53) top scorers for Moddershall.

Meir Heath’s game against Norton was abandoned half way through the second innings. Meir Heath batted first and hit 199-9 and Norton were 70-8 when the rain came.

Division Two

The weather was a major player in division two with only two games coming to a close and it cost Ashcombe and Caverswall dearly. Ashcombe were second at the start of the day and they declared on 175-9 after 45 overs against Alsager. When the rain came they had dismissed two Alsager batsmen for 52.

Caverswall were placed fourth and knew they would have to win batting first against Bagnall to stand any chance and they were placed in a good position, when they declared on 218-6 from 40 overs, Rob King striking 63 and Jake Edge (53) led the way. When the rain came Bagnall were 62-1 from 10 overs.

It was Silverdale that managed to secure promotion with when they comfortably beat Rode Park & Lawton by eight wickets. Richie Jervis and Glynn Moore did the damage for Silverdale both taking four wickets as the home side were dismissed for 52. Matt Baker saw his side past the target with 20 not out.

Champions Meakin lost to Stafford by five wickets, when they were unable to defend to 160, Aparajit Singh took 5-58. Richard Brazier then made sure his side gained the win with a run a ball 61 not out.

Newcastle & Hartshill’s game against Crewe was abandoned after 36.4 overs and Kidsgrove versus Bignall End had the same fate.

Division Three

Woore have been promoted with Eccleshall when they beat Stone batting first and Oakamoor could only manage a draw in a rain affected match. Woore batted first against Stone and they smashed 283-8 from 40 with number 9 Anand Buddhdev hitting 91 from 51 balls and number 10 Andrew Kenvyn (53) doing most of the damage late on. Stone were then dismissed for 156.

Oakamoor had to win batting first and finished on 200-1 in 37 overs against Champions Eccleshall, Muhammad Ayub top scored with 106 and was supported by Tom Sherratt (75 no). Eccleshall’s innings only lasted 18 overs because of rain and they were wobbling on 57-4.

Forsbrook finished in fourth place with a draw against Moddershall A. Forsbrook stuttered to 138 all out and in reply Moddershall finished 89-2, Sam Moores top scored with 49.

Adrian Lello took 7-40 as Wedgewood & Stanfields restricted Wootton to 123 all out. Wedgewood then knocked the total off for the loss of three wickets, Mitchell Edwards (62) top scored but it was Andrew Pickerill (41 no) who saw them over the line.

Endon were stopped against Hanford by rain. They set Hanford 228 to win, Kevin Cockerton (105) and Alex Bailey (78 no) scored the majority of the runs for Endon. In reply Hanford were 45-3 when the rain came.

Norton-In-Hales versus Fenton was also abandoned after the first innings, which the home side had scored 162-9, James Ruscoe finishing on 52 not out and Chris Mellor taking 7-40.

The battle heats up at the top

3th July

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10353827&cid=200

Premier Division

Hem Heath kept the pressure on Wood Lane when they collected maximum points against strugglers Little Stoke. Hem Heath won the toss and decided to bat and made their way to 176-9, Ben McQuire top scoring with 48, Daniel Richardson picking up his first five wicket haul of the season with figures of 5-41. In reply Little Stoke collapsed to 84 all out, Andrew Harris taking 4-30. Hem Heath move into second seven points behind leaders Wood Lane and Little Stoke are one point above the relegation zone.

Leek also maintained their challenge for the title, after they beat Longton batting second. Stefan Jones and Colin Dearden both took four wickets for Leek as they bowled the visitors out for 101. It took Leek 33 overs to knock the target off; they are now nine points off the pace at the top.

With their challengers both winning Wood Lane could only manage a winning draw against Stone. Batting first Wood Lane’s Daniel Brierley (72) and Steven Brierley (53 no) put their side in a strong position at 253-7 from 54 overs. Stone then made a strong start and Luke Cheadle (49) and James Dawson (47) put on 81 for the opening partnership, but Stone could only reach 220 from 56 overs.

