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.

Dearden helps leek move into second place with one game left

10th September 2011

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10354676&cid=200

Premier Division

Leek leapfrogged Wood Lane into second place after they beat their title rivals by five wickets. Wood Lane won the toss and decided to bat but were dismissed for 131, Mathew Hagan top scored with 49, while Colin Dearden claimed figures of 6-50. Leek reached their target in the 40^th over and now sit two points behind Hem Heath and six points in front of Wood Lane.

Hem Heath moved to the top spot when they eased past Knypersley by seven wickets. Knypersley stuttered to 157-5 from their 55 overs, Jonathon Cumberbatch (48) was the highlight for the visitors. In reply Ben McGuire struck 55 from 44 balls, but it was opener John Cheadle (58 no) who saw his side over the line.

Andrew Barnett kept Sandyford’s hopes of survival alive as he took figures of 7-22 as relegated Barlaston were blown away for 50. Sandyford then strolled past the target with the loss of two wickets, closing the gap to Knypersley and safety to seven points.

Audley beat Stone by 13 runs when they were able to defend 140. James Ecclestone took 6-42 as Audley were bowled out in the 42^nd over. Craig Barker (6-55) and Roger Silence (4-25) then did the damage for Audley as they dismissed Stone 127.

Michael Longmore’s efforts weren’t enough to prevent his side experiencing as 33 run defeat against Little Stoke who ease their relegation fears. Longmore claimed figures of 4-30 as Little Stoke were all out for 152, he then hit 71 and was the only batsmen to put up resistance against Daniel Colclough (7-59).

Porthill Park picked up the winning draw against Burslem, when they declared on 246-7, Dan Hancock and Ian Butler both hitting 56. In reply Burslem made it to 204-7, Christopher Roberts (47) top scoring.

Division One

Elworth missed the chance to clinch promotion, as they were unable to chase down 160 against Moddershall. Khalid Malik (46) and Craig Grimley (43) were the main contributors for Moddershall as they were dismissed in the 54^th over. Elworth then found themselves in trouble at 18-2 and never recovered despite the efforts of Yasir Ali (50) when they collapsed to 139 all out.

Checkley now sit 10 points behind Elworth in third place after they picked up maximum points against Meir Heath. Nick Hubble (96) was the main run scorer for Checkley as they set the visitors 180 to win. Meir Heath then slumped to 129 all out Jake Heath (42) top scoring.

Betley move closer to safety as Weston drop back into the relegation zone, after Betley set a mammoth 308-4 from their 55 overs. Jake Jervis’ 122 was the main highlight of the innings. In reply Weston were dismissed for 166, Raj Kumar top scored with 63. Weston are now15 points behind Blythe and safety.

Blythe beat relegated Oulton to move out of the bottom two. Ben Cox got Oulton to a respectable total at 152 all out as he smashed 78 from 49 balls, Aqab Ahmed took 6-45. In reply Blythe past the target with the loss of five wickets.

Champions Cheadle blew away  Norton when they dismissed them for 68, James Sellers (6-19) and Simon Plant (4-11) did the damage. Cheadle then knocked off the total losing one wicket.

Leycett beat Whitmore by seven wickets when they chased down 114. Only Matthew Rogalski (60) put up any resistance against Muhammad Khali (5-25) and Tas Hussain ( 4-14). Leycett then reached the finishing line without any scares.

Division Two

Ashcombe moved back into the top two as they picked up maximum points against relegated Crewe. Ashcombe set Crewe 197 to win Ahmed Hayat Gondal top scored with 51. Gondal then took 5-33 as Crewe collapsed to 78 all out.

Silverdale move into third place and are nine points behind Ashcombe after they beat Champions Meakin by two wickets. Silverdale restricted the visitors to 120 all out. Matthew Redican then claimed figures of 5-15 from 12 overs as Silverdale crept over the line.

Caverswall drop from second to fourth as they could only manage a winning draw at home against Newcastle & Hartshill. The visitors set promotion chasing Caverswall 240 to win, Simon Wood top scoring with 76. The home side reached 177-6 from 31 overs at the close of their innings Rob King hitting 56.

