Sale Cricket Club’s promotion bid suffered a setback on Saturday as they were routed for just 46 on a spicy wicket at Bramhall in Division One of the Cheshire County League.
They lost a crucial toss and were asked to bat first on a wet wicket that soon proved very difficult to score on.
Sale needed a couple of batters to dig in and scrape the score to 120, but this was not to be as wickets fell at regular intervals, Simon Wilkinson and Oliver Webb with four wickets each.
Tyrone Lawrence struck in the first over, but after that it was plain sailing for the home side as they got home in the 14th over.
Sale’s second XI also suffered a heavy defeat, at league leaders Didsbury after they were bowled out for 94 in the 29th over, Amjad Khan hitting a fluent 33.
The visitors got home for the loss of five wickets, Muneeb Iftikar taking 4-33.
It was better news on Sunday as Sale thirds kept up their Premium Division title bid with a comfortable seven-wicket win against neighbours Timperley.
Timperley posted 154-9 in 40 overs, skipper Tom Riley taking 5-41, before Sale coasted home for the loss of three wickets in 27 overs, Tom Jenkinson hitting 71 and Jared Moran 34.
On Saturday, Sale firsts host Romiley at Dane Road and the second XI visit Cheadle. On Sunday the third XI travel to Marple and the fourths host Macclesfield.
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