Sandyford sit bottom after losing batting second to Audley. The away side set Sandyford 224 to win, Robert Hemmings top scored with 53. In the second innings Craig Barker set about the strugglers batting line up as he took 7-69 and Sandyford were dismissed for 160. Little Stoke are now seven points from safety.

Barlaston, in their bid to beat the drop, got the winning draw against Porthill Park. Dan Hancock (91) and Ian Butler (53) helped Porthill set 263-6 from 54 overs. In reply Barlaston reached 244-7 from 44 overs. Barlaston sit one point behind Little Stoke in safety.

Burslem beat Knypersley batting first by 24 runs. Burslem set the home side 154 to win, Michael Rowley (48) and Christopher Roberts (42) being the main contributors. Imran Arif then tore through the Knypersley batting line taking 8-46 as they were dismissed for 129.

Division One

Cheadle have secured their place in the Premier Division by picking up maximum points against rock bottom Oulton. Adam Alcock’s 106 not out set Cheadle on their way to 286-8 from 54 overs. In reply Oulton were dismissed for 177, James Sellers and Simon Plant both picking up four wickets.

Elworth are also placed in a strong position, after they won batting first against Meir Heath. David Toft stabilised the Elworth innings with 68 as they were dismissed for 154, Iftikhar Asghar taking 5-35. Meir Heath then fell narrowly short finishing on 141 all out, Steve Morgan taking 7-44.

Checkley’s promotion challenge took a huge blow when they lost to Leycett. Checkley won the toss and decided to bat, and didn’t get off to the best start, but numbers eight and nine Richard Cooper (51no) and Gavin Carr (50no)  got Checkley to 176-7.  Leycett knocked off the total in the 62^nd over, Richard Walker (72no) saw his side over the line and was supported by Tas Hussain (60). Checkley are now 27 points behind  Elworth.

Blythe are one point from safety behind Betley after losing to Moddershall. Blythe won the toss and put Moddershall into bat and Chris Plant top scored with 76 as the home side finished on 241-9, Peter Finch was the pick of the bowlers taking 5-87. Blythe then got off to the worst possible start and found themselves 0-3, which then turned into 57-8. Aqab Ahmed put some respectability into the innings with his 63, but they were dismissed for 138, Shaun Brian taking 6-26 from 14.5 overs.

Betley couldn’t take advantage of Blythe’s loss as they also fell to defeat against Norton. Betley batted first and stumbled to 129-9 from their 55 overs, Neil Harrison (54no) being the mainstay of the innings, Geeth Alwiss picking up his fourth five wicket haul of the season with figures of 5-32. Norton chased down the target in 29 overs.

Weston move four points clear of the relegation zone with a winning draw against mid table Whitmore. Weston’s top order all fired, with Raj Kumar leading the batting line up with 90 as they finished on 283-5 from 53 overs. In reply Whitmore reached 254-7 from 57 overs Justin Mould top scoring with 57.

Division Two

JG Meakin sealed their promotion and the division two title with maximum points against Bagnall. Matthew Redican at number eight for Meakin hit 87 as they set Baganll 279 to win. Bagnall then slumped to 128 all out, Simon Gordon hitting 55 and the only other person to make double figures was Colin Wilkinson. Bagnall are 21 points from safety.

Caverswall moved into second place when they beat relegated Crewe batting first. Rob King’s 80 not out helped Caverswall to 210-4 from 38.4 overs. In the second innings the only resistance Crewe put up was through Yasser Tariq (63) as they collapsed to 116 all out.

Ashcombe moved into third place one point behind Caverswall after they beat Kidsgrove batting first. David Proffitt (72) and Phillip Clowes (68) held the Ashcombe innings together as they were dismissed for 193. Kidsgrove in reply were all out for 180, Greg Massingham (60) top scoring, while Proffitt (3-17) was the pick of the bowlers.

