Anwar takes game away from seconds

SECOND XI VS MARITIME

- JON CURWEN

VISITORS Maritime have a perfect record chasing runs in 2025 compared to a perfectly bad record when setting targets themselves and they predictably inserted Macclesfield when they won the toss - despite two players arriving late after the match had begun.

Macc got off to a decent start through openers Leo Burns and Otis Palmes but suffered a double blow with Burns caught at slip with the score on 25 then Chris Beckley chopped a short ball on to his stumps making it 32-2.

A good partnership between Palmes and Sam Hughes recovered things and moved Macc ahead in the match as they added 48, Hughes doing the majority of the scoring with some well-timed shots to the boundary. At 80-2 and batting looking relatively comfortable, it appeared that Macc were well-positioned to push on to a big score but a clatter of wickets changed things.

First, Hughes was caught behind for 25 as a top-edged pull looped up to the keeper. Captain Will Jennings was then bowled for a duck. Palmes, who had batted through the whole innings to date then edged behind for a patient 27 and 80-2 became 82-5 as Maritime grabbed the initiative.

Oscar Howarth and Jacob Tidswell bedded in and started to score some runs but again fell close together, Howarth caught behind for 11 making it 107-6 and Tidswell caught for 14 in the outfield making it 109-7.

Positive batting by Austin Ventre suddenly put pressure back onto the fielders as he hit two sixes and two fours in an over.

Maritime were clearly relieved when a mix up with Ben Curwen saw him run out to make it 132-8.