GRAPPENHALL succumbed to defeat in their return to action on Saturday as Davenham left Broad Lane with a 104-run win.

After their T20 game with Widnes on Thursday was cancelled due to the poor weather, Grappers were refreshed and skipper Adam Roylance won the toss, inviting the visitors to bat first.

The Broad Lane pitch looked a good one despite the week’s rain but Grappenhall made the perfect start as Sam Guest removed Davenham opener James Loveridge with the first ball of the match.

However, after another wicket for Guest left the visitors perched perilously on 50-2, Givon Christian and Sam Hunt put together an excellent partnership to grasp the momentum.

Both wickets fell to Alex Matthews, but not before Christian had made 73 and Hunt had battled his way to 59.

Grappers managed to restrict the visitors slightly, with Matthews finishing with figures of 3-63, but Chris Hornby finished unbeaten on 29 as Davenham ended their innings on 237-6.

The hosts made a flying start to their reply, with Roylance and James McCoy taking the score to 59-0 after just 10 overs.

Davenham then introduced their spinners and it had a catastrophic effect on the Grappers batting as they slipped to 133 all out with ten overs of their innings still remaining.

McCoy top scored with 48, while Roylance scored 22 as only two other Grappers batsmen, Ryan Ninan and Gaz Burns with 19 each, made it to double figures.

The seconds fared much better as they travelled to face their Davenham counterparts, winning by a mammoth 244 runs.

Young batsmen Albert Pennington was the star of the show as Grappers posted an imposing 315-7 declared after they were put into bat as he hit 98.

Iain Wright provided excellent support as he hit 75, while Ben Clissold came in down the order and smashed an unbeaten 53 from just 17 balls.

Davenham were always going to struggle in reply but the visitors’ bowling attack backed up the work of their batsmen superbly.

Joshua Hayes starred with the ball as he took 4-23, while there were two wickets each for Arran McCabe and Arthur Pennington as Davenham were dismissed for just 71.

The first team return to action on Saturday as they travel to Weaverham at the same time as the seconds host Brooklands, while the thirds travel to Cheadle on Sunday.