By gaining a victory away at Heaton Mersey on Saturday, Lindow 1st XI secured promotion to the Cheshire County League for the first time in the club's 135 year history, and they have now set their sights on winning the league!
Lindow were put into bat and posted a challenging total of 216 with Arpan Desai hitting a fine 67 and Australian Brady Yates a superb 65 not out from just 50 balls.
Heaton Mersey were never in the chase, but still made life difficult for Lindow in their quest to capture the 25 points needed to guarantee promotion. At 49-8 it all seemed like plain sailing but some real stubbornness from the home team's tail meant that it wasn't until the 42nd of 45 overs had passed before victory was complete and the celebrations could begin.
Lindow 2nd XI secured a superb victory to keep their promotion dreams alive against high flying Heaton Mersey on Saturday.
With a team deprived of several regulars, Lindow knew that defeat would effectively rule them out of promotion contention, whilst a victory would allow them to fight another day. It was not looking good however when, put into bat, Lindow found themselves reduced to 14-4. Matt Ramsden and skipper Rowan Day set about rebuilding the innings and posting a total that would at least give them something to defend. Grit and determination meant that the recovery was launched and a meaningful partnership built, ended only when Ramsden was run out for a stoic 27. Day took the attack to the Heaton Mersey bowlers, finishing on 47 not out and Lindow on 125-7.
Recalled opening bowler Khalid Ahmed got the Lindow defence of their total off to an incredible start, claiming two victims in his first over. The visitors are made of stern stuff however, and although further wickets fell, they drew inexorably closer to their victory target. They were reckoning without debutant spinner Graham Clinton however, who bowled 15 superb overs to finish with 4-18, and when he caught the last Heaton Mersey batsman off his own bowling, Lindow had pulled off a superb victory by 18 runs.
As a result, Lindow move into the promotion places, and have their fate still in their own hands with just two games remaining.
Match report by Rowan Day.
