1st XI move back into third with victory at Saughall

Audlem 1st XI travelled to fellow Cheshire Cricket Alliance Division 2 promotion-chasers Saughall with an understrength team on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. It was important for both teams to gain a win in order to stay in contention with pacesetters Frodsham and Haslington.

On what looked a green wicket skipper Chris Shenton won the toss and made the tough decision to bat first in order to try to gain maximum points. Saughall opening bowlers Dipak Jenna and Merv Singh soon had the ball darting all over place and, with Jenna getting some exaggerated bounce, it was extremely tough going for Audlem opening pair Andy Capper and Shenton.

The breakthrough for the home side came when Jenna had Capper unluckily given out lbw with a ball that had clearly hit the bat first. Shenton and Jim Littlewood continued to brave it and took the score to 50 before both fell to the impressive Jenna for 13.

When Tom Measures quickly followed Audlem were struggling on 64 for 4. Paddy Leese (20) joined debutant Andy Rothwell (26) at the crease and the pair added what turned out to be a crucial partnership of 50 in 20 overs. When Leese was lbw to Saughall's skipper Chris Andrews the score was 115 for 5. Two overs later Audlem had disintegrated to 117 for 9, with Andrews claiming three wickets in the space of four balls. Last pair Lyndon Woodcock and Stuart Elkes added an invaluable 10 runs to take Audlem to 127 before Woodcock was run out.

With 45 overs to knock off what looked a reachable total, Saughall got off to a steady start with the Huxley brothers Martin and James surviving some excellent bowling from openers Littlewood and Stuart Elkes. With Littlewood getting some extravagant bounce and Elkes some prodigious swing Audlem sensed that one wicket could turn things round.

That came when Littlewood had Martin Huxley caught behind of a vicious bouncer. When Elkes had the other brother trapped lbw for 23 and Ben Salisbury fell for 0 Saughall were 38 for 3. A partnership of 30 between Adam Griffiths and Andrews seemed to be taking the game away from Audlem again. However, when off spinner Lyndon Woodcock replaced Elkes he had an immediate impact.

Woodcock, together with Littlewood, reduced Saughall to 98 for 8. Jenna hit some lusty blows off a tiring Littlewood but when he fell to another dubious lbw decision off Woodcock the innings soon came to an end with Saughall being bowled out for 116. Littlewood finished with 3 for 66 of 20 overs and Woodcock 5 for 20 off 9.

Audlem gained a maximum 25 points and Saughall 7. As a result, at the halfway point of the season, Audlem leapfrog Saughall into third place. However they are still over 30 points behind the two leaders who both won again.

On Saturday the 1st XI travel to mid-table Mossley.

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