Another glorious weekend saw a full programme in the GMCL and as the second half of the season started wins for Flowery Field; Droylsden and Ashton left them well placed in the push for silverware.
On Sunday both Hadfield and Micklehurst progressed to the final of their respective Cup competitions.
Premier:
Denton SL began the second half of what has been an up and down season with a home game against struggling Walshaw. Batting first they totalled 176ao, perhaps more than they expected after falling to 114-7. Scott Kirwin, (46), and Kyle O’Reilly, (34*), were the main contributors. Two early wickets for Kirwin in the reply put the visitors on the back foot, and there was to be no recovery as pro Damitha Silva stepped up.
His best performance with the ball for DSL gave him a return of 7-37 as Walshaw fell well short on 104ao. On Sunday, in a thrilling game at Sycamore Park in the Derek Kay Cup semi-final, DSL fell agonisingly short of chasing Prestwich’s mammoth 360ao. Liam Parkinson, (124), and Scott Kirwin, (74), were the key contributors as DSL fell just 26 short.
After leading the table for the first two months of the season Denton West have fallen away badly. A six-wicket home defeat at the hands of Heyside was their fifth in a row. The die was cast in the first hour of the game as they collapsed to 37-8, and it was only resistance from Jordan Williams and Max Cole that got them to 93ao. The target proved no problem for the visitors who cruised to victory inside 24 overs.
At the top both Prestwich and Woodbank won and with defeats for Roe Green and Edgworth a gap is now beginning to open.
Egerton 205ao Moorside 169ao; Denton SL 176ao Walshaw 104ao; Denton West 93ao Heyside 97-4; Woodbank 261-5 Astley & Tyldesley 157ao; Roe Green 190ao Prestwich 280-7; Edgworth 156ao Clifton 157-5
Premier 2:
With leaders Heaton thrashing Stand a win for Flowery Field, visiting Brooksbottom, was vital if they were to maintain second place and keep pressure on the Bolton based team. A second wicket partnership of 83 in 11 overs between Ben Mason, (54), and pro Shreevats Goswami, (43) gave a good platform. Decent contributions in the middle order pushed Flowery to 215ao. Mike Finan led the Flowery attack in the home side’s reply and a superb display which saw him finish with 7-55, (taking him to 39 wickets for the season), left Brooksbottom 33 short. Flowery now face a Stand team which has been short of runs recently whilst Heaton travel to a Glossop side who came out on top in a close-run thing at Greenfield.
Glossop set off at a pace at Lad Hill Lane, racing to 186-3 with 20 overs left, thanks to Lee Dale, (79). They will have been disappointed that on the departure of Dale the last six wickets added a meagre 25, as Brad Woolley picked up 5-52. On the small Greenfield ground a target of 212 was more than achievable for the home team but a five-man Glossop attack spearheaded by pro Matt Sonczak, (4-34), reduced them to 159-9. What looked to be a comfortable win for Glossop was put in doubt as Andy Cadd took 30 off a Dom Perrin over and it was some relief as Adam Hayes took the last wicket leaving the North Road team winners by 9 runs.
Heywood 216-8 Glodwick 179-9; Greenfield 202ao Glossop 211ao; Stand 69ao Heaton 244-6; Brooksbottom 182ao Flowery Field 215ao; Flixton 260-8 Bradshaw 266-7; Bury 116ao Shaw 169ao
Championship:
Both Mottram and Dukinfield had welcome wins seven days previously and the two sides met with Mottram hosting the fixture. The visitors had by far the better of the encounter putting Mottram under pressure right from the start. Tight bowling from Dukinfield saw Mottram struggle to 82-4 off 28 overs, and at that point the game was finely balance. The introduction of Syd de Sliva was a crucial point. He ran through the rest of the Mottram batting, finishing with 5-27 as the home team added only 43 more, ending on 125ao. The early loss of Will Allen brought Jonny Gascoigne, (57) and Jake Fenton, (39*) together. They added 96, and Dukinfield cruised to the win by eight wickets with 20 overs to spare.
At the top leaders Elton were crushed by Monton which left the winners just five points behind in second place.
Whalley Range 188ao Stretford 166ao; Winton 165ao Westleigh 232ao; Monton 82-1 Elton 81ao; Royton 183-4 Swinton Moorside 182ao; Woodhouses 114ao Friarmere 141ao; Mottram 125ao Dukinfield 128-2
Division 1:
With both Stayley and Hadfield having their scheduled games postponed it was left to Droylsden to fly the local flag in Division 1. And they did it in style with a 71-run win at Uppermill and in doing so maintained top spot and have a three-point lead over second placed Saddleworth.
Hashan Gunathila made the short move from Woodhouses at the start of the season and Droylsden have certainly benefited from him. Batting throughout the innings he finished with an unbeaten 104, as Droylsden totalled 209-8. An unbroken ninth wicket partnership of 63, (occupying 17 overs), between Gunathila and Stanley Staniculas was key to the eventual outcome. Chasing 210 for the win Uppermill progressed to 99-3, (former Lancashire man Kyle Hogg 50), before Jackson Purchase, (4-20) and three wickets for Gunathila saw Droylsden dismiss the hosts for 138, and 71 run win. Gunathila now has 819 runs and 39 wickets in a very impressive season.
Hadfield reached the First Division Cup Final on Sunday restricting Tottington to 206ao after Louis van Zyl’s first century, (109*), for the Newshaw Lane side had helped them to 243-6.
