PERHAPS it is an indication of how far Alvanley have progressed in the last year that long faces and an air of disappointment filled the changing room, despite drawing Saturday's encounter at Cholmondley.

There was no such disappointment at tea however!

Cholmondley elected to bat first on what was a dry but slow wicket.

Ben Large and Phil Jones bowled particularly well with the new ball conceding just 18 runs in 13 overs between them.

Cholmondley never got going, the spin of Fisher and Elviss was accurate and varied in flight.

One by one the batsmen gave up their wickets as frustration mounted.

Rob Fisher's 23 overs only yielded 49 runs as he picked up four wickets.

Eventually the 55th over arrived as Cholmondley closed at 130 for nine leaving 45 overs for Alvanley to chase a victory.

Richard Elviss bowled his best performance of the season.

Backed up by the excellent wicket-keeping of Chris Fletcher and sharp catching from the fielders, he returned figures of five for 59.

Alvanley stuttered through the initial overs of their innings.

Cook was controversially given out, caught off his helmet and Bennion and Fisher were both trapped by balls keeping low.

Nic Ingram's needless run-out compounded the problems and Alvanley were in a mess at 24 for four.

Ian Charles and Glen Pickersgill set about repairing the damage.

The pair batted for 22 overs to add 79 for the fifth wicket.

Charles (28) and Pickersgill (39) posted in quick succession followed by Carolan and Jones.

Chris Fletcher added a further twist, hitting a run-a-ball 17.

Four runs were required off the last over but Fletcher's dismissal and excellent bowling brought about a draw and a disappointing nine points for Alvanley.

Alvanley remain in second place and entertain Tattenhall on Saturday.

Andy Senior returns to replace Nic Ingram.

The Second XI drew with Cholmondley, Cholmondley 180-6 Alvanley 138-7.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.