Shropshire Cricket league Premier Division

WEM remain four points clear of Worfield at the top of the Shropshire Cricket League Premier Division after they bounced back from defeat at home to Sentinel.

Sam Peate decided to lead from the front in keeping Wem’s season on track, opening the batting and scoring 37 and playing his part in a strong recovery after Wem were reduced to 4-2.

Peate was joined by Raj Biswa, who dropped down to bat at number four, and the pair put on 119 for the third wicket.

Peate was out after he was caught by skipper Ed Ashlin off Joe Yapp’s bowling, but he was joined quickly by Matthew Cohen with a four-ball duck.

Biswa was joined by Martyn Davies and the pair put on 40 until the overseas star was out for a near run-a-ball 86, caught behind by Tom Matthews off Andrew Harrison.

Tom Astley also scored 26 as Davies went on to complete a half-century from 54 balls as Wem finished their innings on 237-9.

Harrison’s 3-25 was the pick of the visiting bowling.

In reply, Sentinel started well and reached 48 before opener Steven Gray was trapped lbw by Ben Peel for 15, who also accounted for Yapp.

Sentinel continued to add runs but Wem checked their momentum with wickets at vital periods, including Ashlin for 40, caught and bowled by Peel.

From there, Biswa weighed in with a brilliant 5-35 while Peel finished with figures of 4-25 while Tom Astley also took a wicket as Sentinel were all out for 171.

The second XI picked up a fine win at Knockin & Kinnerley’s second XI as they won by eight wickets.

Batting first after Wem skipper Dave Barnett won the toss, the hosts reached 125-7 from their 35 overs with a Gary Darlington 50 the pick of the home batting, with support from skipper Dave Jones, who scored 40.

Tom Hughes scored 10 as the only other home batter to reach double figures.

Barnett finished with 3-26, including the vital wickets of Darlington and his counterpart Jones, while Ben Parry also weighed in with figures of 2-21 from seven overs.

Opener Stuart Raine grabbed 1-8 from seven overs in a spell of disciplined bowling.

In reply, Jack Davies missed out on the chance to score when, having reached three, he was stumped off Greg Stokes’s bowling by Darlington, and Evan Limerick was the other man out for just seven.

Russell Mellings also scored 50, with a red inker, with support from Barnett with 37 not out.

On Sunday, the third XI conceded their fixture at Pontesbury’s third XI.

Shropshire Cricket League Division One

Ellesmere remain bottom of the Shropshire Cricket First Division after they were edged out in a closely-fought match at Pontesbury.

Skipper Tom Davies put his hosts into bat and he would have been happy with his side’s bowling after they bowled them out for 152.

Plenty of Pontesbury batters made starts when five of the top seven all reached double figures but Ellesmere continued to take wickets.

But the hosts were indebted to a crucial 30 not out from number 10 Stephen Wilson which proved to be vital.

Felix Ashley’s 3-30 was the pick of the Ellesmere bowling with Fraser Duncan and Ashley Thomas both taking two wickets each, with Davies, Sam Budd and George Duncan all taking one each.

In reply, Davies led a mini-fightback with 27 as all of Ellesmere’s top four were dismissed in single figures.

Graeme Cowey also scored 27 but 48 from Thomas at number 10 was not enough for Ellesmere as they fell eight runs short of their target, bowled out for 145.

The second XI were also beaten as they lost a north Shropshire derby clash with Coton Hall at home.

The visitors were asked to bat first and set a solid platform with half-centuries from opener Patrick McBennett and Simon Underhill as they reached 159-5 from 35 overs.

Ellesmere fell nine runs short of their run chase despite Troy Newton’s 85 not out as they finished 151-6 from their 35 overs.

On Sunday, the third XI were well beaten by Wellington’s fifth XI, finishing 75-9 from 27 overs.

Shropshire Division Four

Calverhall’s home clash with Madeley’s second XI was one of the few across the leagues to actually fall foul of the weather as they were beaten by the rain on Saturday.

With much of the league forecast to be abandoned, Calverhall picked up five points for the abandonment on a day where they would have been hoping for play to boost their points.

They will be hoping for better fortunes next week when they make the trip to Bridgnorth’s third XI for a 1pm start.

Meanwhile, in Division Four, Chelmarsh look to have all-but-secured their journey into Division Three for 2020 as they lead Wheaton Aston by 58 points.

Calverhall remain in fifth spot.

Iscoyd and Fenns Bank’s stuttering finish to the season continued when they were comfortably beaten on the road at Trysull & Seisdon on Saturday.

Home skipper Neil Bennett won the toss and decided to give his side the opportunity of chasing a score down and he would have been happy with their work as Iscoyd were bowled out for 104 in the 42nd over.

He gave his side the best possible chance by using nine bowlers – everyone bar himself and wicket keeper Muhammed Asim – as his side set up their win.

