MIDDLEWICH Cricket Club recorded their fifth win of the Murray Smith County League season at Mobberley on Saturday.

Batting first in damp conditions, the visitors batted solidly throughout. Top scorer was David Shallcross with an excellent 54, after missing two weeks through injury.

Otherwise, all the top order batsmen contributed to maintaining the momentum, enabling a declaration to be made after 50 overs at 193-7.

Jon Whittick bowled throughout for Mobberley, taking 5-69 off 25 overs.

In reply, Mobberley started brightly and reached 89-3 just after the halfway point of their innings.

By this time however, left arm spinner Phil Davis had settled into a beautiful rhythm and thereafter the batsmen found themselves under increasing pressure.

Wickets began to tumble at regular intervals and with some fine catching the home side were eventually dismissed for 123.

Phil Davis ended with excellent figures of 5-35 from 19 unbroken overs.

Stuart Price and John Sheperd also collected two wickets each. This win leaves Middlewich well placed in the league table at the halfway stage.

FOR the third successive match, the Middlewich 2nd XI bowlers found themselves toiling on a flat batting pitch against in-form batsmen.

Mobberley 2nd XI opener J Blackburn dominated early proceedings and almost carried his bat through the innings.

He was eventually dismissed for a fine 98, and this formed the backbone of a large score. The visitors declared at halfway for 225 for the loss of just four wickets.

The Middlewich reply was soon in trouble when Martin Metcalf was out with the total on 16. A partnership of 49 between Richard Goulding and Steve Williams steadied matters and a further stand of 39 between Goulding and David Bates took the score to 104-3.

Wickets then began to tumble, and despite lusty hitting from Chris Prime late on, the innings ran out of steam.

The home team batted out for a draw, closing on 160-8 after their 50 overs.

This was another dissapointing day for Middlewich who need a quick return to form from their bowlers and some sharper fielding.

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