Hyde finish season with victory over Marple

ECB Cheshire County League Premier Division: Hyde 169ao  Marple 105a

Hyde brought the curtain down on their Premier League season with a comprehensive 64 run victory over local rivals Marple at Werneth Low on Saturday. 

With so much focus on the Tour of Britain cycle race taking place just yards away from the action, there was a strange atmosphere as Hyde batted first in the late summer sunshine. 

They got off to reasonable start as skipper Tom Partridge (16) and Luke Young (20) put on 36 for the first wicket before the former became the first of Andrew Greasley’s seven wickets.

Young went 19 runs later but George Balderson showed his pedigree as he top scored with 34 as Hyde looked to post a challenging score on a pitch that certainly offered something for the bowlers.

When he was out the Werneth Low men were 91-3. However an all to familiar mid-innings slump saw them reduced to 116-7 and suddenly relegated Marple fancied their chances of causing an upset on the last weekend of the season. 

Only a brilliant 31no from Danny Cranmer helped Hyde post 169 all out with more than 10 overs of their innings left.

The momentum of Cranmer’s inning’s was carried into the Hyde bowling and the visitors were soon in trouble as they slipped to 7-2. 

It got even worse as Hyde continued to add pressure and at 45-6 Marple were well on their way to a crushing defeat.

Had it not been for Andrew Hall’s 31 and Andrew Paulett’s 20 the Stockport-based side would have been dismissed for a lot less than the 105 they managed, with Jason Whittaker and Cranmer taking three wickets apiece.

The win meant Hyde finished in fifth place on their return to the premier division of Cheshire cricket.

By Matt Hewitt