Three's the magic number

2:43pm Tuesday 15th July 2008

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Timperley 192-5 Birkenhead Park 90 all out

Timperley win by 102 runs

TIMPERLEY bagged 25 points at home to third bottom Birkenhead Park on Saturday, as a commanding 102-run victory moved them up to third in the Cheshire County Cricket League Division One.

The win, their third in a row, keeps Timperley in the promotion hunt, though still some 31 points adrift of front-runners Didsbury and Oxton, level on 233.

Thanks to a sterling effort from the ground staff and players, play started as scheduled on a soggy Timperley pitch which had resembled a lake on the morning of the match. Upon winning the toss, Park unsurprisingly put their hosts in.

Park then quickly had first team leading scorer Tom Twiney lbw for one and at 4-1 a tricky afternoon for the Stockport Road outfit seemed on the cards.

However, from that troubled start, skipper Ryan Edwards defied the conditions and put Park to the sword, crashing 96 to all parts.

When Edwards departed the score was 118-2 and left his side a sound platform from which to post an imposing total.

The recently acquired Cheshire youngster Charlie Reid again impressed with 39 as Timperley went on to post 192-5, Sazhad Khan the pick of the Park attack with 3-49 from 15.

After tea, Park struggled to come to terms with the damp conditions, and though Tom Steele (19), Mike Barnes (22) and Zia ur-Rehman (22) all got starts, none could go on.

Once the top four were gone, little resistance was provided and Timperley's bowling and catching was much improved from the previous week.

First change seamers Nick Liddell and Mark Maddocks inflicted the damage with 4-28 and 4-18 respectively, both from 12 overs, as Park struggled to 90 all out from 40 overs.

Meanwhile, in a comparative heatwave on the Wirral, Timperley seconds also won convincingly against Birkenhead Park.

Though Park’s pitch had fared far better than the surface at Stockport Road, there was some dampness around, and Timperley put Park in.

Though scoring was not easy, Timperley bowled well on a surprisingly unresponsive slow, low pitch, bowling Park out for 112.

Not for the first time this season, Jim McCall was the pick as he bowled 25.3 overs unchanged into a strong wind and returning 6-49.

Park needed early wickets but an opening stand of 68 from Andy Capel (42) and Martin Porthouse (30) provided a sound start from Timperley.

As 68-0 became 86-3 Park sniffed possibilities but from there Timperley eased home with few hiccups, completing a comfortable six wicket victory.