Brilliant Banks hits ton to send Porthill Park into NSSCL Premier A drop zone. The North Staffs South Cheshire Review highlights this stellar performance in its latest coverage.
CREDIT: Chris Travers Deputy Sports Editor/Cricket Writer @ Stoke Sentinel
Hem Heath all-rounder Liam rules at the Old County Ground, while there are North Staffs and South Cheshire League Premier A wins for Stone SP, Bagnall Norton, Leek, Moddershall & Oulton and Newcastle & Hartshill
Porthill Park became the latest side to find themselves in the NSSCL Premier A relegation zone following their defeat by Hem Heath.
Alsager are rock-bottom of the table – and 24 points from safety – but have had a number of different bed fellows in recent weeks as they battle for survival becomes a merry-go-round.
Longton, Audley and Hem Heath have all been in the bottom two since the halfway point of the campaign – and now it’s Porthill Park who have dropped into the danger zone with four matches of the season remaining.
It was the return of pink-ball action for sides to head towards the season’s conclusion – which suited Hem Heath down to the ground as they banked the points on their road trip.
Porthill Park saw John Hancock make 16 and Tom Longworth and Louis Allison chip in with 15 apiece in the early stages of their innings at the weekend. But it required half-centuries from middle-order pair Ben Cotton and Matt Coxon to propel them to 194-6 from their 45 overs at the Old County Ground.
Cotton hit four fours and three sixes in his 65, with Coxon’s unbeaten 65 featuring eight boundaries and one maximum. Greg Prime took a couple of wickets for the visitors.
Hem Heath broke the back of their target after the interval thanks to a 117-run opening stand between Liam Banks and Sam Wilcox.
Wilcox departed for 46, but Banks continued to a century as Hem Heath managed to wrap up a five-wicket win with more than three overs to spare.
Liam Banks hit an unbeaten century in Hem Heath’s North Staffs and South Cheshire League Premier A win at Porthill Park.(Image: Malcolm Hart )
Banks walked off unbeaten on 112, hitting 10 fours and three sixes, to give his side’s survival prospects a shot in the arm.
Alsager remain rooted to the foot of the standings after losing at home to second-placed Stone SP.
Aqeel Ahmed (43) and Manraj Johal (31) made the biggest impressions with the bat in Alsager’s 194 all out.
Greg Phillips (25), James Bloor (22), Asif Raza (18), Alex Perry (14) and Pierce Pickford (12) all made starts.
Warrick Fynn (3-20) was the star turn with the ball for the title hopefuls, with Jack Batchelor, Ed Batchelor and Reid Taylor all scooping two wickets.
Stone SP laid the foundations for another success with a second-wicket partnership of 120 between Sam Graham and William Hobson.
Graham struck 12 fours in his 66, with Hobson stroking four fours in his 50.
And the baton was then passed to Fynn to complete a six-wicket triumph in good time with 44 not out, ably assisted by William Alsbury’s unbeaten 14. Raza snared 3-38 for the home side.
Matthew Campbell produced an excellent display with bat and ball to keep leaders Leek a point clear at the summit with victory at home against Longton.
Campbell showcased his talent with the willow first of all as he compiled a ton to form the backbone of Leek’s 222-7 from their allocation.
The opener struck 14 fours and three sixes in a well-crafted 106, with support forthcoming from Kieran Carr and Alex Mellor, who both made 27, Nipun Lamahewage grabbed 4-39 for the visitors.
Longton replied with Alex McChristie’s 37, 32 from Dane Tinsley and 29 from Joseph Abbotts.
However, that wasn’t enough as they were skittled for 148 thanks to Lewis Moulton (4-15), Campbell’s 3-39 and a couple of victims for Ross Dearden.
Third-placed Checkley are now 19 points off the pace after a four-run home defeat by Bagnall Norton.
Visitors Bagnall Norton made their way to 245-8 in the first half of the action at Four Trees.
Justin Mould played a captain’s innings to make 80, which included eight boundaries and three sixes.