Silverdale dropped to fifth after they lost Bignall End who have now moved 30 points clear of the relegation zone. Bignall End batted first and set promotion chasing Silverdale 184 to win, Simon Howle (69) being the mainstay of the innings. Silverdale then collapsed to 119 all out, only opener John Shenton (57) giving resistance. Silverdale are now five points behind Caverswall .

Fourth placed Newcastle & Hartshill could only manage a winning draw when they were unable to bowl Alsager out after setting them 201 to win. Openers Andy Elliot (54) and Muhammad Fayaz (46) were the main contributors to the Newcastle & Hartshill innings.  Alsager then managed to make it to 111-6 from 36 overs. Newcastle & Hartshill sit four points behind second place.

Richard Brazier’s century was enough to brush aside Rode Park & Lawton. Having restricted Rode Park to 148 Brazier smashed 105 not out from 108 balls as Stafford knocked the total off without losing a wicket.

Division Three

Eccleshall confirmed they are Division Three champions, after they beat rock bottom Wootton batting second by four wickets. Wootton were restricted to 154-8 from their 55 overs, Josh Stevens (53) top scoring. Eccleshall then reached the total with the loss of six wickets.

Woore remain in second place after they were able to defend 194 against Norton-In-Hales. After a slow start it was Mohammed Shanavaz Jamal who helped Woore get up to their total. In reply Norton-In-Hales were dismissed for 154, Kannathasan Kavithasan and Andrew Kenvyn both taking four wickets.

Oakamoor are seven points behind Woore in third place after they beat Endon by four wickets. Oakamoor won the toss and put Endon into bat and the home side had runs throughout the top order, Alex Bailey (46) top scoring, as Endon set Oakamoor 192 to win. They reached the target in the 39^th over, Muhammad Ayub (79) and Eddie Brookes (62no) were the main contributors to the innings.

Forsbrook fell behind in the promotion race as they could only manage a winning draw against Fenton. David Mitchell (69) and Matthew Bailey (67) helped Forsbrook set the home side 260 to win. In reply Fenton made it to 156-4 from 42 overs. Forsbrook are now in fourth place 19 points off the pace.

Moddershall beat Hanford batting second by three wickets after they restricted the home side to 160, Muhammad Masuod Akhtar’s 61 not out being the main contributor. Sam Moores (49) then set the tone for Moddershall and Dave Stupples (40no) saw his team over the finishing line.

Stone won batting second against Wedgewood & Stanfields by eight wickets. Stone dismissed Wedgewood for a modest, 100 Neil Podmore the pick of the bowlers picking up figures of 5-32. James Sutton (40no) and Nicholas Cooper (30 no) then guided Stone to victory in 22 overs.

Rain hits the league

27th August

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10352582&cid=200

Premier Division

Wood Lane drew against Longton in a weekend hugely disrupted by the rain. Longton used all of their allocated overs and Stefan Rduch’s 100 not out guided them to 216 with support from Tom Redfern (79). In reply the league leaders finished on 54-5 from 26 overs.

Second place Leek are 15 points behind Wood Lane after they drew with Hem Heath who sit in third place, three points behind the Highfield side. Leek batted first and scored 177-7 from 48.8 overs Alex Thompson top scored with 58. Hem Heath then came out with an attacking mindset and Ben McQuire smashed 49 off just 17, which included six sixes. Hem Heath finished on 119-6 from 14 overs.

Bottom of the table Sandyford just held on for a draw against Stone after the home side finished two runs short of victory, which would have strengthened their title challenge. Sandyford declared on 150-6 after 24.2 overs. In reply Stone attacked the Sandyford bowling attack and closed their innings on 149-6 from 22 overs Luke Cheadle (58) top scoring.