Bagnall’s fate has been sealed with a loss against Stafford confirming their relegated. Bagnall could only make 103, James Wild taking 5-32. Oliver Newby gave Bagnall hope reducing Stafford to 7-3, but they rebuilt and won by three wickets.

Bignall End beat Alsager batting second by four wickets. Usman Siddique took 7-76 as Alsager were dismissed for 133. Kim Barnett (52) then top scored for Bignall End as they reached the target in the 48^th over.

Rode Park & Lawton picked up maximum points at home against Kidsgrove. Rode Park hit 232-6, Jonathon Gallimore (73) setting the pace at the top of the innings. It took Rode Park until the 61^st over to dismiss Kidsgrove for 175, Steve Liburd collecting figures of 5-50.

Division Three

Woore pick up maximum points against Fenton to stay in second place. Gtowtham Rathnasabapathi smashed 101 from just 62 balls as Woore posted 270-5 from 35 overs. They then bowled the visitors out for 119, Kannathasan Kavithasan and Ashok Andrew both picking up four wickets.

Oakamoor remain seven points behind Woore as they also won batting first. Muhammad Ayub hit 107 not out and was supported by Tom Sherratt (52) as Oakamoor set Wedgewood 211 to win when they declared after 45 overs. Chris Price then demolished the Wedgewood batting line with figures of 6-3 from eight overs, as they were bowled out for 28.

The Champions Ecchleshall beat Hanford batting second by seven wickets, when they restricted the visitors to 91 all out, in reply Tom Hibbert saw his side over the finishing line with 34 not out.

Stone beat Wootton and picked up maximum points as they move into fourth place. Stone were all out for 179 but used their full allocation of overs,Stephen Aston top scored with 41. Wootton were then restricted to just 100 all out, Adam Pursell taking 5-24.

Forsbrook could only manage a winning draw at home against Endon. Forsbrook hit 126, Kevin Cockerton claiming 6-34, in reply Endon got to 88-4.

Moddershall A’s match against Norton-In-Hales was abandoned. Moddershall batted and hit 148 from 55 overs, in the second innings there was only 10 overs possible and Norton-In-Hales finished on 39-1.

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.

League leaders lose to hem Heath

13th August

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10350809&cid=200

Premier Division

Hem Heath moved within 20 points of Wood Lane, after they beat the league leaders by 108 runs. Hem Heath had set Wood Lane 231 to win; Mo Hussain top scoring with 83 ably supported by John Cheadle (59). Andrew Harris then ran riot with the ball taking 5-46 as Wood Lane were dismissed for 122.

Porthill Park capitalised on Wood Lane’s slip as they managed to defend 110 against strugglers Sandyford. Andrew Barnett (5-51) and Sohail Rauf (3-14) managed to restrict the title chasers to 110, but Sandyford’s batting never got going and the only resistance against the Porthill bowling attack came from Rauf (32), as they were bowled out for 97.

Stefan Jones and Chris Beech made sure Leek stay in the pack for the title as they beat Barlaston by four wickets, batting second.  Jones claimed figures of 5-36 as Barlaston were all out for 100. Beech (43 no) then guided the visitors past the target in the 28^th over.

Nayyar Abbas ensured Knypersley moved away from the relegation zone as they picked up 20 points against Stone. Abbas (5-71) helped his side restrict Stone to 202 from their 55 overs, Russel l Ballard (52) top scoring. Knypersley looked to be in trouble at 24-3 but Abbas who smashed an unbeaten 142 from 126 balls, supported by Paul Goodwin (42 no), guided his side to a seven wicket victory.

Rock Bottom Little Stoke fell to a ten wicket defeat against mid table Audley. Craig Barker took 8-45 as Little Stoke stuttered to 170 all out Richard Adams batting through the innings scoring 92 not out.  Audley openers Hamza Siddique (88 no) and Richard Hollaway (68 no) passed the Little Stoke total in the 42^nd over.

Longton beat Burslem by six wickets as Burslem collapsed to 85 all out. William Purser the pick of the bowlers taking 5-34. It took Longton 19 overs to reach the total; Purser top scoring with 32 not out.

