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Brothers Mike and Richard Halkon swept Sale to their first win of the season on Saturday with a 9 wickets haul that gave the local side a useful 22 points in the Cheshire County Cricket League Division 2.
The local side was asked to bat first and accumulated a determined innings of 165 for 8 off 50 overs. Skipper Matt Millward and Azar Butt put on an opening stand of 53 in an hour with Butt contributing 35 including five well-struck boundaries. A catch on the long on boundary saw an end to Butt and from there a further 3 wickets were lost in reaching 88 off 34 overs. Rob Walton stabilised the middle order with a fine 34 and with Joel Alderson added a vital 44 for the 5th wicket. Some lusty blows by Alderson and Jamil were taken off Greasley who bowled throughout the innings and picked up four wickets for 83. The final total of 165 for 8 was ultimately a satisfying one for Sale who had struggled to put together a decent score in their previous games this season.
The Marple innings started spectacularly when three wickets fell - all bowled - within three overs. Mike Halkon struck twice in consecutive balls, the first when Aussie Smith learned the hard way that shouldering arms to well-pitched straight balls does not have the same result on English wickets as on the hard and bouncy tracks in Australia! Rashid Jamil chipped in with a wicket during this period but it was the Halkons that dominated the bowling on the day. Mike snapped up two lbws in his third and fifth overs to leave the visitors struggling on 14 for 5.
Veteran Gary Cash (41) made sure that Marple did not perish in total ignominy as he counter-attacked with a succession of boundaries that took the score to 54. However, the introduction of leg spinner Richard Halkon took the initiative back to Sale as Kirkland was taken at the wicket in the same over as Cash was dropped. Richard continued with a spell of three wickets in 6 balls either side of a 25 minute rain break and Marple were finally dismissed for 72 when Mike grabbed his 5th wicket, the 4th lbw of the innings. Mike finished with 5 for 37 and younger brother Richard 4 for 12 in a fine family bowling effort.
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