Duncan Chaplin, Ray Wright and Iscoyd skipper Duncan Wright all went cheaply, with none of them reaching double figures, but Tom Wynne rescued the situation when he scored a fine 51 at number four.

But he was not given any support from his supports as only Gordon Bebbington reached double figures alongside Wynne, with 16, before he was bowled by Dale Wilkins.

Wynne was eventually dismissed when he was caught By Daniel Gainham off Sachin Singh Sodhi as Iscoyd’s innings fizzled out.

Junaid Shaheen was the pick of the bowlers for Trysull as he took 3-13 from seven overs with two wickets apiece for Wilkins and Vivek Sudhir.

In reply, Bennett was caught behind by Jamie Dowley off the bowling of Tom Lea’s for 11 but fellow opener Umair Imran scored 35 to set the platform for the win – Ray Dale eventually dismissing him.

From there, Trysull chipped away at their target with Sudhir seeing them over the line with 15 not out.

Dale finished with 2-12 while there was one wicket apiece for Lea, Wright and Chaplin.

Meanwhile, the second XI picked up a fine win at the John Faulkner Ground on Saturday, but it was close run thing.

They were put into bat by their visitors Albrighton second XI and posted 164-4 from their 35 overs as skipper Steve Reece led from the front with a fine 67 not out.

Gavin Kelly finished on 17 before he was caught.

Owen Silvester added a mature 26 as Albrighton had four different wicket takers.

In reply, visiting skipper Mark Astbury scored 23 and fellow opener Carlton Murray scored 54 before he was run out.

Number three Ian Wright made 39 but Reece dismissed both latter players as they fell two runs short of their target.

Shropshire Cricket League Division Seven

COTON Hall got their Division Seven campaign back on track with an impressive away win at nearby Ellesmere second XI on Saturday.

Alex Cadman’s men are still in with a chance of promotion but remain 32 points behind leaders Llanidloes but are now 13 behind second-placed Lilleshall.

Their hosts won the toss and decided to make Coton Hall set a target which they duly did with some fine batting from Patrick McBennett and Dan Thomas, who both scored half-centuries.

The returning Cadman struggled for runs and was out for 11 when he was bowled by Aaron Clegg and number three batsman Glyn Brace soon followed him when he was bowled by Troy Newton for just one.

That brought Thomas to the crease and the pair rebuilt the innings to give Coton the platform for victory as opener McBennett scored 51 and Thomas, batting at number four, scored 65 before they were dismissed by Ryan Newtown and Carl Ayling, respectively.

Ellesmere also gifted Coton 26 extras as they finished on 159-5.

In reply, Ellesmere got off to a flyer as Ayling and Troy Newton, with the early loss of Peter Beavan for one, gave their visitors a scare.

However, once McBennett accounted for Ayling at the top of the order, bowling him for 35, Troy began to run out of time and partners as McBennett, Simon Underhill and Jack Wilson, plus a run out, put the squeeze on the home side.

Eventually, Troy was left high and dry on 85 not out as Ellesmere finished 1251-6 from their 35 overs and to give Coton Hall 21 points for their efforts.

This week, they are back on home soil as they host Forton’s second XI for a 1pm start.

Cheshire Cricket League Division Four

Malpas are stills sweating on their status in Division Four of the Cheshire cricket League after they were edged out in a close defeat to Saughall at Wrexham Road on Saturday.

The visitors won the toss and inserted their hosts and despite skipper Keith Rickett (18), Callum Southall (10) and Mark Jones (13) all making starts, Malpas required some excellent wagging of the tail from Jordan Roberts and Simon at nine and 10 respectively to secure a defendable score of 105 all out.

Roberts scored 21 before he was trapped lbw by Alen Roberts and it was the same bowler who accounted for Rae, this time caught by Chan Singh for 21.

Singh was also among the wickets for Saughall as he finished with 4-28 from 11 overs but star of the bowling attack was openers Michael Andrews as he finished with figures of 4-26 from 14 overs including six maidens, and took the vital scalp of Rickett at the top of the order for Malpas.

In reply, it was Saughall’s blistering start to the innings which in all likelihood have them the win as openers Chris Andrews scored 33 and skipper Tony Roberts 28 before they were dismissed by Rhys Young and Simon Rae respectively.

Rae’s breakthroughs gave Malpas hope of victory when he dismissed Martin Huxley for two, with Young taking the catch while he then bowled Singh for eight.

He added a fourth when he had Matty Pierce stumped by Rickett for a duck but visiting keeper Chris McCartney – no relation – came in to smash a quickfire 20 and alongside Ben Salisbury’s patient 15 not out, saw Saughall over the line to victory.

Rae finished with figures of 4-60 from 8.5 overs while Young took 2-10 from nine overs and five maidens.

This week, Malpas make the trip to the bottom side Winsford.