Audlem CC Cricket report

Hooray – Summer is Here!

The first cricket report of the new season

Crewe Vagrants.v.Audlem Sunday X1
Stone League : Hassell Trophy. 1st round on Sunday 22 April

Audlem 65 all out.
Crewe Vagrants 52 all out

Audlem returned home triumphant from near neighbours Crewe Vagrants in the first round of the 40 over knock-out on Sunday winning by the slender margin of 13 runs.

In a remarkable game played in chilly overcast conditions less than 33 overs were required to conclude the game with all 20 wickets falling and only 99 runs coming off the bat.

All credit must given to the Vagrant's ground staff for getting the ground prepared to enable the game to proceed but the green, damp wicket looked much more inviting to the bowlers than the batsmen so it was no surprise that Audlem were invited to bat first after skipper Simon Swift lost the toss.

Audlem's flamboyant stroke makers were soon discovering that the hard, fast and bouncy tracks encountered at the pre-season indoor net sessions were of little value on the cold open expanse of the Vagrant's Sports field in mid April.

The only batsmen to reach double figures were Audlem's young all-rounders Charlie Hine (19) and Reggie Farnell (15) but the performance of the day must go to Vagrant's debutant, Thuva Murali who in his devastating spell of 6 overs finished with 7 wickets at the cost of 42 runs including a hat trick.

After only 12.1 overs Audlem's final batsman was dismissed with just 65 runs on the board so it was decided to take the normal inter innings tea break at the end of the game. Opening bowlers Callum McIlveen and Simon Swift soon got into their stride to trouble the Crewe batsmen and very soon the trickle of wickets became a flood as the accuracy of the attack combined with the unpredictability of the wicket was too much for the home team. McIlveen (3 for 17) and Swift ( 4 for 24) completed their allocation of overs with the game still in the balance. It was left to the change bowlers, Reggie Farnell (1 for 10) and evergreen Neil Humphries ( 2 for 2) to mop up the tail and give Audlem a remarkable victory and earn a place in the next round of the cup away to Stone and Swynnerton Park Cricket Club.

Audlem Sunday X1's next fixture in on Sunday 29 April in the first league game also against Stone and it is played at Swynnerton Park near Eccleshall ( 2:00pm start )

Would you like to play cricket?

Audlem CC are looking for new players for all teams (Saturday, Sunday and mid-week) so if you would like to turn out or help in any way either pop down to the ground during a match or contact one of the officials (audlem.play-cricket.com).
If you are a newcomer to the area the ground is about a mile from the village centre on the Woore Road then turn left into Longhill Lane at the cross roads then first left into Gorse Croft,

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