Round up of all the news from North Staffs and South Cheshire League Premier B as Bagnall Norton, Knypersley, Elworth, Norton in Hales and Hem Heath also winKashif Bhatti starred with bat and ball in Alsager’s North Staffs and South Cheshire League Premier B win at Wood Lane.(Image: Pete Stonier / Stoke Sentinel)Alsager are off the mark at the fifth time of asking in NSSCL Premier B after an eight-wicket triumph at Wood Lane.Alsager were relegated from the top flight at the end of last season – and hadn’t made the start they would have wanted to life back in the fourth tier.A four-game winless run left them bottom of the early standings, but they finally sampled the winning feeling on their trip to Megacre.It was hosts Wood Lane who batted first, but they couldn’t make the most of the sunshine as they were bowled out for 167.Martin Dawson (33), Ben Forster (32no) and Jake Thompson (22) made the most progress with the bat for Wood Lane. Kashif Bhatti scooped 3-28 for Alsager and there were a couple of wickets apiece for Tom Bason and Lewis Pickford.Bhatti was then at the forefront of Alsager’s successful run chase after the interval.After James Bloor made 27, Bhatti took centre stage for the away side.He hit eight fours and two sixes in his 61 not out – receiving support from Muazammil Nizam, who made an unbeaten 40 – as Alsager crossed the line in the 32nd over.Hem Heath seconds were another side celebrating a maiden league win after they won at their Stone SP counterparts. Stone SP set a tough challenge for their rivals, though, as they amassed 219-4 from their 45 overs in the formative stages.Half-centuries from John Cheadle and Reuben Hall helped them to break through the 200-run barrier.Cheadle’s 88 included five fours and one six, with Hall hitting eight boundaries and one maximum in his unbeaten 87. Jack Jones took two of the wickets to fall.READ MORE: Newcastle & Hartshill shrug off awful start to beat Hem Heath in NSSCL Premier AHem Heath rose to the challenge superbly on the resumption, with captain Ben Lucas leading the charge. He compiled 65, featuring seven fours, to give his side the platform to go on and chase down that tough target.His lead was followed by Nazakat Ali (43), Saj Patel (40) and Jaidel Richardson (28) as Hem Heath banked a three-wicket win in the penultimate over. Tom Caton claimed two wickets.Cheadle’s unblemished start to the league season came to an end with defeat at Norton in Hales.The Moorlanders had opened up with four straight victories, but were on the wrong end of the verdict in Saturday’s clash.Sam Cliffe’s 52, which contained five fours and one maximum, formed the backbone of Cheadle’s 193-7 in the first half.Matt Goodwin and Jack Hassall chipped in with 38 and 34 respectively for the visitors. Chris Dyer (3-43) and Salman Khan (3-47) did the bulk of the work with the ball for the Tractor Boys.Norton in Hales slumped to 32-4 in reply as it appeared that Cheadle’s winning run would be extended.However, Khan and Sajith Priyal De Silva Lamahewage had other ideas as they forged an unbroken alliance of 167 to see the home side past the post inside 39 overs.Khan walked off unbeaten on 106, having hit 12 fours and four sixes, with Lamahewage striking seven fours and three sixes in his 70 not out.Goodwin had caused early issues for Norton in Hales and eventually finished with figures of 3-38.Elworth made it five wins out of five by winning at home against Rode Park & Lawton. The visitors reached 216-6 from their allocation in the early part of the afternoon.O Gallimore (39), T Stirk (33), L Bent (32), J Heath (31no) and L Evans (23) led them to that score.J McKay and S Morgan shared four of the wickets to fall.Elworth then produced an excellent team effort to pocket a four-wicket win with nine balls remaining.A Banks hit eight fours in a top score of 52 to set the tone for the Cheshire outfit.J Stephenson (34), H Newton (32no), A Raheja (30), R Ballard (23no) and C Regan (22) were also in fine touch to chip away at the scoreboard. L Evans and M Valentine took two wickets apiece.Knypersley had a fine day on the road as they won at Barlaston.Knypersley were set 184 for victory and looked to be cruising as Shoaib Akhtar’s 52 – featuring eight fours and two sixes – Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti’s 45 and 23 apiece from Cameron Allen and Jack Muni, saw them sitting pretty on 150-3.Barlaston fought back as Fida Hussain scooped 3-18 and Ethan Squire picked up 3-39, but Knype managed to secure a two-wicket win in the penultimate over.Earlier in the day, Ben Sharp’s 63 was instrumental in the home side reaching 183 all out. Sharp’s knock contained six fours and one six, with Jack Davies (43) lending valuable support. Bhatti and Joe Dutton snared 3-17 and 3-47 respectively for Knypersley. Dominic Cumberbatch also struck twice.Bagnall Norton won by five wickets at Ashcombe Park.Hosts Ashcombe Park had Asif Raza (39), Phil Clowes (28no) and Haroon Mahmood (19) to thank for steering them to 150 all out.Hafiz Suleman (3-16) and Morgan Murray-Williams (3-20) took three wickets apiece and there were a couple of scalps for Alex Dodd.Euan Hurst (22) and Matthew Kenvyn (15) made starts in reply, but Bagnall Norton were teetering on 68-5. But there were no further alarms for the visitors as Justin Mould and Suleman produced a matchwinning partnership.Mould hit five fours in his 54 not out, with Suleman adding an unbeaten 36, as Bagnall Norton clinched a five-wicket win in the 41st over. Raza took two of the wickets to fall.
Bhatti is man of the moment as Alsager clinch first NSSCL Premier B victory