Daniel Milligan helped Burslem claim the only winning draw in the division against Little Stoke. Burslem won the toss and a decided to bowl first, Milligan then claimed figures of 6-53 as the visitors stuttered to 157 all out. Burslem then reached 133-5 from 39 overs, Kevin Mountford finishing on 58 not out.

Porthill sit 18 points behind Wood Lane after they drew with Audley. Audley batted first and declared on 176-5, Richard Holloway hitting 66. Porthill managed to score 113-5 from 15.4 overs Thomas Oakes taking figures of 3-41.

Barlaston versus Knypersley was abandoned without a bowl being bowled.

Division One

Checkley with their draw against Whitmore were the overwhelming winners in division one battle against the weather,  as Cheadle and Elworth both had their games abandoned. Checkley batted first and with half centuries from Michael Allen and Nick Hubble they set a total of 175-6 from 29.4 overs. In reply Whitmore collapsed to 84-8 from 30 overs. Checkley remain third but are only 14 points behind Elworth in second.

Strugglers Weston were the only defeated side in the division as they crumbled to 95 all out against Norton, Geeth Alwiss claiming figures of 5-23. Opener Alex Graham (64 no) then saw his side over the finishing line inside 19 overs.

Cheadle’s match against Moddershall was abandoned after the first innings, in which Cheadle managed to hit 175-8 in 36 overs.

Betley against Oulton had the same fate after Betley had hit 236-6 from 43 overs, Zia Ur Rehman finishing on 101 not out.

Elworth and Leycett was abandoned without a ball being bowled.

Division Two

League leader Meakin capitalised on teams around them unable to play by beating Bignall End batting second. Meakin restricted the away side to 156 all out, Dave Edwards (7-50) taking his best figures of the season. In reply Meakin reached the target after 27 overs, Hayden Simcockn (74 no) guiding them over the line.

Caverswall also claimed victory and picked up maximum points as they beat Kidsgrove by 56 runs. Caverswall were dismissed for 162, Robert King top scoring with 32. Kidsgrove then stuttered to 106 all out. Caverswall now sit just 14 points outside the promotion places.

Second and third place Silverdale and Newcastle & Hartshill’s game was abandoned after the first innings with Newcastle declaring on 63-9 from 31.1 overs, Glynn Moore taking 6-23.

Bagnall versus Rode Park & Lawton was abandoned after 40.5, Rode Park scoring 130 from the available.

Crewe against Alsager was abandoned after 3.5 overs and Ashcombe versus Stafford saw no play at all.

Division Three

Woore moved into second place with their winning draw against promotion rivals Forsbrook. Woore set a total of 174 for victory, Atique Hashmi (49) top scored. In reply Forsbrook finished on 139-8, Andrew Kenvyn taking figures of 5-53. Woore are six points clear of Forsbrook who are fourth but only two points ahead of Oakamoor in second.

Oakamoor couldn’t quite force victory against Fenton. Oakamoor batted first in an innings which was hugely disrupted by rain. Muhammad Ayub was especially aggressive smashing 102 off 75 balls, and was supported by Tom Sherratt (60 no) as Oakamoor finished on 179-1 from 26 overs. Steve Gilbert (5-16) then took wickets at regular intervals for Oakamoor, but Fenton managed to hold on to finish 45-7 from 25 overs.

Rock bottom Wootton could only draw against Moddershall A after they had set the home side 105 to win, Alistair Little top scoring with 34 not out. Moddershall in reply fell 15 runs short of victory from 20 overs as they finished on 90-5.

Hanford could only manage a draw as they travelled to Norton-In-Hales. Hanford batted first and posted a total of 178-7 from their 55 overs, Roger Davis hit 81, while Mathew Riley claimed figures of 6-55 for Norton-In-Hales. The home side then looked to chase down the target, but finished nine runs short of Hanford’s total in 29 overs. James Ruscoe top scored with 61.

League leaders Eccleshall and Wedgewood’s match was abandoned after 54.4 overs, Wedgewood batting for 49 of these being bowled out for 165.