Division One

Vishal Tripathi’s century helped league leaders Cheadle extend their lead at the top, as the chasing pack could only win batting second. Tripathi hit 125 against Leycett as Cheadle set a total of 244-8. Cheadle then took wickets at regular intervals, James Sellers taking 4-55 as Leycett were dismissed for 128.

Second place Elworth stayed in touch with Cheadle as they beat Whitmore batting second by five wickets. Elworth restricted the home side to 140, Christopher Winter (4-30) the pick of the bowlers. It took Elworth 39 overs to pass the target, David Toft (68) top scored.

Checkley also lost ground on Cheadle as could only beat local rivals Blythe batting second. Jason Brown (6-48) and Richard Cooper (4-46) reduced Blythe to 145 all out. After a stuttering start for Checkley, Alvin Beardmore (44 no) guided his side to a three wicket victory.

Raj Kumar’s century got Weston out of the relegation zone as they beat Moddershall by two wickets. After being set 251 to win, Weston had runs throughout the batting line up but it was Kumar’s 118 which was the main stay of the innings.

Rock bottom Oulton look to be in trouble as they were unable to chase down 246 against Norton. Geeth Alwiss (70) helped the home side set an imposing total and Outon were all out for just 125, Ian Reynolds claiming figures of 4-33.

Meir Heath beat Betley by five wickets after they chased down 199. Chris Henderson (38) top scored for Betley, but Meir Heath’s Jake Heath saw his side past the finishing line with an unbeaten 88.

Division Two

Meakin extended their lead at the top of the table by beating Crewe by 80 runs. Peter Wilshaw (77) and Sam Nixon (50) helped the league leaders reach 237-7. The Meakin bowling attack then shared the wickets amongst themselves as they bowled Crewe out for 157.

Bagnall carried on their impressive form as they beat second place Ashcombe. Bagnall moved off the bottom of the table as they claimed their fourth victory in five games. Kasif Daud (6-70) restricted Aschombe 123. Bagnall then got off to a poor start with the bat and were teettering on 30-5 but Colin Wilkinson (53 no) and Robert Ward (36 no) saw Bagnall past the line.

Newcastle & Hartshill were unable to take advantage of Aschbombe’s loss as they went down by one wicket against Bignall End. Batting first Newcastle & Hartshill were in a strong position of 156-4 but a lower order batting collapse saw them finish on 174, Kim Barnett (5-45) was the pick of the bowlers. In reply Bignall End lost wickets regularly but Andrew Howle (46) and Ian Lewis (33) put up resistance and Bignall End managed to reach the total nine wickets down.

Caverswall picked up maximum points against Rode Park & Lawton. Caverswall set Rode Park 206 to win; Gregory Phillips (57) top scored. Caverswall’s Marlon Martin dismissed Rode Park’s top three on his way to his first five wicket haul of the season. Rode Park then fell to 155 all out.

Mitchell Stokes helped Silverdale beat Kidsgrove by 57 runs. Stokes hit 133 as his side posted 200, he then claimed figures of 3-16 from his 13 overs as Kidsgrove were dismissed for 143.

In the mid table clash Alsager came out on top by five wickets against Stafford. Paul Newnes took figures of 6-32 as Alsager reduced Stafford to 149 all out. Oliver Sadler (52) then broke the back of the target for Alsager, before Alex Perry (38 no) guided his team to victory.

Division Three

Eccleshall carried on their winning ways when they beat Fenton by four wickets. Fenton’s Phil Hall (82) helped his side set the league leaders 192 to win, Cameron Sinclair (5-63) was the pick of the bowlers. Forties from Robert Lakin,  Tom Hibbert and Jonathon Arnold helped Eccleshall past Fenton’s total.

Oakamoor lost ground on the top two when they lost by 10 runs away at Woore. Oakamoor restricted Woore to 113, Steve Gilbert picked up figures of 4-21. Oakamoor then collapsed to 103 from 54 overs. Andrew Kenvyn and Kannathasan Kavithasan were the only two bowlers used by Woore and both picked up five wickets.

