1st XI cling on for a draw at Trinity

The 1st XI travelled to Bramhall on Saturday to face a tough Trinity side riding high in Division 2 of the Cheshire Cricket Alliance and came away with a draw, with the match ball being sponsored by Tripadvisor.co.uk.

Skipper Chris Shenton won the toss and decided to bowl on a luscious green track. The decision was vindicated when in the second over Stuart Elkes took a double wicket maiden snagging Mike Myatt, caught by keeper Paddy Leese, with his first ball and Colin Harries, caught by Shenton, two balls later. Trinity, through Alan Fryer and Joe Shaw, then dug in until Fryer was caught by Andy Capper off the bowling of Kemal Toraman. Shaw was joined by Geoff Myatt and both batsmen took the game to Audlem, scoring freely. Shaw was eventually out for 63, trapped lbw by Quama Matthews.

Richard Sethi and Myatt continued to amass runs until Neil Humphries bowled Myatt for 40. Sethi rode his luck as he and new partner James Muldoon piled on the runs. Both were to fall to impressive fielding by Andy Rothwell, who dismissed Muldoon with a well-taken catch off the bowling of Humphries and then ran Sethi out for 35. Richard Higginbotham (25) and Joe Friel (10) both remained unbeaten at the end of Trinity's 48 overs as Trinity racked up a daunting total of 221 for 7.

In reply, Shenton (23) and Capper got off to a quick start, putting on 26 in the opening overs before both men fell, caught, trying to keep the run-rate going. Next to the crease were Humphries and Rich Wilson. The pair could only add five runs before Humphries was caught behind off an inside edge and Wilson eventually fell caught at second slip after a patient start.

Audlem's two aggressive batsmen, Toraman and Leese, found themselves paired at the crease needing quick runs. While Leese played himself in, dispatching the loose deliveries, Toraman didn't hang around, dismissing the bowling with some impressive straight hitting. Meanwhile Leese began to open up, adding to the boundaries a-plenty. The pair put on 76 for the fifth wicket, until Leese was bowled for 28. Toraman fell soon afterwards, caught in the deep for 53. At this stage, Audlem were up with the run-rate, but when Elkes and Matthews were out, the complexion of the game changed. A further blow was dealt when Tom Measures was bowled, leaving Trinity needing just one more wicket for victory.

Oli Burney and Rothwell managed to see out the draw, despite a late scare when Andy Rothwell gave a chance which was dropped. Audlem finished on 163 for 9 with Rothwell ending on 25 not out and Burney 6 not out. Higginbotham, who bowled unchanged, finished with 6 for 90.

Audlem gained 7 points to remain in fifth place and Trinity 15. Next Saturday the 1st XI travel to Stockport to play tenth-place Heaton Mersey Village. The match ball is sponsored by The Lower Chequer pub at Sandbach.

Also, on Sunday the team plays Kerridge at the Gorse Croft in the second round of the 1st XI league knockout trophy. The match starts at 2.00 pm.

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