Trafford MV1st XI 154 a.o. v Alderley Park 1stXI 173/7

TRAFFORD MV cricket club's 1st team suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of Alderley Park.

Rob Parker again won the toss for MV and put Alderley into bat. As Leather and Haughton made way for Lund and Park, MV then took the upper hand.

A run out and another two wickets for Park ensured the Alderley Park innings closed on 173 for 7 after their 48 overs.

The new opening partnership of Lund and Rob Ladd walked to the crease confident of passing the opposition score in the allotted 42 overs.

The second delivery of the innings possibly gave an insight of things that were to develop throughout the innings.

As Lunt went to pull a short ball, an inside edge saw the ball bang into his pads, and a decision of LBW saw a disappointed Lund return to the pavillion.

After two appeals in consecutive balls for leg before wicket were turned down with the ball clearly going past leg stump, the third vociferous appeal in a row by all the Alderley fielders saw Colley given out, again lbw.

MV's cause was not helped as a loose shot by Ladd was comfortably taken at extra cover and MV were struggling at 30 for 3.

What happened for the next 15 overs was a joy to watch as the classy Chauhan decided he was not going to allow himself to be dominated.

An excellent partnership of 66 brought MV back into the game, and when Chauhan (53) was bowled by Jain, and Eckersall followed quickly, a gamble by Parker to move Ian Walsh up the order looked to be paying off.

MV had got to a position of requiring only 52 runs off 13 overs with 5 wickets remaining.

Walsh's sure fire hitting brought the total down even further to 22 runs in 5 overs when two quick wickets saw Walsh and the elegant Park (40) depart.

The new partnership of Rob Parker and John Crane struggled to put bat on ball, and the overs started to decrease.

Crane was out and Leather followed soon after, which brought in number 11 Haughton out.

With the last over starting, and a ring of fielders around the bat, Haughton appeared not to be fazed, as the appeals started to increase in intensity and regularity.

As the bowler turned for the final ball of the game, a long stride by Haughton to outside the line of the off stump, should have been enough to see MV get the draw.

Haughton did his part, the outswinging ball hit his front pad, all and sundry went up along with the umpires finger.

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