Salfords CC 1st XI (226) beat Ockley CC 1st XI (103)

Salfords skipper Rob Besley won the toss and elected to bat on a worn looking surface at Ockley.  Poor shot selection by the top order soon left Salfords in trouble, as the batting continued its struggles this season leaving Salfords precariously poised on 74-5.

Debutant Rohit Shah then joined Ian Catt at the crease.  Catt played perfectly in the conditions, combining watchful defence with dispatching bad balls with class and timing.  Shah played more aggressively, bringing a new confidence to the team with some powerful strokeplay.  Their invaluable 73 run partnership was broken as Catt (46) played his first poor stroke of the innings looking for a boundary to bring up his half century.  Shah maintained momentum, passing 50 before eventually falling for 68.  Brett Atkinson closed the Salfords effort with a blistering 33*, including four sixes, allowing Salfords to declare on 226-7 after 45 overs.

Atkinson and Graeme Steward opened the bowling in Ockley's reply on the unhelpful surface.  Steward (2-24) found bounce to dismiss the dangerous Fletcher caught and bowled, and then produced a well-disguised slower ball to trap Moir for 35.  This crucial wicket allowed off spinners Lancaster (5-21) and Shah (3-21) to run through the remainder of Ockley's batting.  Both found considerable turn on the dry pitch as Salfords collected 40 points to run out worthy winners.