Grove Gather the Points as 2s Fall Short at Home

It wasn’t exactly a day for the batting purists at Marple Road as the 2nd XI succumbed to a six-wicket defeat against a clinical Hazel Grove side. After being put in to work, our boys found the going tougher than a Sunday roast at a cheap motorway service station, eventually being bundled out for 106 in just 26.5 overs. Muhammad Fahad Faiz provided the only real resistance, top-scoring with a gritty 25 that briefly gave us hope of a defendable total. We crossed the 100-run mark in the 26th over, but the tail wagged more like a discouraged Corgi than a fierce Doberman, leaving the bowlers with a mountain to climb and very little oxygen. To be fair, the lads didn’t throw in the tea towel. Mackenzie Miller bowled with genuine heart, steaming in to claim 2-21 and keeping the Grove batsmen looking nervously at their stumps. However, with only 107 needed, the visitors played the long game, reaching the target in 25 overs despite a few wobbles along the way. We’ll take the points for effort, if not for the scoreboard. Onwards and upwards—mostly because after a total of 106, there isn’t much further down we can go!