Back on track
2:33pm Tuesday 1st July 2008
Timperley 183-5 Cheadle 180-9
Timperley win by five wicketsTIMPERLEY returned to winning ways at home against second bottom Cheadle on Saturday and now stand fifth in the Cheshire County League Division One at the season's
halfway point.
Winning the toss on a pitch that had been waterlogged on Thursday, Timperley stand-in skipper Tom Twiney asked Cheadle to bat first.
This decision was soon vindicated as Cheadle's batsmen struggled early on against the opening attack of Nick Liddell and Chris Page, who each picked up a wicket to leave the visitors at 5-2.
Only Greg Dixon seemed to get to grips with the irregularities of the pitch, however, when the opener was bowled by Mark Maddocks for 50, Cheadle were reeling at 69-5.
Maddocks and Mark Leathley both bowled steadily and dried up the runs, with more wickets falling, and with the score at 80-7 Timperley were eyeing up a small victory target.
However Cheadle vice-captain Jonny Reeh and opening bowler Dave Dooler had other ideas as they chanced their arm on an improving pitch. Cheadle batted their full 55 overs and the last three wickets put on exactly 100.
In reply, Twiney and debutant Mike Rudd started steadily, compiling 58 for the first wicket, Rudd playing several classy shots through the on-side and Twiney pulling Dooler for six over square leg.
When Rudd fell first for 21, Timperley chairman Colin Byrne came to the crease and proceeded to hit 10 from his first three balls.
By now, the pitch had clearly improved and there were far fewer balls misbehaving.
Twiney passed 50 for the fifth time this season only to be caught an over later, but this did not perturb Byrne who continued to terrorise the Cheadle attack, hitting boundaries to all parts of the ground.
Timperley lost three more wickets en-route to knocking off the target, but the result was never really in doubt. Byrne hit three successive boundaries to finish with 90 not out.
An away day at Grappenhall for Timperley seconds saw a disappointing but deserved defeat by 85 runs.
Grappenhall chose to bat and made 191 all out from their 50 overs and may have had more but for a remarkable six run outs.
However, it seemed batting was an alien art to all of the Timperley line-up except Jason Coad (45) and Grappenhall had more than enough.
A series of rash shots allied with excellent bowling from A Hards who took 7-16 off from 12 overs and S Guest (2-12) left Timperley 106 all out.