Golborne 207-6 Thornham 203ao; Stayley P-P SW Manchester; Austerlands 150-2 Roe Green 2nd XI 149ao; Uppermill 138ao Droylsden 209-8; Edenfield 115ao Saddleworth 159ao; Hadfield P-P Oldham
Division 2A:
United Stars 171ao Worsley 177ao; Tottington 188ao East Lancs PM 127ao; Deane & Derby P-P Daisy Hill; Astley & Tyldesley 2nd XI 173ao Radcliffe 292ao; Prestwich 2nd XI 280-4 Darcy Lever 274-9; Heaton 2nd XI 173-8 Adlington 169ao
Division 2B:
Denton fell to defeat for the ninth time this season and are perilously close to the drop zone. Visitors Greenfield had also had a poor campaign and Denton would have been hopeful going into the game. Such hope was diluted as they fell to 20-4 within the first half hour and they eventually limped to 79ao. When Denton reduced the visitors to 22-3 in reply the game was evenly balanced, but the next wicket added 53, taking Greenfield to the verge of what would be a six-wicket win.
Micklehurst remain in mid table with six wins and six defeats after going down by 90 runs at Littleborough Lakeside. Shamar Marshall, (4-39), and Rizwan Hussain, (4-44) both featured well with the ball as Lakeside reached 193ao. Micklehurst had piled up over 200 against Ashton in a T20 game on Friday evening but there was to be no repetition as the folded for 103. There was better news on Sunday as the Richmond Hill side qualified for the Jahn Barrow Trophy final after racking up 308-9. (Jonny Forrester 72, Hussain 67) and then dismissed Ashton Ladysmith for 99.
The performance of the day came at The Coppice as Denton West defended 136ao against free scoring leaders Werneth, who were favourites after reaching 49-1. Bowling unchanged Ben Lowndes, (5-42) and Harry Welsby, (5-35), then ran through Werneth dismissing them for 85. A comprehensive win for Milnrow leaves them in second place, with West in third, with the three clubs separated by only three points.
Oldham 2nd XI v Denton SL 2nd XI (DSL won on forfeit); Littleborough Lakeside 193ao Micklehurst 103ao; Friarmere 2nd XI 59ao Milnrow 60-0; Glodwick 2nd XI 90ao Wythenshawe 94-1; Denton 79ao Greenfield 2nd XI 80-4; Werneth 85ao Denton West 2nd XI 136ao
Division 3E:
There were early finishes at both Ashton and town neighbours Ashton Ladysmith.
Woodhouses, visiting Rayner Lane, had no answer to the Ashton attack. Josh Gee, (4-17) and Om Trivedi, (5-7), are both products of the Ashton junior section and they ran through Woodhouses for 60ao. Gee, in his first full season in senior cricket, now has 29 wickets. The target was no problem for Ashton, who maintained their 100% record and top the table by nine points from Heyside, as Richard Taylor with a quickfire 32 set them on the way to a nine wicket win inside nine overs.
Ashton Ladysmith hosted Heywood and ran through the visitors for 115ao. Saeed Nazeer, the hero with the bat seven days previously, showed his value with the ball this week taking 6-39. After a brisk start Janak Patel who has recently re-appeared at Ladysmith hit a quickfire 63* to give them a comprehensive eight wicket win. The result leaves them in fifth place ahead of a trip to struggling Royton this weekend.
Flowery Field 2nd XI P-P Werneth 2nd XI; Dukinfield 2nd XI 147-4 Mottram 2nd XI 146ao; Ashton Ladysmith 116-2 Heywood 2nd XI 115ao; Ashton 61-1 Woodhouses 2nd XI 60ao; Glossop 2nd XI 114-4 Royton 2nd XI 113ao; Heyside 2nd XI 188-5 Springhead 184ao
Division 4E:
Shaw 2nd XI 365-5 Austerlands 2nd XI 283-8; Droylsden 2nd XI 191-3 Failsworth Macedonia 189-9; Milnrow 2nd XI 164-5 Ashton 2nd XI 163ao; Springhead 2nd XI 211-9 Hadfield 2nd XI 198-9; Moorside 2nd XI 314-4 Stayley 2nd XI 200ao; Saddleworth 2nd XI 143-1 Denton 2nd XI 137ao
Sunday: Newton Heath M/A Milnrow 2nd XI; Droylsden 2nd XI 255-6 Denton 2nd X 112ao; Saddleworth 2nd XI 296-8 Hadfield 2nd XI 157ao; Shaw 2nd XI 262-5 Moorside 2nd X 172ao; Stayley 2nd XI 163ao Ashton 2nd XI 228-8
T20 Local Games
Premier Cup: Glossop 119-3 Friarmere118ao, (Glossop qualify for finals day)
Championship Cup: Micklehurst 201-8 Ashton 149ao
Derek Kay Cup Semi-Final: Monton 143ao Shaw 147-5; Denton SL 334-8 Prestwich 360o
1st XI Championship Cup Semi-Final: Tottington 206ao Hadfield 243-6; Elton 208ao Saddleworth 197ao
John Barrow Trophy Semi-Final: Ashton Ladysmith 99ao Micklehurst 308-9
Right Said Fred: City move a step closer to the title
Bowlers on form in the DCCL
Ashton RFC secure first national cup win in the club's history
Local boxer moves one step closer to lifelong dream
