The all-rounder picked up seven of the home side’s wickets for 10 runs – and then top scored with 56 not out to secure the morale-boosting win.
Timperley won by one wicket after bowling Marple out for 113 – and it was fitting the South African born former baseball ace should hit the winning runs.
Yates, a 26-year-old admin worker, has now catapulted himself straight into the Timperley first XI after club skipper Ed Galley described his performance as phenomenal.
Timperley chairman Jurjees Hasan went further describing it as one of the best individual performances with bat and ball he’s ever seen, pointing out Yates’ unbeaten score with the bat was at least twice as good as every player on both sides.
Yates said: “It was my best ever cricket performance that is certainly true. I have been at Timperley a couple of seasons and although I played school cricket it’s probably the baseball that’s given me my hand-to-eye co-ordination. I just kept as cool as possible in the tense atmosphere out there and picked off the bad balls. The closer we got to winning the more I kept thinking we have got this. “Marple were giving it out but we won and I’m very happy for the team.”
For second-team skipper, Shahnawaz Khan, the batting collapse before Yates’ match-winning knock will be of concern ahead of Saturday’s home match against Nantwich when the team will be looking to build on their winning start.
The seconds were the only team at Timperley to play as the club continues to battle the horrendous weather -although ground conditions are improving at the Stockport Road ground thanks to the efforts of groundsman Andy Horsefield.
