Statistically speaking….

This has been an interesting year with runs and particularly wickets being spread widely amongst the squad – which itself was pretty big, with 21 players being used.

So lets begin with the batting. Two ‘bests’ came about in the final week. A stand of 119 between left handers Si Gee and Mike Rowlands eclipsed all previous partnerships as a the pair plundered 4 more runs than the entire opposition managed on a tricky track. Also pinched at the death was the highest score. Mike Rowlands’ 88, pipping Andy Bennion’s 83 and Si Gee’s 81. This was a quite a season for Mike. His 671 runs was the highest aggregate seen for a few years and was chock full of half centuries. Only Mike will know how he has only once gone past 62. A small part of that success is being around every week. He and Andy Bennion shared the accolade of being ever present in all 22 games. Kenny Roberts and Ian Charles were the ‘red ink’ kings with 5 not outs each.

Andy Bennion’s big hitting allowed him to ease to the six hitting crown with 11 maximums and this assisted a top strike rate of 83.8 runs per 100 balls, pipping the skipper with 81.8. Bennion also topped 500 runs finishing with 558.

Si Gee stormed to the top of the averages. Once he got himself playing each week, he managed to average 41.2 runs per visit. This is easily the best average for many years. He fell agonisingly 6 runs short of 500, perhaps the shot he got out to last game was destined for 6…..had he hit it.

Value for money goes to Mike Rowlands. His match fees stretched to facing 1100 balls over the season. 1 in every 11 balls he faced went for four as he sent the ball past the rope 101 times in addition to 4 maximums.

The other significant contributor was Ste Charles. His decent haul of 428 runs in 20 knocks was as consistent as you get with the majority of his innings scoring between 20 and 50.

Innings of the season must go to Si Gee. His watchful, then buccaneering 81 at Bollington was a class apart.

No centuries though chaps!

On to the bowling. 7 bowlers took 15 wickets or more. This depth in the bowling has stood the team in good stead in the second half of the season, with many options available. The skipper himself (quite rightly) bowled the most overs and will probably rue the zillions of play and misses that will surely one season lead to a huge haul. His 29 wickets topped the ACC pile and his economy at 2.9 runs per over tell the story of a tough opening bowler that is hard to score off. His 53 maidens bear that out! Even more economical was Rob Fisher (2.6) This stats was helped by a remarkable 24 overs for 22 runs at Congleton! Availability is the next thing for him to work on. A third of his overs were maidens.

The averages were secured in week 22 with a late brace of wickets be the off spin of Ste Charles. His 24 wickets have come in between keeping stints and have included some very hot streaks including a brilliant 6 for 42. His average of 16.6 per wicket shows the progress made in 2015. He nudged out Kenny Roberts who took his 20 wickets at an impressive 17.1

The best analysis went to Jimmy Ecclestone. His memorable spell at Bollington gave him 6 for 28 in front of an sizable home crowd in the foothills of the Pennines.  Joe Hornby and Mike Rowlands both had ‘Michelles’ to emphasise the depth in the bowling.

Fielding. The notion of Si Gee keeping wicket occurred to the skipper at some point………and how it worked! His 23 victims included some very sharp stumpings and his presence with the gloves had a reassuring air to it.

Ste Charles added plenty of outfield catches to his early season keeping snaffles to take the honours – 17 grabs, with Andy Bennion hard on his heels with 16, which included 4 memorable ones at slip in the Jimmy Ecclestone show at Bolly. Memorable moments in the field include Kenny Roberts’ match winning run out v Widnes and Mark Szymura’s flying effort at Irby.

The team had the proverbial season of two halves. The first half was a shocker – no wins! The second half was league-winning form with 7 wins in the last 10 games. Even the defeats could easily have been wins. The end product was 8^th place.

The teams top scored with 256 in a draw v Northwich. The nadir came at home to Bollington with the 10 wickets going for just 104. The best bowling effort was at Brooklands as the home team were routed for just 63. The closest game came in the gloom at Congleton with Ed Speakman bowling their last man with the scores tied

The skipper had a ‘mare with the coin, losing 16 tosses but when deputies stepped in, they won!