Saints humbled by 2nd XI

Last Saturday the 2nd XI entertained Stalybridge St Paul’s at the Gorse Croft in a fifth versus fourth battle.   The match saw one of the 2nd XI’s most impressive performances of the season, demolishing St. Paul’s to win by 99 runs.

Skipper John Wainwright again lost the toss and Audlem were asked to bat first.  Opener Zar Ahmed was out to the second ball that he faced, but Wainwright and Leo North then comfortably saw the score through to 60 before bizarrely both players had to retire hurt within minutes of each other.  North (15) succumbed to a hamstring injury and he was closely followed by Wainwright (33) who was struck on the head by a wayward throw from the outfield.

This brought Toby Banfield and Dan Thorburn to the crease.  They proceeded to amass 105 together in an exciting partnership of powerful hitting and good running that thoroughly demoralised the Stalybridge bowlers who, after 40 overs, had taken only one wicket.  After the departure of Banfield (51) and Thorburn (the team’s season top score of 69 with 9 fours and 2 sixes), Jacob Rowe (28 not out) and Lyndon Woodcock (11 not out) happily saw the score to an impressive 220-5 after 48 overs.

Stalybridge replied at an admirable rate on the speedy outfield that could have seen them to their target, but the experience and guile of Roy Wild (5-77) and Lyndon Woodcock (4-38) prevented any of the batsmen getting set and seriously being able to threaten a victory.  After a spirited last wicket stand, patched-up skipper Wainwright took the all-important catch for Stalybridge to finish on 121 all out after 26 overs.

Audlem gained 25 points and Stalybridge 4.  As a result Audlem leapfrogged the Saints to go fourth.

On Saturday the 2nd XI travel to champions Wirral for the last match of the season, needing 13 points from the match to retain a very commendable fourth place in their first season in Division 4.

This article is from our news archive. As a result pictures or videos originally associated with it may have been removed and some of the content may no longer be accurate or relevant.