Forsbrook extended the gap over Oakamoor and stayed in touching distance of Eccleshall after beating Stone by six wickets. Andrew Jones (6-59) helped his side restrict Stone to 148. Fifties from Forsbrook’s Craig Walley and Matthew Bailey got their side over the line.

Captain Mick Coxon’s unbeaten 88 was enough for Hanford to beat strugglers Wootton. Coxon’s innings was supported Marcus Parr (33) and Chris Machin (30) as Hanford reached 196 from their 55 overs. Nicholas Buxton (7-29) then did the damage with the ball for Hanford as they bowled Wootton out for 81.

Endon’s hopes for promotion were hugely dented as they fell for 77 in the first innings against Moddershall A. Moddershall then knocked the runs off for the loss three wickets.

Norton-In-Hales beat Wedgewood by 98 runs. Norton-In-Hales set Wedgewood 193 to win but Wedgewood were dismissed for 95 in the 43^rd over.

Rowley’s century gives Burslem a hope after beating top of the league

30th July

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10348218&cid=200
Premier Division

Michael Rowley’s unbeaten century kept Burslem’s title hopes alive against table topping Wood Lane. Rowley who was ably supported by Christopher Lowndes (75no) finished on 120 not out as Burslem chased down Wood Lane’s total of 242-4 for the loss of two wickets. The highlight for Wood Lane was Ryan Hassett’s 110.

Leek beat second place Stone by 34 runs to keep their belief burning that they can finish top. Alex Mellor (119no) and Tom Steele (89no) set the game up for the Highfield side, posting 239-2. In reply Stone had starts throughout the batting lineup but only Richard Harvey (60) went on as they were dismissed for 205 in the 53^rd over. Greg Willott and Paul Hammersley both picked up three wickets.

Sandyford moved out of the relegation zone with a 97 run victory against bottom of the table Little Stoke. Sandyford finished their innings on 201-7, Dave Moors (59) and Sohail Rauf (44) the main contributors. Gareth Morris was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 4-58. Morris was then the only resistance against the Sandyford bowling attack facing 98 balls for his 38, as his side were all out for 104, Daniel Roberts claiming 4-18.

Audley beat Longton  by five wickets batting second. Longton were dismissed for 177, Tom Redfern top scoring with 29 while Roger Silence took 3-38. Audley got off to a poor start in reply losing opener Richard Holloway without a run on the board but captain David Fairbanks (74no) guided his side home in the 54^th over.

Mo Hussian’s hundred setup a comfortable 125 run victory against strugglers Barlaston. Hussian (104) was given support by Michael Hall (49) and Ben McGuire (33) as Hem Heath declared on 253-9. Zafar Igbal (6-67) then demolished the Barlaston top order to leave them on 75-7 and Hussian picked up the last three wickets as home side fell for 128.

Nayyar Abbas’s efforts weren’t enough to stop Knypersley from falling into the bottom two. In the first innings he claimed 6-82 as Porthill finished on 200. He then scored 54 as his side was bowled out for 151, Ian Butler claimed his fourth five wicket haul of the season for Porthill.

Division One

Cheadle have strengthened their position at the top of the table after beating title rivals Elworth batting first. Shaun Jenkinson (82) was the main contributor as the home side posted 184-9, Steve Morgan finishing with impressive figures of 6-71. Elworth in their innings had starts all the way down the batting line up, but nothing major and fell 21 runs short on 163.

Checkley moved into second place 18 points behind Cheadle after beating Betley batting first. Checkley declared on 267 after 48 overs, with Sebastian Blaszczyk (70), Nick Hunt (57) and Iain Carr (58no) all hitting half centuries and Andy Carr finishing 47 not out. Betley’s lower order then crumbled with five players failing to make double figures, Tom Blackwood (41) top scored, and Iain Carr (5-48) was impressive with the ball.

Whitmore kept their slight promotion hopes alive after picking up maximum points against Blythe. Matthew Rogalski (84) and Abdul Aqeel (49) helped Whitmore set Blythe 265 to win, Greg Prime and Tom Simcock both picking up three wickets. But the visitors fell 118 runs short Shafiq Ahmed top scoring with 41, Irfan Fazil (4-31) was the pick of the bowlers.

