Sale kept up their hopes of promotion to the ECB Premier League with a vital 7-wicket victory against Cheadle Hulme.
Winning the toss, Sale captain Chris Canning had no hesitation in inserting the opposition to bat. Having moved the team to fifteen from eleven overs – a steady start, Wellings called through and ran for a single – but his partner, Qasim Ali, stood almost motionless at the non-striker’s end and the captain was easily run out by a Dixon throw for just four.
The number three was overseas Talor Williams, who immediately survived a strong LBW shout from Rick Halkon. This would not cost Sale much, though, as Williams was later bowled off the inside edge by Halkon in the eighteenth over for nine – leaving Cheadle Hulme 33-2. This then changed to 33-3 next ball, Rick Halkon had Chris Beckley LBW for a golden duck to end the eighteenth over. Three wickets became four in Halkon’s next over, with ‘keeper Malik dismissed LBW for just one.
Qasim Ali offered a chance to Nathan D’Cunha at fine leg, with the resulting drop adding two runs to Cheadle Hulme. Next ball, though, he wasn’t so lucky as he laced the ball right into the hands of Tyrone Lawrence at midwicket to further deepen the visitors’ trouble at 54-5, departing for what would be a team-high score of 31.
Sohaib Assi, at number six, played some expansive shots during a fluid 22 but was soon out – with the team score 68 – as he played and missed Richard Adams, trying to hit to the leg side. Alex Read, in at seven, then tried to play Rich Adams through the midwicket region, but he only sliced a simple catch to Barrowman running backwards towards point – only a further run added to the total.
Tom Balderson tried to hook a short ball from Barrowman, but a leading edge was superbly caught by a diving Brooke Guest at Gully. Balderson out for a duck, Cheadle Hulme 81-8.
Rikk Harrison attempted to hit out, but he was seen by Ben Watkin; the ball fired in at the stumps and Harrison was bowled for thirteen. Juniors Archie Beckley and Shahab Ali added only three for the final wicket partnership before the former was caught at first slip by a diving Paul Battersby. Cheadle Hulme had finished on 86-10 in just forty overs.
Sale, and Brooke Guest in particular, started what would appear to be a routine chase in blistering form – the Australian U19 took ten off the first four balls, including a thunderous pull… but the start was curtailed as he played on to Talor Williams, Sale reaching 14-1 from the first over.
Mat Spells and Tyrone Lawrence set about chasing down the target as quickly as possible, and, as their partnership reached 58, the result was never in doubt. Lawrence – on 32 – first chipped Alex Read to Tom Balderson at mid-off, and with six more added, Mat Spells then hit Tom Balderson to Archie Beckley on 28.
At 74-3, Ian Dixon was joined by Chris Canning and the previous wicket was to be the last match action of any note, as the Dixon pushed Keith Wellings into the offside for an easy single, completing a comprehensive victory for Sale.
Sale Cricket Club 