Weekend Review: Greater Manchester Cricket League

Week 17 of the schedule was completed in searing temperatures on Saturday.

Flowery Field and Ashton continued their march to promotion, but Droylsden faltered, losing in a close game at Hadfield, who went down by 41 runs to Elton in the 1st XI Championship Cup final on Sunday.

Premier 

Both Denton teams look destined to finish in upper mid-table.  Denton SL had the better fortunes at the weekend with a 43-run win over Heyside after totalling 208-7, (Ben Tighe 64 top scoring). Heyside reached 92-2 with 30 overs left in their reply, but Matt Selby, (4-30), and Damitha Silva, (3-35) put the brakes on and gave DSL the winning points.

Denton West’s variable season continued. Seven wins were followed by five defeats and the following four games brought three wins.  They visited Clifton and the home side reached 200-8, (Siraj Khan 4-44). West looked well set at 116-1 as both Callum Flynn and Aaqib Uppal got 40’s, but the fall of them both in the space of three overs saw the chase fade away, and they ended up 17 short.

Clifton 200-8 Denton West 183ao; Woodbank 131ao Roe Green 166ao; Edgworth 108ao Egerton 110-7; Walshaw 103ao Prestwich 216ao; Astley & Tyldesley 132ao Moorside 133-7; Denton SL 208-7 Heyside 165ao

Premier 2  

Scoring at more than eight an over Flowery Field made visitors Glodwick toil in the searing sun at Throstle Bank Street. The carnage came right from the off as Mike Finan, (120), and Ben Mason, (107), both reached three figures in an opening partnership of 229.  It was measure of Flowery’s dominance that the following 17 overs saw a further 185 added as Shreevats Goswami, (50), and Owen Feakes, (72*), left Glodwick with a more than daunting target. They were never in the hunt as Goswami weighed in with 4-63 as Flowery won by a huge 237 runs.  With Heaton also winning Flowery maintained second place and know that barring a dramatic loss of form they will be playing Premier cricket in 2023.

Despite a heavy defeat at third place Shaw, Glossop are almost safe from the spectre of relegation. Shaw have a formidable batting line-up and Daron Cruickshank, (113) got his 4th century of the campaign, and in doing so passed 1,000 runs. There was little respite for Glossop as Shaw pressed on to 300-9, with Matt Sonczak getting four wickets. Glossop offered little in reply and ended up losing by 172 runs.

Brooksbottom 99ao Heaton 102-3; Bury 173ao Heywood 264-4; Bradshaw 322-7 Stand 145ao; Shaw 300-9 Glossop 128ao; Flixton 264-7 Greenfield 75ao; Flowery Field 414-7 Glodwick 177ao

Championship

Mottram got a vital home win s they beat promotion hopefuls Royton by three wickets.  The visitors reached 176ao, mainly thanks to pro Chirag Khurana, (84).  The total was under par for the high scoring Mottram ground, as Ryan Fitton, (5-55), did a good job in restricting Royton. In the reply Andrew Metcalfe and Stefan Fielding gave Mottram a good start adding 62 for the first wicket but they fell to 128-6 and the game was in the balance.  Pro Tafadzwa Tsiga took charge and his unbeaten 52 guided Mottram to a three-wicket win.

Dukinfield were at home to promotion hopefuls Monton, and it went the way of the visitors after they ended, on 227ao.  Denuwan Dadellage, (4-39), and Joel Morton, (4-58), led the way with the ball for the home team. In the reply, despite starts for a number of batsmen only Dadellage pushed on and his dismissal for 46 at 124-5 saw Dukinfield tail off to 166ao and defeat by 61 runs. 