And Scott Winnington (48), Matthew Arnold (42), Josh Cartledge (22) and Morgan Murray-Williams (18) all kept the scoreboard ticking over.
Charlie Lewis (4-47) took the bowling plaudits for Checkley and there were two wickets for Nils Priestley.
Checkley tumbled to 34-4 in their run chase before skipper James Kettleborough (21) provided an air of calm.
But it was Priestley’s big-hitting 69, which came off 48 balls and contained nine fours and three sixes, which reignited his side’s hopes.
Jack Farrington (41), Deepak Dhapola (32) and Richard Cooper (22no) followed his lead, but Checkley just fell short.
They were bowled out for 241 with an over to go as Murray-Williams picked up 4-31 and Winnington struck twice.
Meakins, in fourth, saw their title hopes take a hit as they lost at Newcastle & Hartshill, which left them 23 points off top spot.
However, it took a fine battling effort from Castle to deny their rivals another win after they made a poor start to their chase.
Newcastle & Hartshill were set 190 for victory, but were reduced to 77-6 on home turf.
The tables turned as Gamindu Kanishka and Rich Hagan put on 93 for the seventh wicket.
Hagan departed for 36, but Kanishka saw the job through, eight wickets down, with an unbeaten 73. His knock contained 11 fours.
Amaan Tariq took 3-49 for Meakins and Karl High and Ash Shaw shared four wickets.
Earlier in the day, Meakins’ 189 all out has centred around Jack Hammond’s 58, which included four fours and one six.
Pete Wilshaw (36) and Oliver Tucker (21) also impressed for the visitors, while Dan Gibbs helped himself to 4-21 and Hagan picked up two victims.
Audley are just a point above the drop zone following their loss at Moddershall & Oulton.
Audley took first use, but were skittled for 143 after a significant batting collapse.
They were 114-2 at one points thanks to Steve Stolk’s 62 and 28 from Freddie Doorbar. But the Modd men roared into the driving seat as Danushka Sandaruwan’s 5-24 instigated their downfall.
Moddershall & Oulton were rocking on 67-5 in reply, but Dan Richardson’s unbeaten half-century calmed nerves.
He made 63 not out, hitting 11 boundaries and one six in the process, to complete a three-wicket success.
Sam Kelsall (18) and Sandaruwan (14) also played their part, while Ed Jones claimed 4-22 for Audley.
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PREMIER B
Seam star Gunarathne keeps Burslem in the thick of NSSCL Premier B battle
There are also wins for Bignall End, Whitmore, Hem Heath, Norton in Hales and Knypersley in North Staffs and South Cheshire League Premier B
Burslem maintained their push for promotion from NSSCL Premier B after beating fellow top-two hopefuls Cheadle.
The two sides are now locked on 296 points in third and fourth – two off a coveted promotion spot – after their weekend meeting.
Burslem ventured to the crease first on home turf and managed to amass 179-9 from their 45 overs.
Sam Waterhouse (38), Dilesh Gunarathne (32), Eranga Dissanagge (22) and Callum Harrison (21no) teamed up to help the home side to their total.
James Sellers captured 3-31 for Cheadle and there were a couple of wickets apiece for William Dobbie and Matt Goodwin.
Ali Khan spearheaded the Moorlanders’ reply with 59, which included eight fours.
And although Goodwin weighed in with 33, Cheadle were eventually bowled out for 158.
Gunarathne was the star of the show with the ball for Burslem, finishing with 4-14, while Dissanagge and Waterhouse shared four wickets.
Whitmore are in second place after winning at leaders Eccleshall.
But the table-toppers are still well set for elevation as they sit 33 points clear with four matches to play.
Eccleshall, as expected, posed a stern challenge and stuck 245-8 on the board from their 45 overs in the first half.
It was a team effort with the bat as Dan Byatt (43no), Connor Beasley (42), Greg Clark (29), Rhys Owens (23) and Matthew Wright (22no) all contributed.
Matt McAll helped himself to 5-50 for Whitmore – but it still needed a big batting performance by the visitors to maintain their top-two quest.
