After a mixed day at Wem CC, where Staffordshire registered one victory and one defeat, they come into this home clash against Cheshire having only lost once in four outings in this competition so far.
Staffordshire won the toss and elected to bowl first under grey skies on a cool morning in game 1.
Dan Newton started positively when he cut Nils Priestley for a boundary through the covers from the second ball of the innings. Priestley then bowled Fred Vaughan-Hawkins when he attempted a reverse ramp in the 3rd over to leave Cheshire 9/1. Sam Perry then struck a shot over extra cover to round out the over. He lap swept Sam Atkinson over short fine leg for a boundary before depositing him over mid-wicket for a big six as 14 runs came from the 4th over. Perry smashed Jacob Garlick over deep square leg for another enormous six before a sliced cut shot flew past short third man. He walked across his stumps and smashed him through mid-wicket from the next ball as 15 runs eventually came from the over. Perry had moved to 32* from just 15 balls as the Staffordshire bowlers struggled to contain him in the powerplay. Liam Hurt was then struck for two more boundaries in the next over as Cheshire finished the powerplay on 53/1.
Ollie Walker then claimed the vital wicket of Perry when he top-edged a pull and was well caught by Garlick running in off the deep square leg fence. Garlick took another smart catch in the next over off the bowling of Tom Brett as Dam Newton holed out on the long off boundary to leave Cheshire 61/3. Walker and Brett conceded just 16 runs from the next 4 overs as Staffordshire put the brakes on the Cheshire scoring.
A reverse ramp from Henry Murray gave Cheshire their first boundary for 32 balls to end the 11th over. Murray hit two sixes from one Tom Brett over as he slog-swept him into the trees before lifting him over extra cover. Kevin Carroll smashed Garlick through extra cover before he pulled him over deep square for a maximum as 12 runs came from the 14th over. Atkinson returned to dismiss Murray for 30 when Garlick took his 3rd catch of the match to leave Cheshire 107/4 with 5 overs to go.
Harry Dearden cut Walker past short third man for a boundary in the 16th over, before Matt Morris caught Carroll when he miscued a delivery later in the over to give Walker his second wicket. Hurt then returned and removed Andrew Jackson’s middle stump when he attempted a ramp shot in the 18th over to leave Cheshire 127/6. Sharp glovework from Dan Lincoln gave Atkinson his second victim when he stumped Will Valentine as Cheshire lost their 7th wicket with 134 on the board. Hurt knocked Dearden’s off stump out of the ground in the final over before he bowled Xander Selby off his pads as Cheshire closed on 143/9 from their 20 overs. The Staffordshire bowlers had pulled it back well after the power play. Hurt was the pick once again as he finished with 3/24. He was supported by Walker, who claimed 2/20, whilst Atkinson finished with 2/33.
Priestley began in typical aggressive style when he smashed Dearden’s first ball through mid-wicket for a boundary. Two slog-sweeps then went the distance as 16 runs came from the first over. A lofted drive to the mid-on boundary followed in the 3rd over before he smashed his 3rd six high and handsomely over mid-on as he raced to 28* and Staffordshire made their way to 34/0. Reeve Evitts drove straight down the ground for his first boundary before he nicked Will Valentine through to keeper Vaughan-Hawkins to leave Staffordshire 44/1 in the 5th over. Staffordshire had reached 48/1 at the end of the power play.
Priestley slow-swept a maximum onto the pavilion roof in the 8th over as he moved to 44*. It was Lincoln’s turn to clear the boundary in the next over as he struck one over long-on before he was caught off a leading edge at point off Dearden to leave Staffordshire 77/2. Priestley was then caught at short third man when he miscued a sweep for 48 off the bowling of Selby as Staffordshire fell to 81/3 in the 11th over. James Kettleborough then cut past point for a boundary before Walker was bowled by Brookes as Staffordshire lost their fourth wicket with 86 on the board. Kettleborough then muscled a short ball through mid-wicket for a boundary as eight runs came from the 14th over. He was then lucky to survive an LBW appeal in the next over as Staffordshire ended it requiring 33 from 30 balls.
Dearden was hit for a huge six in the 16th over by Kettleborough when he advanced down the wicket and smashed him over mid-wicket. Morris then struck a boundary through extra cover in the next over as Staffordshire eased towards the target. Kettleborough found the boundary twice in the next over before he hit the winning runs through square leg in the 19th over. He finished unbeaten on 47 from 32 balls, and he added an unbeaten 61 with Morris for the 5th wicket as Staffordshire secured a 6-wicket victory with 8 balls to spare. It was a fine innings from the captain, and he paced it superbly to see his side over the line.