Meir Heath remain level on points with Whitmore, as they also picked up 25 points with an 18 run victory against Norton. Richard Stonier (79) lacked support  at the top of the Meir Heath order, but with late runs from Jason Britton (55) and Iftikhar Asghar (47no) they pushed the total up to 228-9. Asghar then took 5-71, as Norton were all out for 210, despite the efforts of Geeth Alwis (70) and Neil Edwards (51).

Leycett beat strugglers Weston batting second who remain adrift in the relegation zone. Tas Hussain (4-15) and Muhammad Khalil (4-48) took apart the Weston batting line, when they stuttered to 132 all out. The highlight for Weston was Martin Dawson’s 51. In reply Leycett got off to a poor start and collapsed to 55-6, but Hussain (30no) and Khalil (28) rescued the innings and they reached the target with two wickets to spare.

Bottom of the table Oulton got the winning draw against mid table Moddershall. Oulton posted 254-7, Tom Spruce (57) top scored but there were runs throughout the innings, Khalid Malik picked up figures of 5-75. Oulton then restricted Moddershall to 230-9 from their 55 overs, Rob Spruce taking 4-66.

Division Two

Ashcombe closed the gap on Meakins at the top after beating Alsager  by six wickets batting second.  A 90 from Paul Pickford, who was supported by Sean Price (61) and Chris Hampshire (63no) helped Alsager set a target of 245 for the visitors to win. Adam Wilson’s 90 went a long way to passing the total but it was Phillip Clowes (53no) who guided his side home.

League leaders Meakins could only manage a draw against promotion chasing Stafford. Having been restricted to 244, Meakins were unable to find all 10 wickets needed for victory. At the end of play Stafford held on to finish 173-8.

Newcastle & Hartshill stayed within touching distance of the top two with a comfortable win against strugglers Crewe. Newcastle & Hartshill reduced Crewe to 106 all out with Muhammad Fayaz collecting superb figures of 4-8. They then knocked the runs of for the loss of two wickets.

Mark Brazier gave Bagnall’s survival hopes a new life when his 72 not out helped to beat Caverswall. Brazier’s lower order runs progressed Bagnall’s score to 211 all out. Kasif Daud (5-53) then did the damage with the ball early on and Colin Wilkinson finished it off with 3-9.

 Mohammed Ishtiaq century wasn’t enough to stop his side feeling the pain of defeat against Bignall End who move further away from the drop zone. Ishtiaq hit 110 in the first innings to help Kidsgrove record 215-8, Kim Barnett picked up figures of 5-53.  Bignall End made a poor start at 64-5 but a 111 run partnership between Harry Jones (66) and Tom Berrisford (57) got them to the brink of victory. Ian Lewis (14no) and Haroon Shah (12no) saw them over the line with two wickets to spare.

Rode Park & Lawton picked up maximum points against Silverdale. The visitors posted 191 all out, Jonathon Gallimore (52) top scored and Richie Jervis (6-53) was the pick of the bowlers. Silverdale were then dismissed for 114 in the 32^nd over.

Division Three

Oakamoor gained a winning draw in the top of the table clash against Ecchleshall. Muhammad Ayub hit a superb 172 not out as Oakamoor posted 277-5. In reply Ecchleshall had to hold on for the draw finishing on 148-9, the wickets were shared between the Oakamoor bowlers.

With the top two drawing Forsbrook and Endon had the chance to close the gap on them and they made sure they did.

Forsbrook beat Moddershall A batting first by 42 runs. Having made 239, Forsbrook restricted Moddershall to 197 all out.  Matt Wild picked up his first five wicket haul of the season for the visitors, while the only highlight for Moddershall was Hareesh Reddy’s 5-103.

Endon also won comfortably batting first against Hanford batting first by 110 runs. Michael Dawson (41) top scored for Endon as they set Hanford 200 to win. Kevin Cockerton (6-28) and Dawson (4-24) dismantled the Hanford batting line when they collapsed for 89.