Endon versus Stone SP was abandonned with only three overs played.

Stone stay in the chase

20th August

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10351672&cid=200

Premier Division

Wood Lane maintained their lead at the top after beating rock bottom Sandyford by eight wickets. Asad Ali set the tone for the league leaders in the first innings with the ball, with figures of 8-46 on his way to dismissing Sandyford for 106. Wood Lane reached the target in the 30^th over, Matthew Hagan batting through the innings hitting 58.

Stone remain eight points behind Wood Lane when they beat Porthill Park batting second by seven wickets.  Porthill set Stone 172 to win Dan Hancock top scoring with 33 and Russell Ballard (6-63) doing the damage with the ball. Luke Cheadle (78) and Charl Malan (55 no) then scored the bulk of the runs for Stone as they knocked the runs for the loss of three wickets.

Third placed Leek also won batting second against mid table Burslem. Leek kept it tight with the ball bowling Burslem out for 131 from 47.1 overs. Derbyshire pace-man Stefan Jones (4-47) was the pick of the bowlers. In reply wicket keeper batsmen Alex Mellor then dominated the Burslem attack striking 84 off 71 balls, as Leek chased down the total for the loss of four wickets.

Little Stoke won the relegation clash against Barlaston and moved above them and out off the drop zone. Batting first Richard Adams (78) helped Little Stoke post 229-9. In reply Kafi Kahn made 76 before he was run out and Barlaston fell for 158 from 45 overs , Gareth Morris picking up 5-51.

Hem Heath kept their title hopes alive, beating Longton by 131 runs. Hem Heath looked to be struggling on 97-6, but late runs down order by Stephen Atkinson (66) ensured they made it to 231, despite William Pursers best efforts taking 6-76. In reply only Tom Redfern made 30 after Longton collapsed to 100 all out, Mo Hussian the pick of the bowlers claiming 3-9 off nine overs.

Knypersley gained the winning draw against Audley, having scored 190 from their 55 overs, Ross Salmon hitting 83. Knypersley with help from Nayyar Abbas (7-66) just managed to hold on as Audley finished just three runs behind with one wicket remaining.

Division One

In the race for second place Elworth came out on top as they beat third place Checkley by four wickets. Having won the toss Checkley batted first and were dismissed for 136, Yasir Ali (5-30) doing most of the damage. David Toft in reply made 63 as Elworth passed their promotion rivals total in the 43^rd over. Checkley now sit 21 points behind Elworth.

League leaders Chealde maintained their gap at the top at 32 points, when they beat Meir Heath batting second. Meir Heath were restricted to 181, Ian Bailey taking 4-33. In reply Dave Wheeldon was the mainstay of the innings hitting 60 not out as he saw Cheadle over the line for the loss of seven wickets.

Raj Kumar’s 140 wasn’t enough to avoid defeat against rock bottom Oulton as they kept their slim survival hopes alive. Kumar helped Weston set Oulton 272 for victory, and substantial knocks from Ben Cox (76), Tom Spruce (67) and Rob Spruce (64) helped them past the target with four wickets remaining. Oulton are now 36 points behind Weston and safety.

Jason Jinks’s 88 ensured Leycett didn’t get dragged into the relegation battle when they beat second to bottom Blythe. Blythe posted 186-8 from their 55 overs Adam Prime top scoring with 34 not out. In reply Jinks set the standard at the top of the order, before Tas Hussain added to his four wickets in the first innings with 44 not out as he saw Leycett home to win by six wickets.

Matthew Cope’s century was enough to beat Betley by 103 runs. Moddershall had a solid platform before Cope came to the crease at 81-1. Cope then batted through the innings as he hit 101 not out, after A Thorley had struck 71. Moddershall finished their innings on 276-5. Nazakat Ali then took 4-31 as Betley in reply were dismissed for 173.

