Weekend Review: Greater Manchester Cricket League

Premier Division Denton St Lawrence maintained top spot as they easily chased Roe Green’s 173-9.  Scott Kirwin was the key for DSL as reduced the hosts to 20-4, and finally ended with 5-49.

The DSL reply rattled along at 6 an over.  Kirwin added 48 to his earlier bowling exploits, but it was pro Neil Hornbuckle who took the eye.  He finished with 72*. And has certainly made an impact at Sycamore Park.  The former Milnrow paid man now has nearly 200 runs, despite a late arrival, and also made a match winning 79* in the T20 game at Denton 24 hours earlier.  DSL will meet Royton on Saturday in a game which looks a banker for them.  Royton and Woodhouses, both winless before Saturday met at Medlock Road and the honours went to the home side who romped home to a 10 wicket win.

Flixton 286-6 Egerton 157ao; Greenfield 221ao Stand 141ao ; Monton 243-9 Clifton 130ao; Prestwich 177ao Woodbank 178-6 ; Roe Green 173-9 Denton SL 174-4; Woodhouses 96-0 Royton 94ao

Division 1A

Denton bounced back from a first reverse of the season last week with a superb win over previously unbeaten Uppermill.  The hosts had no answer to the Denton attack and struggled to 104 with only 8 balls left of their 50 over allocation.  Mitch Andrew led the way finishing with 5-16.  Denton fell to 3-2 in reply but it was an unbeaten 4^thwicket partnership of 76 between Umar Waheed, (45*) and Janak Patel, (27*), who took  them home. It was a low scoring day all round locally.  Flowery Field  managed only 85 but visiting Brooksbottom were blown away for 64 in reply.  Mike Finan certainly took the man of the match honours. After top scoring with 35 in the Flowery innings he followed this with 6-28.  Mike Burns backed him up with 4-28.  Over at Windsor Park Glossop struggled to 114 and Denton West knocked these off inside 24 overs for a 7 wicket win.  It was Glossop’s first loss of the season, but after a poor start Denton West now have two wins on the bounce.  Glodwick, with a 100% record from completed games, sit at the top of the table.

Denton West 117-3 Glossop 114ao; Flowery Field 85ao Brooksbottom 64ao; Heywood 246-3 Unsworth 170-8; Glodwick 271-9 Austerlands 83ao ; Moorside 114ao Swinton Moorside 151ao; Uppermill 104ao Denton 106-3

Division 1B

The game of the day in Division 1B was unquestionably at Oxford Street, Stayley, where in excess of 600 runs were scored with all three results possible going into the last over. Bury had posted an imposing 303-4, (Jon Wiggans 145), and a run chase at over 6 an over looked to be a real challenge for a Staley side without a win and who had been dismissed for 55 a week earlier.  When Peter Skuse fell 14 balls into the reply it looked a mountain to climb, but Munir Tanzil was simply magnificent.  Having opened with Skuse he batted for all but 5 balls of the innings, piling up 168, and took Stayley to within 7 of victory.  The start of the 50^thover left Stayley with 6 to win and 3 wickets left.  A wicket really put Bury back in the game, but Stayley got over the line for a thrilling victory.  Droylsden and Dukinfield met knowing that whoever was the winner would pick up their first victory of the campaign.  Droylsden have found it difficult after promotion and runs have been at a premium and so it proved again.  Glynn Middleton picked up 4-35 as Droylsden struggled to 128 and after falling to 35-3 in reply Dukinfield were indebted to pro Ernest Masuku.  His unbeaten 67 took them to their first winning points this year. Walshaw and Astley occupy the top two places after both claiming their 4^thwins of the season.

Dukinfield 129-4 Droylsden 128ao; Greenmount 147ao Walshaw 293-5; Thornham 158ao Astley & Tyldesley 267-9 ; Westleigh 68ao Edgworth 70-5; Heyside 370-6  Whalley Range 131ao; Stayley 304-8 Bury 303-4

Division 2A

Micklehurst struggled last year but have set off well this time round.  They made it three wins in a row when they travelled to East Lancs PM. It wasn’t the run feast of a week ago, when the Richmond Hill team posted over 400, but their 154 was more than enough to beat their hosts.  They were indebted to skipper Jonny Forrester.  His 88 was the sole contribution in double figures, (other than 29 extras).  Questions of whether this would be enough were soon dispelled as Jake Caudwell and Stuart Chamley made early inroads and were backed up by Luke Sumner, (4-24), as Micklehurst won convincingly by 72 runs. The victory pushed Micklehurst into 3^rdplace as Elton lead the table.