Mitchell Edwards’ unbeaten 155 led Wedgewood & Stanfields on their way to picking up maximum points against rock bottom Wootton. Edwards was supported by Christopher Holland (57) and Michael Perry (60no), before they declared on 291-1 from 48 overs. In reply Wootton were all out for 93, only Tom Leese offering any  resistance, finishing on 41, as Simon Smith claimed figures of 4-20.

Woore narrowly beat Stone SP by one wicket, after they chased down 205. Nicholas Cooper (57no) helped Stone post their score, but Woore reached the target with four balls left, with late runs from Andrew Kenvyn (64no).

Craig Ruscoe’s efforts with the ball helped Norton-In-Hales pick up the 25 points against Fenton. Ruscoe took 6-37 as Fenton were dismissed for 119, chasing 170, after Martin Rowley (45) top scored for Norton-In-Hales.

Dawson keeps Stone’s hopes alive

23rd July 2011

Link to report

http://nssc.play-cricket.com/content/view.asp?id=10347109&cid=200

PREMIER DIVISIONPremier leaders Wood Lane increased their advantage at the top by picking up maximum points against strugglers Knypersley. Ryan Hassett (70) helped Wood Lane on their way to 142 all out, Nayyar Abbas taking 7-68.  In reply Knypersley stuttered to 102 with only Abbas (63) acheiving double figures, Asad Ali claiming 5-45.

James Dawson’s 96 kept Stone’s title hopes alive when they beat Longton batting second. Chasing Longton’s 226 Dawson was backed up by Phillip Cheadle (67), and they finished with three wickets in hand. Longton had got off to a good start with opener Michael Longmore (66) and Thomas Hardman (49), but they fell away towards the end of the innings.

Burslem stay third ahead of Leek after beating Barlaston batting first. Christopher Roberts fell one short of his century to help Burslem set 217. The bowling attack then shared the wickets with Imran Arif the pick taking 4-40, to reduce Barlaston to 97.

Neal Lafford (26no) and David Lee (25no) guided Leek to a five wicket victory. In reply to Sandyford’s 175 Leek got off to a poor start and found themselves 6-2 but Chris Beech and Greg Willot both hit half centuries to steady the innings before Lafford and Lee came together.

Daniel Colclough’s bowling effort wasn’t enough for bottom table Little Stoke to bag the win against Porthill. Colclough picked up figures of 6-46 as Porthill scrambled to 118 all out. Little Stoke then collapsed from 78-4 to 110 all out.

In the mid table clash Hem Heath came out on top against Audley. Audley batted first and only  Richard Holloway (65) and Roger Silence (52)  made double figures in their total of 146. Mo Hussain was the pick of the bowlers for Hem Heath claiming 4-40. Hem Heath reached their target in the 41^st over, with runs throughout the batting line.

DIVISION ONE

League leaders Cheadle got back to winning ways against neighbours Blythe. Cheadle dismissed Blythe for 190 with Simon Owen top scoring with 45. Shaun Jenkinson then hit an unbeaten 86 to guide Cheadle to a three wicket victory in the 43^rd over.

Yasir Ali kept Elworth’s title fight on track as Betley collapse to 49 all out. Ali hit 62no in the first as Elworth set 233 – Matthew Winter top scored with 69. Ali then struck with the ball picking up six wickets for 14 runs from nine overs in a Betley innings that included five ducks.

Checkley stayed in the hunt for promotion as they picked up maximum points against Weston. Michael Allen (95) and Nick Hunt (59) dominated the bowling as Checkley finished on 240-8. Jason Brown then took 6-32 in the second innings, Weston were bowled out for 197, Hasan-ul-Qasim Haleem top scoring with 61.

Geeth Alwis had impressive bowling figures of 5-28 as Leycett were dismissed for 68. Norton then knocked off the low total for the loss off three wickets, Alwiss finishing 32no.

Khalid Malik and David Housley guided Moddershall above Whitmore into fourth. After a poor start chasing 167 Moddershall found themselves 74-5, but Whitmore didn’t pick up another wicket with Malik finishing on 62no and Housley41no.

