Check out the latest Cheshire Cricket League results for all the action and updates from Week 4.
CREDIT: Cheshire County Cricket League
Week 4 saw another sun-drenched weekend with large totals, eight 1st XI centurions and Bollington in particular reaching new heights as they passed 350 for the second week in a row
PREMIER DIVISION
Another match day, another 300 for Oxton, Dane Williams standing tall with a stupendous 162* (134 bs), he and skipper Henry Dobson (50) adding 123 as the Brooklands bowlers had another day of toil, Oxton 322-8. Brooklands’ reply started solidly enough, but from 85-0 it all went horribly wrong, Ian Souness taking 6-42 as the hosts tumbled to 176 all out and a third straight loss. Didsbury were another side to make it four from four, after a comprehensive 156 run demolition of Hyde, who continue to blow hot and cold. Hyde were very much in control initially, as Dids reached the 30 over mark on 117-3, but Nick Anderson (66 off 35) and Rob Sehmi (57) added 100 in 9 overs, Steve Green (61* off 37) taking up the cudgels as Dids walloped 184 off the last 20 and finished on 301-7. Hyde crashed to 15-4 within the first powerplay and eventually folded for 145. Next week thus provides a key fixture when Didsbury travel over to Townfield Lane in what promises to be an intriguing match.
Alderley Edge are the third side to have won all of their fixtures, making it four from four – just – after a fabulous firstever league fixture with neighbours Lindow at Upcast Lane. Lindow were quickly 9-2 having chosen to bat but a series of handy contributions, including 63 from the returning Finn Gavaghan and a 34-ball 55 from skipper Alex Matthews, took them to 279-9, and when Sam Perry fell cheaply and Will Valentine first ball, it was AE’s turn to be 9-2. However, Arav Shetty showed his class, 15×14 and 10×6 in his superb 172 taking his side to the brink of victory, Chris Sanders (32*) nudging the winning run to see his side home by 2 wkts. Another fabulous finish was at South Downs Rd, where Bowdon’s top four all made half-centuries, 37 extras helping the hosts post 288-9. Timpers looked done at 148-6 but Nathan Brown (66) and skipper Ed Galley (45) added 99 in 12 overs, leaving Timpers wanting 15 off the last. In a frantic last over, containing a six, a run out off a wide and eight balls in total, Bowdon just did enough to snatch a 1 run win. Despite Matt Strong (80) continuing his fine form for Neston, their 273-4 wasn’t enough against visitors Nantwich, who, without Rob Jones, built on a steady 100 psp for their 1st, Jake Pearson (49 off 29) then pressing home the advantage as the Dabbers recorded a welcome 4 wkt win in the penultimate over. Luke McCoy made a wonderful 115 to help his Widnes side go from 30-3 to 261-7 against visitors Chester BH, but CBH batted well to seal a 3 wkt win in the 49th over.
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In Div 1 five teams at the top are separated by just 7 pts. Sale are top of the class after round 4, though, with a five wkt win over near-neighbours Urmston at Dane Rd. A week after knocking off 321 to win, any Urmston confidence had not made the short trip as they tottered to 120-8, but no.10 Harry Douglas hit an enterprising 60* as his side reached 212. James Dodds followed up his 130 of the week previous with 94, Sale past the winning post in the 33rd over. Cheadle are a point behind in second after a 100 run win at Stockport Georgians. Cheadle were 123-1 but were all out 199, Georgians then following suit as they went from 68-2 to 78-9, eventually all out 99. Macclesfield’s lower order helped get their side from an egregious 76-8 to 149 at Victoria Rd. Visitors Bramhall made heavy weather of it, going from 134-3 to 144-7 as the tension mounted, but held on to win by 3 wkts, Greg Dixon making 58. Maritime are also in the early
top-order mix, their 89 run win over visitors Davenham coming after Dav went from 139-4 to 147 all out. Two sides doled out 9 wkt hosings, Toft doing so to hosts Marple, Tom Lord the star turn with 79* after their five bowlers shared the wickets, while Port Sunlight likewise made (sun) light work of Grappenhall, PS’s Richard Walker (76) and Ben Nuttall, who ended 96*, putting on 144 for the first wkt as they chased their 202 target with ease. Grappers 1st (and 2nd) XIs are both still waiting for their first league win of 2025, Grappers entertaining leaders Sale next Saturday.
