The first real sunny weekend – but local teams fail to shine

IT was the first real sunny weekend of the season but it didn’t quite go to plan for Grappenhall with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd teams all tasting defeat.
The 1st XI lost at home to Cheshire County League ECB Premier League champions, Didsbury.
Didsbury posted 261 in their innings, with Grappers bowlers toiling in the sun. New Zealander Tom McCrury was the pick of the bowlers, taking 4-71 and Arran McCabe 3-38.
It was always going to be a tough ask for Grappers but they made a fight of it against the strong Didsbury attack. They were bowled out for 205, the mainstay of the innings being Ben Bodha with 51 not out and Albert Pennington with 42. Grappers picked up seven points to continue their decent start to life back in the Premier division.
The 2nds lost in a low scoring game at Bramhall. Grappers were rolled for just 77. Grappers showed more fight in the second innings as they took 7 wickets but it wasn’t enough for Bramhall to get home with plenty of overs to spare.
On Sunday the 3rd XI lost at home to Hyde. Grappers were rolled for 104, young Yuvan Sundermoorthy top scoring with 30. Hyde coasted home for the loss of fourwickets to cap off a disappointing weekend for Grappenhall.
It was a blank weekend for Warrington too, with three teams losing and the fourth having to concede because they couldn’t raise a team.
Warrington 1st lost by five wickets at home to Heaton Mersey after being put in.
They were bowled out for a modest 120 with Thaakier Davids top scoring with 49 and Charlie Jones hitting a patient 25.
The visitors struggled at first and at 29-4 the game was still very much in the balance. But then the middle order turned the game around and Heaton Mersey eventually won comfortably enough with 121-5. Brad Roden was the pick of the Warrington bowlers with 3-11
Warrington 2nd wen down by seven wickets at Urmston after being bowled out for 61 with opener Hari Krishna Kaja top scoring with 28.
The home side had little trouble reaching their target for the lost of three wickets.
Warrington 3rd lost by 139 runs at home to Middlewich who batted first and totalled 196-6.
Farhad Qayum took 4-37. Warrington were bowled out for 57 with opener Vishy Ramakrishna hitting 28.
In the Cheshire League, Appleton won by 72 runs hosting Bowdon Vale.
Batting first, Appleton reached 159-9 with skipper Rory Kellett top-scoring with 40 and Wesley Jenkins hitting a useful 28.
Bowdon were never in the chase and were dismissed for 87. Amir Aslam taking 5-19 and Moshin Rafique 3-29.
Appleton 2nd went down by 56 at Weaverham.
The hosts scored 165-7 with the Appleton bowlers sharing the wickets and then Appleton were dismissed for 109, despite 35 from Nick Williams.
Appleton 3rd won by four wickets at Glazebury after bowling out the home side for 92, Cassius Birch hitting 30. Appleton responded with 96-6, Daniel Oliver 32 not out. Ryan Warhust took 3-18 for Glazebury.
Appleton 4 went down by 93 runs hosting Maritime after the visitors totalled 178 batting first. Appleton were bowled out for 85.
Glazebury lost by 65 runs at Frodsham where the home side batted firs and were all out for 137.
Ben Marota took 3-25. Skipper Jack Warhurst top scored with 29 when Glazebury replied with a disappointing 72 all out.
Lymm Oughtrington Park were bowled out for 47 at Winsford – but still managed to win by 20 runs.
It was a day dominated by the bowlers and Lymm can seldom have won a match in which none of their batsmen reached double figures!
The home side were dismissed for 27 with Anthony Spaven, 4-9 and Antonnel Atwell 4-17 the only bowlers.
Lymm 2nd’s game at Oughtrington Lane was a more exciting affair, with Lymm winning by one run.
Batting first, they hit 110-9, largely thanks to skippr Naman Sethi, not out 29 and Sagar Ghandi, 31.
Visitors Wilmslow looked on course for victory at 101-5 but a collapse followed and they ended up 109 all out, Ghandi taking 4-6.