Iscoyd & Fenns Bank

A FINE bowling display gave Iscoyd & Fenns Banks a much-needed win in the Shropshire County Cricket League Division Four at Bishops Castle on Saturday.

Batting first, Duncan Wright’s men might have thought they were in for a tough test when they were bowled out for 151 in the 38th over.

Three of the top six all made good starts but failed to push on as Wright was run out for 25, Duncan Chaplin was bowled for 18 and Tom Wynne was also bowled as he made 27.

But it was a fine 41 from Tom Lea, batting at number six, which carried Iscoyd to their total before he was caught off the bowling of Richard Langford.

The Iscoyd innings fizzled out as none of the remaining four batters reached double figures.

In reply, partnership bowling was key for Iscoyd as opening pair Wright and Paul Gresty took five wickets between them to give the visitors hope of victory.

However, a fine 46 from Jack Perry gave Castle a fighting chance of swinging the momentum back towards the home side until stepped and claimed him as his first victim.

Fine bowling from Wynne and Michael Walton polished off the tail and they were bowled out for 136 as Gresty finished the pick of the Iscoyd bowling with 3-19 from eight overs. Wright, Wynne and Walton all finished with two wickets apiece.

Meanwhile, Iscoyd’s second XI suffered a heavy reverse this weekend as they were beaten heavily at the John Faulkner Ground by Condover’s second XI.

Batting first after Iscoyd put them in, Condover opener Mike Rogers scored 71 to set up a total of 178-7.

Micky Richards took 2-9 from three overs to be the pick of the bowlers as Iscoyd’s nine players battled hard.

However, Iscoyd were blown away by Condover as they bowled out for 45 as the lack of two players showed but Iscoyd battled for more than 30 overs.

On Saturday, the first XI will face Calverhall.

Calverhall

CALVERHALL are starting to pick up the pace in the Shropshire County Cricket League Division Four after the y recorded another win, beating north Shropshire rivals Cae Glas on Saturday.

Put in by their visitors, Calverhall’s opener Kareem Yarde made his customary good start reaching 29 from 27 balls, with four fours and a six before he was bowled by Shaun Southern.

However, the rest of the home top order failed when none managed to reach double figures, with Bradley Sumner’s nine the highest effort.

But any hopes that Cae had of a short fielding stint were knocked out of the park by Ian Millard, who took 42 from just 32 balls, with five fours and two sixes, as he and Oliver Griffiths, with a more sedate 40 from 72 balls, gave Calverhall a platform for victory.

Skipper Akeel Ahmed was last man out as Calverhall posted 171 in 39 overs.

Nathan Bartam’s 4-16 was the pick of the visiting bowling.

In reply Cae skipper Andy Griffiths led from the front as he scored a fine 40 at the top of the innings.

However, similar to the first half of the game, he was given little back-up as the rest of the Cae top and middle order struggled to get going, and what support that did come failed to match Calverhall’s as the home side made their visitors struggle for runs.

Calverhall claimed the win despite not bowling Cae out as the Oswestry side reached 102-9 from their 40 overs, with Sumner claiming 3-18, Ahmed 2-22 and all other bowlers one wicket apiece.

The win lifts Calverhall into third spot, 65 points behind leaders Chelmarsh, and on Saturday they make the short trip to Iscoyd & Fenns Bank who now sit in mid-table.

Calverhall are just two points behind Wheaton Aston in second.

Prees

PREES face the prospect of being marooned at the bottom of the Shropshire County Cricket League Division Four after another defeat on Saturday.

Madeley’s second XI came to the Rec Ground to face a side that has struggled for players and form in 2019, and it continued at the weekend when they were bowled out for just 93.

Batting first, both openers went cheaply before number three Billy Edwards showed some spirit with a fighting 29 before he was caught off the bowling of Jack Loftus.

Glyn Teggin, batting at number nine, finished 24 not out as Prees were eventually dismissed in the 30th over.

Acting skipper Philip Richards finished with 4-31 from his eight overs as Madeley were reduced to 53-6, but skipper Steve Maden blasted a fine 42 not out to see them over the line.

On Saturday, Prees travel to leaders Chelmarsh.

Malpas

Malpas remain third from bottom in the Cheshire Cricket League Division Four after they were comfortably beaten by Bowdon Vale at home on Saturday.

Skipper Keith Rickett’s decision to bowl was rewarded when Vale were all out for 99.

