Opening win just out of reach in tight clash

FOR their third game of the season Macclesfield 1st team visited Cheadle and, having lost the toss, were asked to bat.

- SIMON GRIFFITHS

Openers Jack Massey and Jimmy Longhorn found it hard going against tight bowling from Max Fisher and Ben Broadhurst.

Skipper Massey was first to go in the sixth over, edging Broadhurst to wicket keeper Dan Osborne for 3.

Andy Poppa followed shortly after, bowled Fisher for 5.

With the score on 19-2 Macc needed to rebuild and Longhorn and John Birchall set about their task with the latter beginning to up the scoring rate.

The pair had put on 69 for the third wicket, but with the score on 88 Birchall pulled the ball sweetly, only to be caught on the deep square leg boundary for 30 (from 55 balls faced).

Eight runs later Longhorn reached a very patient and solid 50 (from 76 balls) but could not add to his score as Alex Read bowled him with the score on 97.

From then on it was a struggle for Macclesfield against good work in the field, with many of the shots middled by the batsmen seeming to find the fielder.

Dan Evans and Khalid Sawas started to turn matters around and had put on 17 for the sixth wicket when Evans, who was looking more and more comfortable, found a fielder on the long off boundary and was out for 21.

Wickets then started to fall regularly.