Browse Sections

• Local football
• Local cricket

Targeting final four

15/ 5/2008

WHALLEY Range moved a step nearer to the semi-final after a three-wicket victory over visiting Stretford.

Tidy bowling by Waqas Mailk (2-27), Saleem Akram (3-20) and skipper Paul Davies (2-27) kept the visitors in check as Stretford were dismissed for a modest 156.

Alan Mellor (18) and Zarrar Malik (38) gave Range a solid foundation but the middle order disappeared apart from Farhan Ahmed (26), leaving them crumbling at 124-7.

However, Aftab Younas (34 not out) then found some valuable support in Saleem Akram as they steered their team to 157-7 in the penultimate over.

Range’s seconds were narrowly beaten at Lostock despite dismissing the home team for 162, Mark Greenwood and Arfan Hussain both bagging four wickets.

Mark Davis hit 35 as Range slumped to 112-9 but a defiant last-wicket stand between Mohan Qasim (20) and Greenwood (18) took them to 155.

Wythenshawe look to have blown their chances of further progress in the competition after a deat at Winton.

Leigh Sproston (3-52) and Paul Burrell (2-21) were the pick of the home attack as the home team amassed a useful 203-7. Burrell than showed his all-round qualities with a top score of 45 in the Wythenshawe reply.

Chris Canning added 31 and Ian Habershon 27 but they were never up with the required rate, finishing 14 runs short of victory on 190-9.

The seconds had a seven-run win over Winton at Longley Lane where Abdullah Kamel’s 40 helped them to 145 having earlier been 59-6.

Winton also found it hard as they were reduced to 66-6 before some defiant batting set the home team’s alarm bells ringing.

Ian Hilton took 3-22 while there were two wickets each for Lewis Crowther, Chris Bradley and Colin Pierce as Winton finished on 138-9.

South West Manchester have the start of the league season to look forward to following a 130-run loss at Hindley St Peters. The hosts rattled up 223-5 before their renowned pace attack took South West apart, dismissing them for 93.

South West’s seconds put on a better show in losing the reverse fixture by 38 runs at Ellesmere Road. Graham Turner took 2-38 as the visitors posted 213-7 before South West were 175 all out off the final ball.