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No washout this time as 3rds ease through

No washout this time as 3rds ease through

James Emmerson1 May 2017 - 16:10
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T20 quarter final qualification assured with three wins

Cricket, whose best month is ever May, spies yea another wicket, playing round a straight one in the wanton air
- Emmersonious the scribe

A much brighter and drier start than last year, when the 3rds were eliminated from the T20 without bowling a ball. Three uninterrupted matches, three times putting the opposition in, and three times bowling opponents out for double figures. You would have got long odds on the highest score conceded being against Heaton Mersey, but yesterday's 76 bettered Marple's total in today's group decider by 2 runs, Urmston having been dispatched for 65 on the opening Sunday last week.

Taking 30 wickets for a total cost of 215 runs in the three games is an impressive effort, and all the bowlers can be pleased with their work. 17 of the 30 wickets were clean bowled, and a further 3 lbw, with Manu Hoque recording combined figures across 3 matches of 10-4-18-7. Sami Aziz can still put the ball on a new pound coin, 12-1-37-3 another very handy return, and it was great to see George Poyser causing problems today with his 4 overs (and entirely unsurprising to see DB claim a 3-for on his first bowl of 2017).

On the less impressive side, a total of 39 extras conceded, dropped catches in every match and a glaring run out opportunity missed at Heaton Mersey mean the team have got plenty to improve on in the field, which they will certainly need to do to make it through to finals day with Hyde the probable quarter final opponents.

Batting-wise it is hard to know at this stage. There have been few alarms knocking off these targets, four wickets lost today the most in any match, so the loss of Lewis T, Neil Conchie and Tom Dawson (apparently) can't be accurately gauged as yet. However, as the league fixtures start next Sunday with the visit of Alderley Edge, the 3rds' efforts to extend their fantastic unbeaten run of two seasons and make it three championships in a row will face perhaps their biggest test yet.

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