THERE was frustration for Oakmere on Saturday as rain ruined their derby at Northwich in Division One of the Meller Braggins League.
After removing the covers, both captains were keen to win the toss and bowl on what looked a very bowler-friendly surface.
Unfortunately for Oakmere skipper Pete Hutchinson, he called wrong and his team were immediately sent in to bat first.
Paul Yearsley (16) and Nick Guest (1) formed a new opening partnership, but unfortunately it was short-lived as Guest was bowled in the fourth over.
It was soon 13-2 as Dan Wood (1) was brilliantly caught in the gully.
Making his return from retirement, veteran Paul Guilford (53no) answered his club’s calls to provide some much-needed stability in the middle order.
He built mini-partnerships with Yearsley and Paul Hutchinson (17) before both departed.
A 50-run partnership from Guilford and Craig Phelan (24) took the score to 107-5 as several interruptions for rain hampered both teams’ hopes of progress.
In the pursuit for big runs, Phelan lost his wicket, caught in the deep at mid off, handing the opportunity over to Nick Ball (27no) as Oakmere closed on 156-6.
The game was poised nicely at 19-2 when a torrential downpour brought an early end to proceedings.
In Division Three, Barrow (111) fell to a home defeat to Alderley Park (113-6).
