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One hurdle to jump

20/ 8/2008

JOHN Ashley’s innings of 97 not out helped guide Hyde into the final of this year’s Cheshire Cup with victory against Bowdon in Sunday’s semi-final.

Having been beaten by the same opponents in a league game 24 hours earlier, Hyde saw stand-in skipper Rob Brierley win the toss and elect to bowl first in a rain-reduced contest which saw his side missing Cheshire duo James Duffy and Danny Berry.

Opening bowlers Tom Young and Rob Woolley restricted the Bowdon batters during the early part of their innings, Young posting economical figures of 0-7 from his allotted five overs.

Danny Woods (2-18) was soon introduced into the attack, removing Wilkinson in his first over with a delivery that turned prodigiously before clipping the top of the off stump.

Tipper replaced Young, bowling with good discipline and variation for his 1-31, dismissing Stephen Ball thanks to a good catch from the excellent Mark Makin.

With big-hitting Dominic Ball due in next and with a shortened leg-side boundary due to the boggy conditions on Werneth Low, Brierley turned to Ashley (3-35), a move which paid off immediately with him getting Ball caught at mid-off in his first over.

Brierley mixed up his bowlers during the final 10 overs and saw them do an excellent job to restrict their visitors to 140-8 from 25 overs, Carl Hey providing the only real resistance for Bowdon with a patient 55.Hyde made a tactical change at the interval, promoting Ashley up the order to open the batting with Tipper in order to get off to an aggressive start. The pair duly obliged and had put on 40 in the first six overs before Tipper was bowled by Hey for 22.

Ashley was in destructive mode though and continued to bat with authority, regularly finding the boundary off all the Bowdon bowlers. He raced to 50 off 39 balls and never looked back, hitting a match-winning innings that contained nine sixes and half-a-dozen fours. He was well accompanied by Woolley who played some excellent shots and finished on 19 not out as Hyde reached their target with four overs remaining.

Hyde also won the toss for choice of venue and now play Didsbury in the final at Werneth Low on Sunday, August 31.

SATURDAY had seen Hyde beaten by four wickets at Werneth Low where Bowdon’s ex-Birmingham League man Richard Wilkinson proved to be the visitors’ all-round star.

Hyde batted first, and although they saw James Duffy make 53 and Rob Woolley 39, Wilkinson’s figures of 3-18 saw them eventually all out for 151. Wilkinson then top-scored during the Bowdon reply, compiling 50 as his side closed their innings on 154-6. Antony Crozier took them across the finishing line with an undefeated 43 despite Danny Woods taking 3-56 for Hyde.

The victory leaves Bowdon 33 points behind Cheshire County League Premier Division leaders Alderley Edge with only four matches remaining.

Having been beaten by the division’s second-placed side, Hyde can do Bowdon’s title bid a power of good on Saturday when they travel to Alderley Edge for a match that starts at 12.30pm.