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After a run of poor performances and results Sale bounced back strongly against third-placed Irby on Saturday and emerged the far stronger side on the day, just failing to pull off a deserved victory when they needed to take a final wicket off the last 4 balls of the match. The winning draw gives Sale 13 points from the game and they can take credit for a spirited performance to take into the second half of the season.
The visitors asked Sale to bat first on a pitch of variable bounce that looked as though it would cause some problems for the home side. However, Xavier Marshall and Azhar Butt gave the innings a solid start with an opening stand of 48 off 14 overs. Marshall was the dominant partner with 34 off 49 balls until he was stumped attempting a sweep shot. Then Butt took over the scoring effort with a flurry of well struck boundaries to take the score to 90 before he was bowled for 41 From here the scoring was not quite so fluent but Kameran Mohammed provided useful stability with a steady knock of 30. The return of Johnson into the attack heralded a Sale collapse from 124 for 3 as he took wickets in 4 of his next 5 overs. Nonetheless the later batsmen accumulated useful runs off the last few overs, just falling short of a fourth batting point because of two careless short runs by Tufail. Johnson finished with 5 for 50 and Sale's final total of 177 for 9 for once represented a decent score for the home side to defend.
In contrast to the visitors when they bowled, Sale skipper Matt Millward attacked from the outset in the second innings. He opened with pace and spin in harness and Rashid Jamil and Rick Halkon responded magnificently conceding only 24 runs in the first hour's play of 20 overs. In this time the bat was beaten time and time again but it was a fine run out by Marshall at cover that broke the opening stand. A second wicket fell at 18 but it was a stunning diving catch by Marshall again, running from cover to mid off, that provided the champagne moment of the match - there have been fewer if any better catches seen at Sale in recent years. Rick Halkon was the recipient of this feat and his fine, consistent spin attack always kept the brake on the Irby innings. Two more quick wickets fell as Mohammed felled Newman with an unplayable yorker and Halkon took a caught and bowled to leave the visitors struggling on 54 for 5. Peddie provided some resistance with stands of 27 and 31 for the 6th and 7th wickets but Irby never looked likely to reach their target after the slow start to the innings. Halkon kept Sale in the hunt with two more wickets in consecutive overs, the second another fine catch by Marshall - this time at short leg diving forward. The Irby 9th wicket pair played out the final 5 overs until, replacing Halkon after 24 overs, Jamil struck in the final over forcing a fine slip catch by Walton. The last 4 balls failed to yield the final wicket for Sale, despite a concerted lbw appeal off the last ball, but Sale emerged comfortably the stronger side. Halkon finished with excellent figures of 5 for 44 off his 24 overs.
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