Westleigh 118ao Stretford 158ao; Winton 108ao Elton 77ao; Friarmere 125-3 Swinton Moorside 124ao; Woodhouses 115ao Whalley Range 153ao; Dukinfield 166ao Monton 227ao; Mottram 177-7 Royton 176ao

Division 1

Droylsden went to Hadfield looking to bounce back after losing to leaders Saddleworth the previous week and after reducing the home team to 106-six would have been more than hopeful of doing just that. Rick Tranter, (47), top scored but it was great resistance down the order which allowed Hadfield to reach 209-8, despite Hashan Gunathila taking 4-21 for Droylsden. The visitors lost two early wickets but Cameron Mapstone, (who finished with 97), aided by Lewis Jarvis, (39), put them in pole position at 182-4 with eight overs left. At that point Cameron Ball, who has proved invaluable for Hadfield this season, took charge, and dismissing Mapstone then ran through the rest of the order, finishing with 6-36, as Droylsden fell just seven short of the win. Ball now has 62 wickets to add to 477 runs and has been a key part of Hadfield’s season.  Droylsden dropped to fourth as a result.

Stayley had a torrid afternoon at Edenfield as the home team racked up 300-7, Alfie Taylor, (153), taking them to task in an opening stand of 158.  Mike Jones picked up 4-82 for Stayley in the teeth of the onslaught. Any aspirations Stayley had of challenging the target disappeared as two wickets fell in the first over and they eventually limped to 84ao, and defeat by 216 runs. The loss leaves them only one point above the drop zone.

Edenfield 300-7 Stayley 84ao; Oldham 180ao Thornham 242-8; Austerlands 205ao Golborne 207ao; Hadfield 209-8 Droylsden 203ao; Saddleworth 154-5 Uppermill 153ao; Roe Green 2nd XI 207-8 SW Manchester 271-8

Division 2B 

Denton went into the game at home to Micklehurst knowing that a win was vital in the battle to avoid the drop. Equally Micklehurst need to maintain a spot in the top half if they are to play in Division 2 in the new linear structure in 2023. Batting first Denton were indebted to a patient knock from Tom Stenson, (53), but with only three other batsmen getting to double figure a total of 174-9 was probably below par on a fast scoring day. Jonny Forrester, (5-45) played a big part in restricting Denton. Two early wickets in the Micklehurst reply gave Denton hope, but Forrester, (48) and Kabeel Akram, (65*) saw the visitors to a six-wicket win. With five games left Denton are now 11 points from safety.

At the top Werneth took over as leaders from Milnrow on a net run rate basis after beating Denton SL.  Milnrow won in a thriller at Denton West.  Chasing Wet’s 145ao, (Jamie Williams 64), they inched home by a single wicket.

Werneth 329-5 Denton SL 2nd XI 206-4; Greenfield 2nd XI118aov Oldham 2nd XI 232ao; Wythenshawe 212-7 Littleborough Lakeside 163ao; Denton West 2nd XI 145ao Milnrow 146-9; Glodwick 2nd XI 215ao Friarmere 2nd XI 178ao; Denton 174-9 Micklehurst 175-4

Division 3E

The Ashton derby at Rose Hill Road went the way of leaders Ashton who comfortably beat town rivals Ladysmith and in doing so maintained their 100% record. Tom Rayson, (4-37), ripped the heart out of the Ladysmith top order, reducing them to 38-5 inside 10 overs. Some resistance came from the hosts as they got to 110ao. Richard Taylor enjoyed his return to Ladysmith and his 59 off 27 balls not only took him to 695 runs for the season but also enabled the Rayner Lane team to canter home in 11 overs. Ashton are now certain of a top two spot and a win over Springhead this weekend will all but secure promotion – a very positive response after relegation in 2021.

Heywood 2nd XI 181-8 Mottram 2nd XI 227-7; Royton 2nd XI 274-6 Flowery Field 2nd XI 187ao; Glossop 2nd XI 175-4 Dukinfield 2nd XI 172-8; Ashton Ladysmith 110ao Ashton 112-2; Springhead 196ao Woodhouses 2nd XI 219-9; Heyside 2nd XI 223-9 Werneth 2nd XI 220ao; Sunday: Flowery Field 2nd XI v Werneth