There have been some memorable local derbies over the years between Cheadle and Leek and last Saturday’s fixture must be ranked amongst the very best. Nearly 500 runs and a game that was still in the balance deep into the final over kept the crowd entertained throughout the afternoon.
Cheadle won the toss and decided to bat first on what looked like a good track and they made the most of the opportunity with Andy Coxon and Dale Heath getting them off to a flyer. 75 were added for the first wicket before Heath departed for 38 and was replaced by Ali Khan. The pair carried on where they left off against Stone the week before until Coxon was dismissed for 43 and the Leek bowlers were able to further peg back Cheadle to 129 for 4 with around 16 overs to go. The respite didn’t last long though, as Khan was joined by Jimmy Sellers and it was a partnership of 107 from the pair that made sure that the home side posted a daunting 260 in their allotted 45 overs. Khan made 75 from 76 balls and Sellers’s 55 from only 47 including 4 sixes, which was a welcome return to form with the bat for the Basetts all-rounder. Nick Bailey took 2 for 33 and Ryan Ball 3 for 74 for Leek.
It was looking like plain sailing for Cheadle after tea as Matt Goodwin and Sellers reduced Leek to 20 for 3 and 49 for 4 but newly appointed Staffordshire skipper Alex Mellor, with help from his middle order, got Leek right back into the game over the next hour and it took a couple of brilliant run-outs first by Charlie Goldstraw then Matthew Sellers to turn things back Cheadle’s way. Mellor, after completing a splendid hundred was eventually bowled by Sellers for 119 looking for the boundaries necessary to win the game and from there despite a couple of big hits, Goodwin was able to close out the game in the last over as Leek were dismissed for 248. Sellers finished with 4 for 53 and Goodwin 3 for 48.
The second team returned to winning ways in Division 3 as they beat Stone by 2 wickets with a fine performance by the lower middle order after early wickets tumbled.
Stone made 146 but only used up 34 of their allotted overs as it was the Cheadle slow bowlers that inflicted the damage with James Jackson and Jack Winfield taking 3 wickets apiece. Cheadle got themselves into a terrible mess in their reply and at one point were 56 for 6 but Sam Rushton with 36 and skipper Ryan Harvey with 28 not out made sure that they got over the line with an over and a bit to spare.
The 3rd XI continue on their merry way with another win at The Pavilion on Saturday. Woore were their closest rivals at the start of the day and provided good opposition, but Justin Welford’s side still came out on top. The runs were shared around in Cheadle’s 165 all out with Josh Jackson and Owen Turner both getting into the thirties. Woore were 61 for 7 at one point but their tail then wagged and, in the end, they made it to 126 before Cheadle wrapped up the victory. Sam Akram was again the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 13.