In Div 2, Bollington were at it again. A week after smashing 367-4 against Romiley, they travelled to Oulton Park, won the toss, and amassed 356-9. Andrej Yaksender made his century last week look as nothing, hammering 23×4 and 10×6 in a jaw-dropping 199. Seven of those sixes came in the last 11 balls he faced as ’Yak’ smashed 30 off the final over to come within a whisker of being the second Bolly double-centurion in the last two seasons. OP subsided to 152 and lost by 204 runs, Bolly up to third. Ashley stay second after a dramatic 3 run win at Cheadle Hulme, but it’s Alvanley at the top, making it four from four as they hammered visitors Ashton OM, who were all out 83. Considering AOM were 18-7 it was a recovery of sorts but child’s play for Alv to secure a 9 wkt win. Upton skipper Matt Owen (82) and Chris McArthur (97) put on an opening stand of 180 against NE Cheshire, but the hosts could only total 240-8 and a superb 107 from Bailey Jenkinson saw NEC record a handsome 7 wkt win. Naveed Gondal made 114 for Stockport at Cale Green (adding an unbroken 166 for the 5th with skipper Dan Taylor, 56*) and then took a wkt with the first ball of the Christleton inns, but the visitors enjoyed their long ride home with 20 pts after Darcy Graham made a wonderful 107 to help seal a 5 wkt win
Div 3 saw Warrington maintain their perfect start, Aamir Ali whacking 137 off 135 bs as they beat Winnington Park by 62 runs. Heaton Mersey
went back to second, Hassnain Shah hammering a 46-ball 78 as they knocked off the 159 needed at Runcorn in under 24 overs. Tattenhall and
Barrow will be sharing the altitude sickness tablets after both won at Middlewich and Hale Barns respectively but it was back to earth with a
bump for Mobberley, a batting shambles seeing them 76 all out and losing by 10 wkts at Hawk Green. Harry Poole’s 77 was the standout for
Oakmere as they won by 36 runs at Over Peover, who, like Runcorn, are still searching for their first win.
2ND XI CRICKET
Didsbury & Oxton, who meet next week, both won to maintain perfect starts. Oxton eased past Brooklands, James Shillinglaw (82) and Grant Hughes (52) adding 123 together, but their stand was comfortably surpassed by the magnificent 181 added by Didsbury’s Adam Slater (75) & Tom Bidwell (102), Bidwell reaching his ton with the winning boundary after Dids had been 44-4 chasing 222 set by Hyde. Chester BH won a thriller against visitors Widnes by 1 wkt, Ashraf Qureshi (79) steering his side over the line with skipper Dan Riley. Widnes’ Louise Burns (76) and Billy Webb (71) were left frustrated after also taking 5 wkts between them. Ian Gill made 103 as Neston piled up 324-8, beating Nantwich, who ended up 263-6, while there were also wins for Toft by 5 wkts at Timperley, and for Cheadle, who beat Stockport Georgians by 7 wkts at Kingsway.
In Div 1 Lindow didn’t quite hit the heights of the week previous, making 231-7 against Didsbury 2As, but it was still more than enough as they won by 69 runs. Upton stayed second after beating bottom club Grappenhall, who again had skipper Graham Rowlands (42) and Stanley Pennington (52) to thank as they revived from 84-6 to 185, but it wasn’t enough as Upton completed a 3 wkt win. Bowdon are third after beating Marple, Maritime beat H. Mersey, and Macclesfield won at Bramhall despite initially slumping to 36-6 in their pursuit of 112.
In Div 2 P.Sunlight’s Harry Davies (136) and Ryan Kearney (124) put on a superb 215 for the 3rd wkt as PS racked up 340-3 at Warrington, the hosts manging just 173 in reply. As leaders Urmston lost their local derby with Ashton OM by 85 runs, and A.Edge were beaten by Stockport, PS made good ground up. Bottom side Oulton Park won at fellow strugglers Upton after bowling them out for just 85.
In Div 3 W.Park’s 12 run win over NE Cheshire kept them top, NEC disappointed to go from 94-0 to 182 all out. Ashley stay second after an 8 wkt win over CBH, for whom Marius Mostert made 98. Nikhil Nataraj (82) and Haroon Ahmed (75) were the Ashley heroes. Timperley are third after recovering from 3-2 to reach 267-9 against Tattenhall, who conceded 54 extras and despite a brave effort finished 245-7, while Oxton conceded 40 byes in their 80 run loss at Davenham.