But they delivered in style as they wrapped up a two-wicket success with four balls of the contest remaining.
Early impacts were made by Aaqil Mohideen (34), Muhammad Imran (38) and Danyal Hussain (28).
However, it was Piers Copeland’s unbeaten 54, which came off 33 balls and featured seven fours and two sixes, plus 36 from Bilal Hussain, which pushed Whitmore over the line.
Zak Mosam and Wright claimed 3-50 and 3-77 respectively for Eccleshall.
The battle for survival remains intense after four of the bottom five all picked up victories.
Hem Heath seconds remain just the right side of the line after winning at home against a Leycett side who are on the brink of relegation.
Hosts Hem Heath posted 165-9 from their 45 overs, mainly thanks to 32 not out from number 11 Shailesh Khune and 26 from Tom Myatt. Alistair Gething was in sparkling form with the ball for the visitors, grabbing 6-20.
Bottom-of-the-table Leycett, who are 63 points from safety, were bowled out for 111 in their reply.
Jaidel Richardson (46no) and Reece White (34) offered the primary resistance, but Yohan Liyange and Nazakat Ali shared seven wickets to push them ever closer to the drop.
Liyanage finished with 4-41 and Ali helped himself to 3-27.
Norton in Hales are in the drop zone, but level on points with Hem Heath, after winning by four runs at home against Ashcombe Park.
The day didn’t start off well for the Tractor Boys as they found themselves 18-3 in the formative stages. But they rallied expertly to eventually make their way to 200-9 from their allocation.
That was thanks to Rameez Alam’s 51, which contained six fours and two sixes, 38 from Jack Furnival, Ronan Farnell’s 35 and 20 not out from Luke Taylor.
Anis Raza pocketed 3-37 for Ashcombe Park, with Josh Need and Riecko Parker-Cole sharing four victims.
David Proffitt (49) and Nathan Ball (36no) were in fine fettle after tea, but it wasn’t quite enough to inch Ashcombe Park over the line.
They were limited to 196-9 when time was called thanks to George Walker’s 3-39 and a couple of wickets apiece for Furnival and James Pringle.
Bignall End are a point clear of trouble after winning a high-scoring contest at home against Elworth.
A third-wicket stand of 144 between George Harding and Ahsam Zaroof powered Bignall End to 254-6 at Boon Hill.
Harding plundered 18 fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 126, with Zaroof’s 60 featuring four boundaries. Jarrod McKay struck twice for the Cheshire visitors.
Ash Rogers then went on a six-hitting blitz in Elworth’s reply to give them a chance of pulling off an excellent chase. Rogers blasted eight sixes and half-a-dozen fours in his 96 to front his side’s victory quest.
Ash Rogers made a big-hitting 96 for Elworth, but they were beaten by Bignall End in North Staffs and South Cheshire League Premier B.(Image: Stoke Sentinel)
Ed Parrish (27) and McKay (25) also chipped in, but Elworth were dismissed for 230 in the penultimate over.
Aunn Shah did the damage with the ball, taking 4-60, while there were twin strikes from Liam Hassett and Ben Dixon.
Eighth-placed Knypersley are three points clear of the bottom two following their success at Wood Lane.
Visitors Knypersley made steady progress to 168-9 on their trip to Megacre.
And it was some excellent tail-end batting which ultimately helped them to a match-winning total.
They were 5-4 at one stage and even though Michael Dodd (24) and Danny Baker (18) stopped the rot, they were in trouble on 113-9.
But Rob James blazed three fours and seven sixes in his 70 not out and Jacob Cumberbatch made an unbeaten 13 to give Knype a defendable total.
Zaighum Abbas (5-45) was the pick of the Wood Lane attack.
Jake Thompson (42), Ben McGuire (22) and Richard Hassall (21) were all in decent nick in Wood Lane’s response.
But they were ultimately bowled out for 153 as Dominic Cumberbatch scooped 5-33 and Cameron Allen grabbed 3-37.
CREDIT: Chris Travers Deputy Sports Editor/Cricket Writer @ Stoke Sentinel
