Cricket: Struggling Groves batsmen give promotion rivals Disley a boost

Jun 24 2009 by Alec Doyle, Ellesmere Port Pioneer

Cricket: Struggling Groves batsmen give promotion rivals Disley a boost

MIKE Garvey’s Groves side suffered a nightmare collapse to lose for the second successive game after bowling out league leaders Disley cheaply.

After being made to bowl in the Cheshire Alliance Division One encounter, Garvey’s side initially made Disley pay for their decision.

They skittled their hosts for 114 thanks to a brilliant 4-17 from Damian Walters.

Rob Jones also put up 2-29 and Mike Caulfield 2-27 as the Groves put themselves in contention to win.

Victory could have strengthened the Groves’ claims for a promotion spot, but they threw it away spectacularly with a batting display that was more a surrender than a collapse.

A duck for opener Mark Evans was only the start as nine players scored only 15 runs between them.

Dale Cook bucked the trend as he put on 25 and Darren Green contributed an unbeaten 20 but with no support there was no fightback and the Groves were sent back to the pavilion for just 61.

Despite their loss, Groves are well placed in the battle to qualify for promotion to the Meller Braggins League.

They lie in fourth position, just 16 points outside the promotion places with the season not halfway through yet.

But after a poor display with the bat in the previous week’s defeat against Chelford, Garvey is well aware that it is scoring runs that the team needs to improve – and quickly.

“You can not keep scoring low totals and expect to keep winning,” said the skipper.

“Nobody makes mistakes on purpose but if we get runs on the board we will win a lot more matches than we lose.

“If we continue to bat this poorly, then we can forget promotion.”

Groves are away to Appleton this Saturday.