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Weekend Review: Greater Manchester Cricket League

The GMCL season is moving towards its conclusion with only four games left now. 

No honours have yet been handed out as issues of silverware; promotion and relegation are still very much in the mix.  Things have become a little more interesting with confirmation from the GMCL that 5 clubs will enter the league next year, these being Bradshaw; Milnrow; Mottram; Hadfield and Daisy Hill.  The statement makes it clear that these clubs will be placed in a division which reflect both playing records in recent years and facilities.  Unofficial reports suggest that Bradshaw will be placed in the championship, Tier 2), and it would be no surprise if Milnrow joined them.  The allocation of the new Clubs will mean that there will undoubtedly be clubs throughout the structure who finish in what they have previously thought would be a promotion place, or indeed have avoided what were thought to be relegation places, and are going to be very disappointed as the impact of this announcement is felt.  The uncertainty that this has introduced has caused debate on social media in the last week.

 

Premier Division

Denton St Lawrence can clinch the title with a win at Clifton this weekend if results elsewhere go their way.  They faced Woodhouses and posted 222-9 which was a decent recovery after being 95-6.  Josh Butler and skipper Nick Hardman picked up 3 wickets apiece. Woodhouses stayed in the game, and with 15 overs left, and 6 wickets in hand needed less than 100. Alex Spender got 52 but when he fell Woodhouses subsided and were limited to 169-8, leaving DSL winners by 53 runs. Greenfield lost at Flixton by 15 runs leaving them 3rd.  No details of the game were available at the time of writing.  After being washed out at Woodbank Royton’s relegation will be confirmed on Saturday if they lose to Clifton.

Flixton beat Greenfield ; Egerton 86-7 Monton 82ao; Clifton 84-1 Roe Green 83ao; Denton SL 222-9 Woodhouses 169-8; Stand v Prestwich and Woodbank v Royton – no play

Division 1A

With 2 Premier Division places up for grabs things are really tight with 6 clubs still in the hunt being separated by 9 points.  Moorside consolidated top spot after a comprehensive win over struggling Austerlands. Imran Khan with an unbeaten 57 provided a firm base for Moorside’s 198-7.  Sub pro Will Bosisto, (5-42), contributed well with the ball for Austerlands but missed out with bat as they tumbled to 77ao, (3 wickets each for pro Ernest Kemm and Richard Harrington). Uppermill were soundly beaten at home to Flowery Field after being set 197 to win.  Pro Ayas Tasawar got 5-70, but the Uppermill reply was blown away as they managed only 47. Glodwick are in 3rd place after beating Denton.  A consistent display throughout the order saw them finishing on 154-9 in a game restricted to 38 overs a side.  Arkam Zeer, (5-27), was instrumental in limiting the Denton reply to 97-9. 

Denton 97-9 Glodwick 154-9; Unsworth 62ao Glossop 68-1; Austerlands 77ao Moorside 198-7; Uppermill 47ao Flowery Field 196-9; Brooksbottom v Heywood and Swinton Moorside v Denton West – no play

 

Division 1B

Heyside went to leaders Astley and returned with a fine win.  They reached 145 and a last wicket partnership of 40 proved crucial.  Sub pro Daryn Smit picked up 5-26 as the leaders were dismissed for 102, proving the worth of the Heyside rearguard action. They now stand 3rd, 6 points adrift of 2nd placed Walshaw and with their last 4 games being against the bottom 4 clubs can be hopeful of getting into the promotion places. It was a good weekend in general for Heyside as they beat Austerlands to take the 2nd XI Cup thanks to a century from Matty Chadwick.  The former Ashton United striker showed his prowess in the summer game finishing on 121.

Astley & Tyldesley 102ao Heyside 145ao; Bury 116-9 Greenmount 49ao; Dukinfield 149ao Thornham 170-9; Walshaw 231-5 Westleigh 44ao; Whalley Range 163-6 Edgworth 140ao; Droylsden v Staley – no play

 

Division 2A

With Elton and Winton both falling victim to the elements Shaw extended their lead at the top to 4 points with an easy win at Roe Green 2nd XI.  It will be a tight finish with the three clubs separated by only 7 points and 4 games left.  The key game looks to be when Elton meet Shaw a week on Saturday.   At Roe Green Graeme Simpson, (5-25) put Shaw well on the road to the win as they dismissed the hosts for 114 and went onto win by 7 wickets. Should Shaw take the title then it will be a double after they took the 1st XI League Cup on Sunday beating Westleigh by 5 wickets.  It’s looking like a very nervy end to the season at Werneth.  They fell to a 5th consecutive defeat from completed games and have not won since mid June.  A total of 105 was never likely to threaten Prestwich and so it proved although Werneth did pick up 6 wickets, (Kervon Christmas 3-39).  It leaves them in 11th place and with games against high-flying Winton and Elton still to come means that positive results in the other 2 games are essential.

Glossop 2nd XI 78ao Elton 79-3; Littleborough Lakeside 18-0 v East Lancs PM dnb (aban); Prestwich 2nd XI 106-6 Werneth 105ao; Roe Green 2nd XI 114ao Shaw 115-3; Elton Vale v Micklehurst and Winton v Bury 2nd XI – no play

1st XI League Cup – Shaw 105-5 Westleigh 104ao

 

Division 2B

Leaders Friarmere now have a 12 point lead over 3rd placed SW Manchester and know that a win over them a week on Saturday will more than likely secure the title.  They posted by far the biggest total of the day, (332-7), against Whalley Range 2nd XI, Mohammed Kamran ended with an unbeaten 104 added to which was 64 from Adrian du Toit – the 12th time he has passed 50 this year. The visitors had no answer to Iftikar Ahmed, (5-19), as Friarmere won by 238 runs. Oldham restricted Greenfield 2nd XI to 77-9 in a restricted game, (3 wickets each for Siraj Kadodia and Hamza Hussain).  The Pollards team wasted no time, but lost 6 wickets reaching the target in 15 overs.

Denton West 2nd XI 52ao Stretford 166-9; Edenfield 160-3 Deane & Derby 159ao; Ashton 49-5 SW Manchester 48ao; Greenfield 2nd XI 77-9 Oldham 78-6; Friarmere 332-7 Whalley Range 2nd XI 94ao; Tottington v Wythenshawe – no play

 

Division 3 East

Leaders Saddleworth lost for the first time this season as they failed to chase 257-8 set by Denton SL 2nd XI.  Despite starts from a few Saddleworth batsmen there was nobody who really challenged as Saddleworth fell 93 short.  2nd placed Springhead also lost after restricting Oldham 2nd XI to 139, (Luke Houldsworth 4-26). They made no impression in the chase and ended up losing by 57 runs.

Flowery Field 2nd XI 131ao Stand 2nd XI 190-9; Heywood 2nd XI 115-7 Denton 2nd XI 116-6; Glodwick 2nd XI 135ao Dukinfield 2nd XI 168ao; Saddleworth 164ao Denton SL 2nd XI 257-8; Werneth 2nd XI 135-8 Unsworth 2nd XI 132ao; Oldham 2nd XI 139ao Springhead 82ao

 

Division 4 East

Thornham 2nd XI 112-8 United Stars 113-7; Woodhouses 2nd XI 128-2 Ashton 2nd XI 127ao; Royton 2nd XI 117ao Ashton Ladysmith 118-6; Heyside 2nd XI 96ao Friarmere 2nd XI 202-7; Stayley 2nd XI 98ao Newton Heath 139ao; Moorside 2nd XI 235-5 Failsworth Macedonia 71ao

By Martin Frost

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