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Sale 3rd XI faced an uphill struggle only managing to raise 9 men after a no-show from one of its team. With gaps in the field it was a question of trying to restrict the visitors to a respectable total. Wilkinson bowled unchanged from one end, finishing with 2-84. At the other end the bowling was rotated, with 14 year old Salman Butt bowling a tidy 5 over spell. Moore came on to claim two wickets, but by this time Alderley were looking to accelerate and make the most of the gaps in the field. Brough scored 50 not out and was well supported by Sands (48). Credit is due to the Sale fielders who kept their heads up throughout, particularly Holland who made numerous driving stops.
In response Khan made a blistering start, scoring 19 before top edging Westwood for a straight forward caught and bowled. Further wickets fell quickly to leave Sale on the brink. However a fifth wicket rear-guard stand between Wilkinson and Raza (18) put Sale within reach of a draw. They played out 20 overs against the numerous Alderley bowlers. However the dismissal of Raza with 4 overs to go, left just veteran Rod Owen to bat out the remaining overs. Owen was up to the task thanks to his new bat and finished not out on 1. The real hero however was long serving Ian Wilkinson who batted patently, finishing on 24 not out and securing the draw for Sale.
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