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Ruthless Didsbury push on

19/ 6/2008

AFTER some close calls in recent weeks Didsbury kept on track of the Cheshire County Cricket League Division One leaders Oxton with a clinical seven-wicket win at Upton.

Once again the variety of the Didsbury attack kept the home team batting in check on a day made for run-making.

Nick Anderson was the spearhead of the Didsbury attack with 4-35 and he was ably assisted by spinners John Fawcett (2-13) and skipper Paul Sperring (2-40) to limit Upton to a modest 166-9.

Stuart Stoneman laid the base for the Didsbury response with a solid 34 and Sperring and Gauthen Narayanan shared a big unbroken stand with Sperring on 51 not out and Narayanan 63 not out, taking them home with overs and wickets in hand.

Didsbury seconds kept on track for their divisional title as they crushed Toft at Wilmslow Road by 54 runs.

Didsbury breezed to 70-1 with Mark Burns (28), Paul Shipston (23), and Trevor Gane (15) all looking good.

Then the innings fell apart as the pitch began to assist the bowlers and they were back in the shed for a very disappointing 124, losing their last eight wickets for just 48 runs.

But the youthful Toft team had little answer to the lethal Didsbury attack as they were skittled out for 70 in 38 overs.

Ollie Driver (4-25) and Ed Dodman (4-13) led the rout.

In Division Two, Burnage lost by six wickets to give struggling hosts Winnington Park their first win of the season.

Burnage posted a disappointing 201 all out after winning the toss.

The loss of four wickets for 20 runs left them in trouble at 63-5 in the 19th over before Syed Abbas (86) led the recovery.

He dominated a sixth-wicket stand of 64 and then added 57 with Sabtain Baig (34) to secure maximum batting points.

A good total looked on the cards but Winnington fought back to take the last four wickets for just 17 runs.

The Winnington reply got off to a brisk start but Baig (3-59), kept Burnage in the hunt by removing both openers in a good opening spell to make it 48-2.

On a good pitch, the hosts belied their recent dreadful form by progressing to 95 in the 24th over before Abbas struck.

Amir Bhatti helped to slow the run rate with a tidy spell of off-spin before Baig returned to make it 129-4 but Welch (99no) made Burnage pay for missing a couple of chances.

His attempt to hit a six to win the match landed just inside the boundary and the four took the hosts to 205-4 in 47.2 overs.

Burnage seconds won the reverse fixture by 169 runs.

Burnage won the toss and rattled up 239 in spite of some variable bounce.

Tariq Bhatti (60) and Waqas Mahmood (47) top scored.

Winnington Park dug in but Aqeel Awan took 7-30 from 19 overs and skipper Ali Kadar chipped in with 2-35 to add to his 22 runs as Park were out for 70.