Bury 2^ndXI  221ao Elton Vale 136ao; East Lancs PM 82ao  Micklehurst 154ao; Elton 150ao Winton 101ao; Glossop 2^ndXI 209-7 Roe Green 2^ndXI 208-4; Shaw 286ao Prestwich 2^ndXI 108ao;Werneth 159ao Littleborough Lakeside 299-5

Division 2B 

A below strength Ashton , without a win and also skipper James Edmondson, would have faced the trip to free scoring Whalley Range 2^ndXI with some trepidation.  They came home with a somewhat unexpected win in which Danny Hawthorne took the plaudits.  He picked up 6-67 as the Rangers were limited to 130.  Ashton had been set a similar target a week previously against Deane & Derby but had fallen short.  The application shown this time round was excellent.  Matt Job and Brad Phillips occupied the crease, picking up runs where available,  It was similar performance from Hawthorne.  Coming in at number 4 he carried the Reyner Lane team over the line to what was a welcome win.  Ashton will be looking for a repeat on Saturday in what is a first ever meeting with Stretford. Defeats for Deane & Derby and previous leaders Edenfield saw SW Manchester move to the top of the table.

Deane & Derby 180ao  Denton West 2^ndXI 184-8 ; Edenfield 163ao Friarmere 188ao; SW Manchester 149-4 Greenfield 2^ndXI 147ao; Stretford 72-2 Tottington St Johns 70ao; Whalley Range 2^ndXI 130ao Ashton 131-6; Oldham 240ao Wythenshawe 60ao

Division 3 East

Denton 2^ndXI 182ao Flowery Field 2^ndXI 183-7; Denton SL 2^ndXI 78ao Oldham 2^ndXI 252-8; Springhead 211-3 Glodwick 2^ndXI 210ao; Stand 2^ndXI 121ao Dukinfield 2^ndXI 125-6; Unsworth 2^ndXI 135ao Heywood 2^ndXI 136-5 ; Saddleworth 156-3 Werneth 2^ndXI 155ao

Division 4 East

Ashton Ladymith are still winless after Woodhouses 2^ndXI successfully chased 270 for victory. Ladysmith would have been more than happy with their total, which came courtesy of a consistent display throughout the order, with Richard Taylor, (90), in his first appearance of the season, top scoring.  With Woodhouses standing at 229-8 a Ladysmith win looked on the cards but things fell away as the visitors inched their way over the line.

Ashton Ladysmith 269-5 Woodhouses 2^ndXI 270-9; Failsworth Macedonia 293-7 Heyside 2^ndXI 200ao; Royton 2^ndXI 122ao Moorside 2^ndXI 125-3; Ashton 2^ndXI 63-7 Stayley 2^ndXI 61ao; Friarmere 2^ndXI 205ao Thornham 2^ndXI 102ao; United Stars 88-4 Newton Heath 86ao

1^stXI Championship Cup (Sunday) – local games

Ashton Ladysmith 87ao Radcliffe 336-5; Springhead 131ao Bolton Indians 342-4; Failsworth Macedonia 244-7 Friends United 241ao; Saddleworth 185ao United Stars 253ao; Newton Heath 91-1 Friends Sporting 90ao (M Kelly 7-10)

1^stXI League Cup (Sunday) – local games

Uppermill  298-6 (A Tasawar 109) East Lancs PM 113ao; Westleigh 134-3 Droylsden 133ao; Wythenshawe v Friarmere (N/A) ; (Byes – Ashton; Austerlands; Oldham; Shaw; Micklehurst & Werneth)

Premier T20 – local games

Whalley Range 88-9 Flowery Field 87ao; Woodhouses 122-7 Denton West 128-4 ; Denton 140-7 Denton SL 145-3; Glodwick 125ao Heyside 64ao; Royton 145-3 Moorside 167-6; Stayley 77ao Greenfield 78-3

By Martin Frost