Double win for cricketers

Audlem's cricketers made hay while the sun shone on Saturday as both teams won batting first to gain maximum points in their wildly differing Cheshire Cricket Alliance games. The 1st XI continued their unbeaten start to the season, winning by a massive 151 runs whilst, in a game that went to the last over, the 2nd XI won by 6 runs with just two balls to spare.

With the 1st XI back to full strength, skipper Chris Shenton won the toss and decided to bat on a good batting track in the Division 3 game against visitors Glazebury. Accurate bowling by Paul Charlton and Amit Khanna soon had the home team in trouble as both openers were back in the pavilion with the score on 32 after 14 overs. With in-form Tom Measures steadying the ship Audlem gradually took charge and started to score more freely. Measures and Tom Thorley added 57 for the 5th wicket before Thorley was bowled for 41. Following the loss of another quick wicket, Measures and Rich Brown added 64 runs, allowing Shenton to declare the innings at 199 for 6 after 45 overs. Measures was 51 not out and Brown 37 not out.

In their reply Glazebury got off to a good start, scoring 16 without loss in the first 6 overs. However, once Audlem's strike bowlers Stuart Elkes and Rich Brown took the first wicket, the visitors' defence crumbled and they were reduced to 32 for 8. Spinner Lyndon Woodcock took the last two wickets for 1 run as Glazebury were all out for just 48 in the 20th over. Elkes finished with 5 for 26 and Brown 3 for 11. Audlem gained 25 points to move into second place in the table and Glazebury 3.

The 2nd XI made the long journey to Norbury in search of their first win of the season in Division 5. Put in to bat, the visitors soon lost opener Norman Hindle, who had scored an unbeaten 77 the previous week. A second wicket stand of 48 by Toby Banfield (36) and James Hindle (25) allowed Audlem to get on top of the bowlers as the runs started to flow. Knocks of 32 by Paul Dean, 17 by youngster Ollie Burney and 16 not out by veteran John Chadwick took the score to 178 for 8 off the maximum 48 overs.

In their reply the home team went after their first win of the season. This was looking more and more likely as the score reached 165 for 5, leaving them just 14 runs to win with 5 wickets left. The reintroduction of left-arm spinner Roy Wild paid dividends as he claimed the key wicket of Keith Gavin, who had hit a fine 69. Without Gavin's commanding presence at the wicket, the later batsmen succumbed to the pressure as the wickets tumbled. Nine runs were required off the last over, but Wild took the last two wickets to secure victory as he finished with 4 for 25. He was well supported by Burney (2 for 26) and Chadwick (2 for 20) as Norbury were all out for 172. Audlem gained 25 points and Norbury 9.

Next Saturday the 1st XI travel to Sandbach, who lead the table by just one point, for a top-of-the-table clash, whilst the 2nd XI play host to high-flying Port Sunlight.

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