Norton won easily by at home against Whitmore by eight wickets. Abdul Aqeel struck 90 not out as Whitmore were reduced to 173 all out Geeth Alwiss was the pick of the Norton bowlers as he took 5-61. Alwiss then hit 69 not out as Norton eased past the Whitmore total.

Division Two

Bagnall are now only nine points from safety after they picked up their fifth win in six against relegation rivals Bignall End. Batting first Bignall End were dismissed for 142, Kashif Daud and Colin Wilkinson both picking up four wickets. Bagnall then stuttered over the finishing line six wickets down.

Table topping Meakin went down by seven wickets against Newcastle & Hartshill. Peter Wilshaw (58) helped Meakin to 154, with Andy Parkes taking 5-22. Simon Wood then lead the Newcastle & Hartshill batting line and hit 65 not out as his side reached the total inside 36 overs.

Ashcombe couldn’t take advantage of Meakin’s slip up as they  lost to Rode Park & Lawton. Batting first Rode Park reached 188 from their 55 overs, Jonathon Gallimore top scored with 58. In reply Ashcombe were reduced to 163 all out, Steve Liburd taking 5-71.

Silverdale are still in the hunt for promotion after they beat bottom of the table Crewe by 101 runs. John Shenton (75) and Mick Moore (76 no) helped Silverdale post 213-9. Crewe then collapsed to 112 all out, even with the best efforts of Fionn Webb (50).

Kidsgrove beat Alsager batting second by two wickets. In the first innings Oliver Sadler batted through the innings for Alsager as he hit 88 not out and his side finished on 175-9. In reply Kidsgrove lost wickets at regular intervals but Tom Lench (62) stabilised the innings got past the total in the 43^rd over.

Caverswall gained the winning draw against Stafford. The Caverswall openers set a solid platform, Owen Price (54) and Jake Edge (71) put on an opening partnership of 125 and Caverswall made 210 in total. Stafford then managed to hold onto a draw nine wickets down Edge picking up four.

Division Three

There are now only three points between second, third and fourth places in Division Three as the race for promotion heats up.

Oakamoor leap-frogged Forsbrook into second place when they beat them by six wickets. Forsbrook stuttered to 123 all out, Muhammad Ayub was the pick of the bowlers taking 3-7 from 10.3 overs. Ayub then hit 68 as Oakamoor eased past the total in the 31^st over.

Gtowtham Rathnasabapathi moved Woore into the promotion chase as they beat Hanford by 110 runs.  Rathnasabapathi hit 124 at the top of the innings as Woore set Hanford 252 to win. Only Rodger Davis came to terms with the batting as he made 56 as his side were out for 141.

Eccleshall maintained their lead at the top beating Endon by six wickets. Endon collapsed to 132 all out Cameron Sinclair taking 8-46. They then had no problem knocking the total off Jake Derry (47 no) and Sinclair (33 no) seeing them over the line.

Youngster William Kent helped rock bottom Wootton to their third win of the season. Kent opened the bowling and had figures of 3-35 from 14 overs, as Norton-In-Hales were dismissed for 191. Kent then came in at number 10 still needing 41 to win after Clem Mellor (49) and Sid Barker (45) both made starts. Kent saw Wootton over the line finishing on 27 not out from 53 balls.

Stone stayed in the promotion race picking up maximum points against Fenton. Stone got off to a poor start, but Johnathon McCredie (50)and Nicholas Cooper (52) steadied the ship and they managed to make 222-7. In reply Fenton were all out for 164, Chris Mellor (59) top scored.

Moddershall A managed to hold onto a draw in a close game against Wedgewood & Stanfields. Wedgewood set Moddershall A 236 to win, Michael Perry top scored with 71. Moddershall A finished nine runs short of the winning total but only had one wicket in hand. Michael Dyer (88) and Hareesh Reedy (58) being the mainstays of the innings.

