Mark Weighill bowls
Cheshire County Cricket League Div 2
Ashton on Mersey CC 1st XI 186-7
Beat
Christleton CC 1st XI 184-7
Ashton on Mersey completed an amazing great escape from relegation by beating Christleton on a day of high drama at The Beets.
Going into the game Ashton knew that to avoid the drop they had to win and either Hale Barns or Bollington had to fail to win their final fixtures.
Being asked to bowl first, Ashton started steadily with the ball, restricting the visitor’s flow of runs.
But the arrival Mubashir Hassan upped the tempo with a quick fire fifty, before a splendid catch by Jackson Noske accounted for the Christleton number three.
The visitors made decent progress, punishing anything loose, but their final total of 184 looked within range given the strong Ashton batting line up and the fine pitches which have been characteristic of The Beets this season.
Mark Weighill took the bowling honours with 4-66.
The Ashton response stuttered as the top order all failed to capitalise on good starts. News from the other grounds added to the pressure as both Hale Barns and Bollington got off to good starts in their run chases, and with Ashton reduced to 117-7, the task looked beyond the home side.
But skipper James Marshall and Mark Weighill dug in, slowly building the score to bring the target into sight.
Reports came in of batting collapses at Hale Barnes and Bollington, with both those teams crashing to defeat. A win for Ashton would therefore save their season, and as the score mounted the tension grew.
Marshall batted with superb skill and calmness, but overs were beginning to run out. The climax came in the final over, with Ashton hitting the winning boundary off the first ball to prompt huge celebrations. Marshall’s unbeaten 46 was the game defining knock.
The Ashton escape has been quite remarkable. With five weeks to go they seemed doomed, but the spirit with which they approached the final games, recording three wins in the period, has been a credit to the club.
The Ashton 2nd XI finished their excellent season on a disappointing note, falling to defeat at Cheadle Hulme. Ashton 78 all out , Cheadle Hulme 82-5.
James Marshall bats
