A DEPLETED Grappenhall side were well beaten at relegation-threatened Macclesfield in the Cheshire County Cricket Premier League on Saturday.

Skipper Richard Green had only nine players available when the toss was made and therefore being forced to bat first, despite calling correctly and ideally wishing to insert the hosts on a bowler-friendly wicket.

The visitors made 119 before being bowled out in the 48th over, 40 or 50 runs short of what Green felt would have given them a competitive total.

Opener Adam Roylance gritted it out for 23 while Mike Sambell went for 11 before Albert Pennington, batting at three, was run out for 17.

Captain Green offered up 17 before he fell and then Liam Parkinson top-scored for Grappers with 29, but thereafter no batsmen managed to reach double figures.

The visitors needed quick wickets in reply and had Luke Williams, 2 for 32, to thank as he dismissed Ben Morrison and Jack Ward early on.

Pennington, 1 for 25, took the wicket of opener Rob Keen as Green juggled his bowlers, a move that saw Gaz Burns enter the fray and make an outstanding 1 for 10 off 8 overs.

Josh McClelland and Steven Southward failed to take a wicket as the hosts edged closer to their total, before Tom Hulme collected a debut first team dismissal.

However, after the fall of Macclesfield’s fifth wicket they quickly wrapped things up and stormed beyond the total set by Grappenhall in the 30th over.

Grappers head to another relegation-threatened side on Saturday, where they will be hoping to cement their solid league position against bottom-placed Didsbury.