Close but no cigar

2:46pm Tuesday 29th April 2008

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Trafford MV 128 all out

Runcorn 94-9TRAFFORD MV came as close as is possible to their first victory in the top division of the Meller Braggins Cheshire Cricket League, but ultimately fell just short.

Runcorn's last pair hung on grimly with their score on 94 for 9 in the final over to force a draw.

Earlier in the day, Runcorn's captain inserted the home team on a damp and sluggish MV track. After a circumspect start, Steve Warner (43) and Mo Asad (25) carried on their good work of the previous week, putting on 69 for the first wicket.

Unfortunately for MV, both openers fell in successive overs, triggering a hiatus in the innings with runs hard to come by and wickets falling at regular intervals.

Some lusty blows from Abbas and Quereshi in the closing overs saw MV to the respectable total of 128.

Darren Park (2-29) and the ageless Steve Haughton (2-33) made inroads at the top of the Runcorn batting order.

But the star men with the ball for MV were Asad, who bowled 14 miserly overs of leg spin for just seven runs, claiming three scalps in the process, and Quereshi, whose left arm spin brought two wickets in his opening over, turning a certain draw into a possible victory.

It was a promising performance, particularly by the bowling attack, which shows little sign of being over-awed in this higher standard.

MV make the long trek to Malpas next Saturday in search of their first win of the season.