Steve Bottomley’s 33 was the highest score for Bowdon as they struggled to score runs on a pitch still struggling from the recent rains.

Jordan Roberts was the pick of the Malpas bowling with 4-22 from 10 overs and Mike Parry with a fine 3-9, polishing off the tail.

But despite Rickett reaching 22 before he was bowled by Nomaan Hasan, it was all downhill for the Wrexham Road side.

Tom Lyes reached 10 before he was run out as the Malpas innings petered out, dismissed for 55 in just 25.2 overs.

They face leaders Westminster Park on Saturday.

Ellesmere

ELLESMERE are facing the real possibility of relegation from the Shropshire County Cricket League Division One after they lost to Knockin & Kinnerley on Saturday.

Ellesmere are 29 points behind and will be hoping for an upturn in form coupled with Cound’s downward spiral to have hopes of not returning to Division Two.

Batting first after winning the toss, Ellesmere were 161 all out in the 45th over as Lee Davis reached 30 before he was trapped lbw by Jonny Evans while skipper Tom Davis led from the front with a fine 39 before he too was dismissed by Evans, stumped by Jamie Birch.

Evans, a fifth-change bowler, finished with figures of 6-35, while Ellesmere were aided by 29 extras.

However, Knockin’s opening pair put on 139 for the first wicket as Lloyd Edwards smashed a sensational 90 with 10 fours and five sixes, while Thomas Dix stood at the other end, finishing 53 not out.

Ellesmere host Beacon on Saturday.

The second XI’s home clash with Quayside was called off but the sides are scheduled to face one another in a reverse fixture on Saturday.

Coton Hall

COTON HALL suffered a rare reverse as they were bowled out for under a 100 against Allscott Heath’s second XI on Saturday.

Alex Cadman won the toss and decided to set his side a target and would have been confident when Allscott Heath finished 168-8 from their 40 overs, with the help of 32 extras from the Coton Hall bowling.

Opener and skipper Richard Addison top-scored with 38 while Cadman and Alistair Rich both took three wickets.

In reply, Cadman was first to go with just eight to his name but fellow opener Connor Tinsley scored 45 to give his side a chance.

But Mark Smout’s excellent 5-0 gave the visitors victory.

Wem

WEM have returned to the top of the Shropshire Cricket league Premier Division after they thrashed Ludlow on Saturday.

Sam Peate’s men are three points ahead of their rivals Worfield as they head into Saturday’s crucial head-to-head, knowing a win could give them daylight between the two teams, especially if they pick up 25 points.

Peate showed his intentions from the start when he chose to bat and set the visitors a target to chase and he was rewarded when Wem posted a more-than-competitive 239 all out in the 50th over.

Raj Biswa set the tone for Wem at the top of the innings with a quick-tempo 67 from 74 balls, including 10 fours and one six, but Wem also lost wickets at intervals around him as Harry Chandler, Harry Astley and Matthew Cohen all went cheaply.

But Martyn Davies joined Biswa for a 51-run fourth-wicket partnership before the overseas professional was bowled by Will Sparrow.

Tom Astley played his part in a 36-run partnership with Davies before he was bowled by Sam Edwards while the Wem tail wagged, adding a further 68 runs from when Davies was dismissed for 45 with the score on 171-6.

Ian Simmons was the pick of the visiting bowlers as his late salvo of 4-34 from 8.1 overs cleaned up the tail.

Ludlow gave themselves a fighting chance of victory as openers Edwards and Daniel Ashley put on 50 for the opening wicket before the former was caught and bowled by Biswa.

From there, Ludlow lost wickets at regular intervals, including Ashley for 24, bowled by Biswa, and while they still added runs, they struggled to keep any momentum and were bowled out for 149 in the 43rd over.

Biswa and Harry Astley did the damage for Wem, taking 4-22 and 4-43, respectively, with one for Ben Peel and a run out by Tom Astley as Wem wrapped up the 90-run win.

The second XI also picked up an emphatic win as they beat Newtown by six wickets on Saturday.

An excellent performance from Josh Gough set the platform for the win as he returned superb figures of 5-13 from nine overs as Newtown 65 in the 39th over, in a slow game.

There were two wickets apiece for Ben Parry and Jordan Bachelor, who could not be tied down by the batsmen, while Keith Higgins completed the wickets with a run out.

In reply, Gough then scored a vital 36 batting at number four as Wem started slowly and his innings was enough to Wem over the line.

On Saturday, the first XI travel to Worfield while the second XI host Condover’s first team.