A Weekend of Comebacks for Norley Hall
Norley Hall’s first team was on the ropes before making it two wins from two, while the second team recovered from a disappointing Saturday loss and then a poor batting performance in their cup match on Sunday to progress to the next round.
Callam Hughes took his first team to Liverpool on Saturday to play at newly-promoted Cheshire Lines, who won the toss and chose to bowl.
When Norley's innings went from 49-1 to 66-6, the Green and Golds looked to be staring down the barrel of low total to defend. However, the skipper himself and Liam Martlew slowly began to rebuild the innings.
When Hughes was bowled for 17 to make the score 97-7, the lower order needed to do more work to give the Norley bowlers a target to defend.
Unfortunately, 97-7 soon became 107-9 with plenty of overs left in the days play. However, up stepped Liam Martlew (63 not out), ably assisted by Sher Muhammad, whose unbroken last-wicket partnership of 55 ensured Norley were able to declare at tea on 162-9 after 55 overs.
The hosts got off to a solid start. However, a triple burst from Ryan Wood - all caught behind by Matthew Hayes - saw them go from 23-0 to 42-3.
When Muhammad took the key wicket of the hosts' new signing Sean Vandome to leave the score 64-4, their other new signing Daniel Kelly came to the crease and looked to play expansively.
At drinks, the hosts needed 80 runs in around 23 overs with six wickets remaining.
When opening bat Chris Holmes was caught at slip by Daniel Fisher off Muhammad and then Kelly was caught at slip by an excellent diving catch by Hughes off Callum Martlew – to make the score 95-6 – the whole momentum of the game changed.
The Green and Golds quickly wrapped up the Cheshire Lines lower order – Hughes with another notable catch - to bowl them out for 98 to secure a 64-run victory, Muhammad with 4-23, Wood 3-25 and Callum Martlew 3-21.
On Saturday, Keiron Ashcroft and his second team welcomed Hightown St Mary’s to City Road.
Winning the toss and choosing to bowl, the home bowling attack were met with resistance from the visitors, who were eventually all out 165 in 45 overs, Harry Clegg with 4-27, Aston Bailey 3-39, and a wicket apiece for Ben Southern, Rob Collier and Mo Kapadia.
In reply, a disappointing performance from the home team batters saw them fall to 119 all out in 29.5 overs, with only Mark Highdale (with 29 from 60 balls), Kapadia (19) and Southern (20) making an impression.
On Sunday, the second team welcomed Prescot and Odyssey to City Road in their Tittershill Cup match.
Asked to bat first, Norley failed to capitalise on a good opening partnership between Wasiullah Momand (24) and Gareth Cottom (33) as they crashed to 89 all out in just 24 of their allocated 40 overs.
James Woodcock and Ben Southern had the visitors in trouble at 24-5 and 60-8, before a fine ninth-wicket partnership halved the required total.
However, Andrew Magrath struck and Mo Kapadia took the final wicket to give the Green and Golds a 10-run victory, thanks to Woodcock (5-21), Kapadia (2-11), and a wicket apiece for Southern, Magrath and Aston Bailey.