CHESTER County Officers have suffered in rain-affected matches all season – and they were frustrated by the damp conditions again on Saturday.
They found themselves having to chase an improbable 180 off 26 overs as Wirral made 179-5 in Division Three of the Meller Braggins League.
Greeted by an under-prepared pitch, CCO had decided to put Wirral in to bat first after winning the toss.
A quiet start saw Wirral creep along to 52-2 off 20 overs as Mike Clarke (2-44) and Steve Johnson (1-85) bowled from the start.
From then on, the Wirral batsmen used the wind to good effect and, when the rain fell, life was made worse for CCO as a wet ball meant runs became easier to come by.
A long rain interruption saw an early tea while the Wirral players worked overtime to convince the umpires play could go on. Because of league rules, Wirral could bat on until the 45th over.
Keen on getting maximum batting points, Wirral gained them in the 41st over, meaning CCO had 26 overs to bat out.
CCO ended on 70-6, with James Blaxall and Steve Johnson scoring 20 each. CCO round off their Division Three season this Saturday at home to second-placed Romiley, who are still in with a shout of the title.
Third-placed BUNBURY claimed a good victory at Stretton, reaching 143-6 in reply to the hosts’ 142-7dec.
