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.

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.