Super seven days at Grappenhall Cricket Club
4:00pm Thursday 19th July 2012 in Latest sport
WASIM Akram in the runs, Steve Titchard taking a hat-trick, a quarter final victory and a crucial league win have contributed to an eventful week at Grappenhall.
Grappers’ defeat of Middlewich in midweek reserved a place at the Red Insure Twenty20 Finals Day at Neston later this month, providing some of the inspiration for Saturday’s win against Brooklands that preserves second spot in Cheshire County League Division One.
Leaders Bowdon are just two points adrift.
And that came after former Lancashire and Pakistan legend Akram, who owns a home in the county, joined ex-clubmate and England star Neil Fairbrother in the over 40s team’s success against Bowdon.
An excellent stand worth 73 runs between Luke McCoy (51) and Adam Roylance (41) looked to be taking Grappers to a sizeable total in Thursday’s quarter final.
However the innings limped along after their departures before closing on 135 all out.
In reply, a fine throw and run out by Roylance set the opposition back and wickets fell steadily thereafter before the visitors closed on 102 for 6, leaving Grappenhall the victors by 33 runs.
Saturday’s success against Brooklands was reward for the team’s morning mop-up operation after Friday’s monsoon.
Sam Guest and Titchard bowled unchanged throughout, the former taking the first wicket before Titchard got in on the act.
He found considerable turn and variations of flight to wreak havoc, eventually finishing with the outstanding figures of 7 for 26 including a hat-trick.
Brooklands’ total of 94 never looked to be enough and so it proved.
Green and Roylance took the tally to 46 in reply and, after losing three wickets, McCoy and Gaz Burns responding by swiftly reaching the required target.
Grappenhall’s seconds drew with Hyde the same day.
Richard Wiles took five wickets, while John Green, 49, was top scorer with the bat.
Meanwhile a seven-wickets win against Stockport Georgians keeps Grappers’ third team top of the pile in their division.
Albert Pennington picked up four wickets before Stockport ended on 97, Ian Hall steering the response with the bat.
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