August | 2015 | Sale Cricket Club

A magnificient eighth wicket partnership of sixty five between Ali Barrowman and Ben Watkin, set up by Chris Canning’s superb counter-attacking seventy three, edged Sale to a nailbiting, league-leading tenth win of the season.

Sale lost the toss and were asked to field by Tattenhall captain Oli Thompson, and, although Sale had produced some very tight bowling – especially from Rick Halkon, who was going at under one run an over – Tattenhall had made a decent start, reaching 37-0 from 16 overs; a platform to build on later in the innings. This was, however, broken by Tyrone Lawrence, who produced a stunning one-handed catch off his own bowling, low and moving quickly to his left to dismiss the young Henry Dobson for a composed 13.

Sale’s Rick Halkon was instrumental in restricting Tattenhall’s runs early on. Photo by George Franks.

Opener Glen Coppack and number three Stuart Sadler had only added a further seven before the latter was bowled for just one, trying to work Halkon through the leg side but only managing to miss the ball as it careered into his stumps to leave Tattenhall 44-3.

Stuart Sadler was bowled for just one by Rick Halkon. Photo by George Franks.

Coppack was joined by captain Thompson at four, and their partnership was nearing fifty, and Coppack himself was nearing his fifty when he skied a shot off Ali Barrowman and was routinely caught by Tyrone Lawrence for a patient fourty-five to put Tattenhall 84-3 with twenty overs remaining – well placed for some late innings hitting.

Overseas Dan Power, in at five, looked to be proactive between the wickets, and had made only two when he attempted a sweep shot off the bowling of Halkon, but missed the ball entirely and was given out LBW, Tatternhall 99-4.

Tattenhall’s Dan Power was adjudged LBW by umpire Brian Boys. Photo by George Franks.

Oli Thompson and Josh Harding then added a superb partnership of 67 at a good rate when the latter, having made 27 – including a huge six over the leg side – looped the easiest of chances to Ryan Rickelton at cover, leaving Tattenhall 166-5 with five overs remaining, aiming for a target of 200.

Thompson and John Gibbon kept looking for the singles and twos as often as they could, but Gibbon had only made three in a partnership of eight before he tried to play too close to his body and edged behind to ‘keeper Chris Canning.

Owen Williamson tried the big shot and was caught down the ground by Rob Grant for just two, but Thompson was still going well at the other end with Tattenhall well placed to make a push at reaching their target of 200.

Thompson and Shewring added a further 17 to steer Tattenhall to exactly 200 in their fifty overs – both finishing not out; Thompson 86*, Shewring 4*.

Sale’s chase got off to the worst possible start, when Ian Dixon was caught behind by ‘keeper Coppack off Dan Power for a duck.

The start got even worse when Tyrone Lawrence was caught behind – with Sale yet to score a run and then as Ryan Rickelton was caught by Dan Shewring at gully for zero, Sale 1-3 (the solitary run coming from a no ball).

Ryan Rickelton was caught by Dave Shewring for 0. Photo by George Franks.

Wellings and Greenhough started to try and rebuild the innings, giving some hope of draging Sale to an unlikely win, and the two had added a watchful 28 before Greenhough edged Power to ‘keeper Coppack for a very patient 11.

Wellings was joined by captain Chris Canning, and the two began to try and again rebuild the innings. The pair had moved the score to 52 when Wellings missed a full one from Dave Shewrig and was bowled for 15. Sale were now in real trouble at 52-5 with just over twenty-five overs remaining to get the runs needed for a win.

Rob Grant and Chris Canning came together, and they knew that they needed to score a chunk of the runs to leave Sale with any hope. They started well, and had built a partnership nearing 50 – while Canning himself was also reaching 50 – when Grant played all round a straight one from Alan Brock for 17. Sale were now 101-6 and almost all Sale’s hopes rested on the shoulders of Canning.

Sale’s captain, Chris Canning, played almost flawlessly for his seventy three, coming at more than one-a-ball with fourteen fours in his innings. Photo by George Franks.

Captain Canning passed the fifty mark, and, sensing he was key to the game, started putting his foot down – scoring almost all of the runs in his rapid thirty-seven run partnership (coming in just 28 balls) with Barrowman. However, just as he looked ready to take the game away from Tattenhall, he was trapped LBW by the returning Dan Power for an almost flawless 73, coming at more than a run a ball with fourteen fours to his name.

Sale still needed 63 to win, and had only three wickets remaining. This was no problem, though for number eight Ali Barrowman and number nine Ben Watkin, who produced a match-winning stand for Sale, ending when Ben Watkin got an edge down to third man off Henry Dobson that took him to 27*, while Barrowman posted an even better score of 44*, coming at just under a run-a-ball.