HMV steamrollered

1st XI

The 1st XI travelled to Stockport to play Heaton Mersey Village looking to gain 25 points in the race to secure third position in Division 2 of the Cheshire Cricket Alliance. They came away satisfied as they steamrollered the home side by 110 runs.

Skipper Callum Mcilveen won the toss and elected to bat on a slow, green but fairly solid surface. Racing off at five runs an over; Audlem got off to a good start, apart from the loss of four wickets! Andy Rothwell (0) and Rob West (10) were bowled, Qhama Matthews (1) was run out and Toby Banfield (12) was caught at backward point. Stuart Stanway made a fine 63 before he was caught at mid-wicket leaving the score on 75 for 5 from 15 overs.

The next men in, Paddy Leese and Dave Morris, elected to eat up some of the many overs left, so not to hand too many to the opposition. Ticking the score over, the pair brought up the hundred with ease, and with 15 overs remaining, both batsmen accelerated. The partnership, worth over 100 runs, took Audlem to 203 for 5 from 44 overs, enabling McIlveen to declare. Leese finished on 62 not out and Morris 55 not out.

HMV, with 46 overs to play with, offered tough resistance as they played for the draw. Wickets fell at regular intervals with all the bowlers sharing the spoils as McIlveen rotated the bowling so as not to let the batsmen settle. Only Dave Padbury (17) and Kingsley Parchment (25) reached double figures.

HMV's resistance finally came to an end when West took the last wicket with just four overs remaining to leave the home side 93 all out. West finished with figures of 3 for 25 and Neil Humphries had the remarkable return of 3 for 2 off 8 overs, seven of which were maidens.

Audlem gained 25 points and HMV 3. The 1st XI remain fourth, 14 points behind Tranmere Victoria in third place and 40 points behind second place Holmes Chapel. With two matches left it is now unlikely that promotion is on the cards.

However, the visitors to the Gorse Croft tomorrow are Holmes Chapel for what should be an intriguing match which starts at 1.00 pm, weather permitting.

2nd XI

The 2nd Xi were gifted 25 points when Ellesmere Port failed to raise a team. They stay in sixth place in Division 4. Tomorrow they travel to equal third-place Wilmslow Wayfarers.

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