Leaders Wood Lane lose at Porthill

6th August 2011

Link to report

Premier Divisionhttp://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10350320&cid=200

Premier Division

League leaders Wood Lane lost by three runs when they travelled to Porthill Park. Asad Ali (8-55) reduced the home side to 150 all out, Ian Butler’s 70 not out stabilising the innings. Adam Ralph (5-28) helped to restrict Wood Lane to 147. Porthill move into second and have cut the gap at the top to 25 points.

Bottom of the table Little Stoke beat title chasing Stone batting first. Shaaiq Choudery’s 88 and half centuries from Richard Adams and Daniel Richardson guided Little Stoke to 257-9 declared. Russell Ballard the pick of the bowlers taking 6-64. Despite James Ecclestone (76) best efforts Stone were dismissed for 190 in the 55^th over, Gareth Morris picking up 5-44.

Burslem’s title hopes were dealt a blow again as they lost by four wickets against Hem Heath. Christopher Lowndes (60) supported a stuttering Burslem innings to 118.Mo Hussain then took the attack to the Burslem bowlers striking 41 off 28 balls hitting nine fours as Hem Heath knocked off the total in 18 overs.

Chris Beech guided Leek to a winning draw against Audley. Beach scored 74 not out in the second innings after Audley had set Leek 222 to win, Hamza Siddique (57) top scoring. Leek’s innings was reduced to 38 overs and they managed to reach 153-5.

Sohail Rauf’s century wasn’t enough for Sandyford to gain the winning draw when they travelled to fellow strugglers Knypersley. Rauf finished on 129 not out as Sandyford scored 217 from the 55 overs. In reply Knypersley reached 163-3 in their shortened innings Nayyar Abbas top scored with 77 not out.

Longton got the winning draw at home against Barlaston batting second. William Purser’s 101, well supported by Michael Longmore (64) helped the home side reach 260 all out. Tom Taylor and Suwanji Madanayake, both claiming three wickets. Longmore then took three wickets as Barlaston were restricted to 217 Leigh Matthews (48) was the highlight for the visitors.

Division One

Cheadle came out on top in the local derby against Checkley and extend their lead at the top over their rivals. Cheadle batted first and set Checkley 219 to win, Adam Alcock top scored smashing 63, which included three 4s and five 6s. Checkley were dismissed for 182 in the 58^th over despite the efforts of John Pickles (64).

Elworth moved back into second place after thrashing Blythe by 131 runs. Rob Beech (73) Matthew Winter made Elworth a solid platform with an opening partnership of 91 and they declared on 227-7 after 53 overs. Steve Morgan (6-34) was the main destroyer with the ball in the second innings as Blythe collapsed to 96 all out.

Whitmore picked up maximum points against bottom of the table Oulton. Runs from Josh Cartledge (70) and Matthew Rogalski (66) at the top of the order and Abdul Aqeel’s 45 not out, helped Whitmore post 265-7. In reply Oulton were dismissed for 202 in the 52^nd over Rob Spruce top scoring with 39.

Weston closed the gap on Blythe in the relegation battle after they beat Meir Heath batting second. Phillip Stockton (5-32) picked up his best bowling figures for the season as Meir Heath were restricted to 196. Michael Alexander then smashed an unbeaten 106 as Weston knocked the target off for the loss of one wicket. Martin Dawson (27) and Raj Kumar (55) both giving valuable support.

Moddershall beat Norton batting second by five wickets. Khalid Malik was the man of the moment for Moddershall claiming his first five wicket haul of the season as Norton managed to score 188-9, he then finished on 63 not out with the bat as Moddershall reached the target in the 54^th over.

Betley hung on for the draw against Leycett, but stay in touching distance of the bottom two. Jason Jinks (68)Haroon Mahmood (52) were main run scorers for Leycett as they set Betley 188 to win. Muhammad Khalil then took 5-44 as Betley were reduced to 122-9, but fought their way to 144-9 from 48 overs.