Tom Spruce batted through the Oulton innings in the only draw in the division against Meir Heath. Spruce (81no) saw eight wickets fall at the other end as his side finished on 141-8 from 57 overs, but they came away unbeaten. Richard Stonier hit 71 in Hem Heath’s total of 191.

DIVISION TWO

Adam Wilson’s brilliant century moved Ashcombe into second place against Silverdale. Wilson hit 108 out of his side’s 188 before Silverdale suffered a middle order collapse Ahmed Hayat Gondal doing the damage claiming figures of 5-42.

Ashcombe were helped by rival Newcastle & Hartshill’s defeat to Kidsgrove. Having reduced Kidsgrove to 134 all out – Muhammad Fayaz claiming a five wicket haul, Newcastle & Hartshill were dismissed for 100. Fayaz (32) was the only batsmen to worry the Kidsgrove bowlers, the most impressive being Greg Massingham who finished with magnificent figures of 7-35.

J G Meakins remain top after recording a 67 run victory against Rode Park & Lawton. There were runs all the way down the Meakins batting line up as they scored 252 from 54 overs, Peter Wilshaw (76) top scoring.   Wilshaw then took 5-30 as Rode Park fell 185 all out with Steve Liburd hitting 90.

Crewe moved out of the relegation zone after beating rock bottom Bagnall by five wickets. George Harding and Yasser Tariq both picking up stunning figures; Harding finished with 4-4 from 9.1 overs and Tariq 3-8 from 10 overs, dismissing Bagnall for 70. Crewe then knocked off the runs in the 21^st over.

Bignall End dropped into the bottom two after losing to Stafford by six wickets. They were bowled out for 158, Simon Howle top scored with 55 but the highlight of the innings were Aparajit Singh’s figures of 7-52. Dave Foster (73) and Joe Askey (45) then helped Stafford past their target.

Caverswall beat Alsager to move onto the same points as their opponents in the middle of the table. Alsager were all out for 118 – Jake Edge and Matt Phillips both picked up four wickets. Tony Dutton (51)  top scored in Carverswall’s reply as they reached their target with the loss of six wickets.

DIVISION THREE

Top of the table Eccleshall lost only their second game of the season against Stone SP by 57 runs. Stone set a total of 160, which could have been higher if Richie Gallichan hadn’t finished with figures of 7-51 knocking over the lower order. The Eccleshall innings never got going number nine Jonathon Arnold (23) top scoring as they were all out for 103.

Oakamoor couldn’t capitalise on Eccleshall’s slip as they came second best against Moddershall A. Batting first Oakamoor made 149 with Peter Stoddard striking an aggressive 42. It took Moddershall until the 48^th over to go past Oakamoor’s score, Hareesh Reddy top scoring with 56no.

Forsbrook’s promotion hopes were strengthened when they picked up maximum points against Norton-In-Hales. Forsbrook finished on 168 the highlight of the innings was Craig Walley’s 38. Craig Ruscoe the best of the bowlers taking 5-72. Andrew Jones (5-31) and Sean Bowers (4-11) then did the damage for Forsbrook as they dismissed their opponents for 70.

Jordon Weaver’s unbeaten century helped Endon maintained their promotion push against strugglers Wootton. Weaver hit 129no from 90 balls as Endon successfully chased down Wootton’s total of 197 for only the loss of two wickets. The highlight of the match for Wootton was Thomas Leese’s 50.

Woore beat Wedgewood & Stanfields by two wickets to stay in mid table. Wedgewood set a competitive score of 183 with Mitchell Edwards top scoring with 54. Woore got off to a poor start in reply but Mohammed Shanavaz Jamal (50) and Kannathasan Kavithasan (63no) stabilised the innings and secured the win.

Hanford beat Fenton batting first in a low scoring game. Handford posted 88 with late runs from Nicholas Buxton (29), Waqas Fazil taking 5-35. Buxton then went on to achieve a five wicket haul; Lee Ridgway’s (31) resilient effort wasn’t enough as Fenton fell 6 runs short.

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.