Ashton on Mersey CC 1st XI 180-9
Lost to
Port Sunlight CC 1st XI 195-9
Cheshire County Cricket League Division 2
Fraser Hay Bowling
Ashton went down to a narrow defeat against table topping Port Sunlight in a fine game of cricket at The Beets.
Choosing to bowl first Ashton had early success as Fraser Hay and Charlie Eaton produced another fine new ball spell.
With runs hard to come by the visitors were grateful to Lewis Davies who dug in to provide a stable base from which Port Sunlight could rebuild.
With the middle order batting launching a counterattack through Simon Melberzs, Keelan Metzer and Wayne Greve, the Sunlight score rose to a competitive total.
Melberzs fell for 44, but Davies carried his bat for a solid and invaluable 73 as Sunlight reached 195 off their 50 overs. Hay posted fine and deserved figures of 4-23 with spinner Mark Weighill picking up late wickets to finish with 3-29.
In reply Ashton lost both openers early, but James Newton and Dave Patterson built a platform for the run chase.
When they went, Hay took up the challenge with a well judged batting effort, but the rest of the Ashton middle order failed to fire.
With three wickets falling for the addition of only one run Ashton were on the back foot, but Hay and Weighill maintained hope as they kept the required run rate within sight.
But when Hay was caught for 43, Weighill and the tail could not quite keep up the momentum required. In the end the home team fell 15 runs short. Martin Naylor took the bowling honours with 4-26.
This was a fine advert for the game and Ashton will be looking to turn good performances into wins over the coming weeks.
Ashton 2nd XI lost on their travels at Romiley. Romiley 133-8 (Lee Heap 3-19, Max Lilley 3-33) Ashton 119 all out (Peter Stuart 4-17, Ethan Turner 3-19)
Fraser Hay Batting