Division Two

Meakin’s maintained their momentum after beating Kidsgrove batting second. Kidsgrove looked to be in deep trouble but with Elliott Maginnis’s 58 at number eight they managed to reach 171 all out. Matthew Redican was the pick of the bowlers claiming 4-37. Meakin reached the target for the loss of three wickets, Qasim Sheikh (67no) and Haydon Simcock (46no) saw the league leaders over the line.

With Meakin’s only picking up 20 points Ashcombe closed the gap to four points at the top after picking up the victory against Caverswall batting first. Ahmed Hayat Gondal’s 67 rescued the Ashcombe innings as they were dismissed for 143. In reply Caverswall slumped to 93 all out, Josh Johnson took 5-12 from his 10 overs.

Bottom of the table Bagnall’s charge for safety continues with their third victory in four games against promotion hopefuls Newcastle & Hartshill. Batting first Bagnall were dismissed for 173, Simon Gordon (51) being the main support of the innings. Kashif Daud (5-26) and Colin Wilkinson (3-20) then picked up wickets at regular intervals as Newcastle & Hartshill collapsed to 85 all out.

Alsager gained a comprehensive 108 run victory against Rode Park & Lawton. Adrian Myatt (77) and Chris Hampshire (53) helped Alsager post 217-5. The highlight for Rode Park was Adam Taylor’s 4-75. They then were dismissed for 109 Hampshire claiming 5-55.

Mitchell Stokes’s 95 led Silverdale to a five wicket victory against Stafford. Joe Askey (100 no) looked to have put Stafford in a healthy position after 55 overs when Silverdale finished on 221-5. But Stokes and Stephen Jones (51) got Silverdale within sight of victory and Glynn Moore (20 no) and Matt Myatt (6no) saw them over the line in the 53^rd over.

Bignall End claimed the winning draw against fellow strugglers Crewe. Yasser Tariq (110) helped Crewe post 232-8, but Bignall End made it to 195-3 from 45 overs. Kim Barnett top scored with 77 for the visitors.

Division Three

Eccleshall extended their lead at the top beating second place Forsbrook by 28 runs. Eccleshall posted a modest total of 141 all out, Andrew Jones, Grant Ridgway and Matt Wild all picking up three wickets.  In reply Forsbrook could only manage 113 all out, Cameron Sinclair (5-56) and Paul Cox (4-21) doing the damage. The gap at the top is now 48 points.

Oakamoor title hopes took a knock when they lost by 119 runs against Stone SP. Steven Aston’s 61 was well supported by Jack Thorley (45) and Neil Podmore (42no) as Stone set third place Oakamoor 220 to win. Muhammad Ayub was the pick of the bowlers with his fourth five wicket haul of the season. Oakamoor  were 70-3 but then collapsed to 100 all out, Stone’s bowlers sharing the wickets.

Bottom of the table Wootton managed to hold onto to the win by three runs. Wootton at home posted 172 in an innings which consisted of 25 extras. Josh Stevens top scored before he was run out on 38. In reply Woore had three people reach the 40s but no-one could go on and win the game and they were dismissed for 169.

Endon’s promotion hopes were dealt a setback when they were unable to defend 229 at home against Norton-In-Hales. Jordan Weaver (83) again hit runs and Phil Rowley (37no) was in at the end when his team were all out. Norton-In-Hales made a poor start and found themselves 57-4 but Simon Ellwell (66) and John Caulkin (55no) saw their side over the line in the 52^nd over.

Fenton beat Moddershall A batting second by one wicket. Moddershall set the home side 155 to win, Dave Stupples top scoring with 45 and Chris Mellor was the pick of the bowlers with 5-46. Phil Hall (48no) batted through the innings and Fenton reached their target after 62 overs.

Wedgewood beat Hanford batting second despite Roger Davies’ century.  Davies helped Hanford to a healthy 200 from their 55 overs, but Oliver Holland (60no) and Josh Clayton (50) secured victory for Wedgewood.