Frodsham beaten as Firsts stay top

Audlem 1st XI made it a hat trick of wins as they secured a 97-run victory over previously unbeaten Frodsham at the Gorse Croft, to stay top of the Cheshire Cricket Alliance Division 2.

Skipper Richard Wilson won the toss and decided to bat first in friendly batting conditions. Openers Andy Rothwell and Stu Stanway found run scoring much easier than the hard-going nature in which runs were accumulated the previous week.

Stanway was the first man to go with the score on 42 when he was bowled for 11. Wilson joined Rothwell, who looked particularly aggressive and appeared well set to make a large contribution, despatching the bowlers for two sixes and a number of boundaries before being bowled for 42, with the scoreboard showing 68.

This brought Qhama Matthews to the crease with Wilson, who once again had started promisingly, finding the boundary with regularity, before getting out for 41 to a ball that kept low just as he was threatening to go on to achieve a large score. This left Audlem at 106 for 3 with the best part of 20 overs remaining.

Frodsham's bowlers then managed to tie Matthews (31) and Chris Shenton (11) down and stop them getting away, as they both departed in quick succession with the score on 139, along with Toby Banfield as the home side collapsed to 140 for 6.

A handy 19 from Dave Morris, helped by the lower order took the score to 194 for 9 after the 45 overs. Billy Ouzounidis was the pick of the bowlers for Frodsham, taking 3 for 33 off 7 overs.

Jonathan Lewis and Christian Sandbach started positively for Frodsham before, with 28 on the board, Mcilveen dismissed Sandbach. A couple of difficult drops in the slips could have proved costly on another day, but Mcilveen continued his strong form to get Lewis, Matt Williamson and Steve Johnson out. His early four wicket spell was crucial, taking out the heart of Frodsham's batting and leaving them at 54 for 4.

Following this, Tom Wilkinson and Ouzounidis went into their shells, allowing Simon Swift and Neil Humphries to build pressure as they reached drinks at 72 for 4.

Straight after drinks Swift got the breakthrough, bowling Wilkinson and finishing with figures of 1 for 6 off six overs, in an impressive spell. The pressure he built allowed Humphries to attack and clean up the tail, as he managed to snare himself his first five-wicket haul of the season as Audlem bowled Frodsham out for 97. Mcilveen finished with 4 for 46 and Humphries 5 for 13.

Audlem gained 25 points and Frodsham 6. On Saturday the 1st XI travel to Stockport to play Heaton Mersey Village.

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