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Sale once again showed their fallibility at batting this season when they went down at home by 34 runs to Stockport Georgians on Saturday. After containing the visitors to only 117 off their maximum 48 overs, they struggled to make runs in difficult conditions and lost their last six wickets for only 38 runs, failing to hold out for a draw by only 9 balls.
Wet patches on the wicket after a dreadful week's weather delayed the start of the game by 40 minutes and Stockport were duly inserted after the home side won the toss. Stockport's batsmen found the going difficult against tight Sale bowling that generated both swing and seam movement in the helpful conditions; however, to their credit, after an early loss, they kept further wickets intact until the 29th over. Then, from 73 for 1 they collapsed to 79 for 5 with overseas player Xavier Marshall taking all five either bowled or lbw. Bowling at a rapid pace he found the unfamiliar conditions helpful but because he is only 17 years old he was restricted under the league regulations to six over spells. The Halkon brothers took three wickets between them in the later stages of the innings but Stockport managed to accumulate 117 runs before their overs ran out.
The early loss of Marshall for 12 was a major setback for Sale in their 40 overs reply and with Pinwill and Martin bowling very tidily the run rate never reached 2 per over. Three wickets to well-taken catches fell inside 9 balls with the score still in the 20's but Alderson and Mohammed stayed together for 15 overs whilst adding 16 runs to make a draw likely. However, bowling changes at both ends brought immediate success for the replacements in their first overs of spin. At 77 for 7 Pinwill returned for a second spell and snapped up the last three wickets inside 6 balls to secure the visitor's win with 9 balls remaining. Alderson was Sale's highest scorer with 20, an individual total reached only three times in the last two Sale innings, thus emphasising where improvement is urgently needed to get some momentum into Sale's season.
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