Weekend Review: Greater Manchester Cricket League

News emerged at the end of last week that two teams from the Bolton League will join the GMCL in 2023. 

Horwich and Westhoughton will be incorporated at Premier 2 level. 

As the halfway point of this season approaches this coming weekend the league tables are beginning to form, and potential promotion and relegation candidates are starting to emerge.

Premier  

Denton SL have had a mixed season by their own standards but took the opportunity to put a win on the board when they visited bottom of the table Astley & Tyldesley. 

Batting first it was pro Damitha Silva, (48), and the ever-reliable Scott Kirwin, (82), who provided the platform for a total of 243-5, which was a real challenge for the home team.

They started well reaching 75-1 off 12 overs but with five wickets falling for the addition of only 45 the challenge was to prove too much.  

Mark Selby and Silva each picked up three wickets as DSL won comfortably by 73 runs after a rain interruption had led to a revision of the target. 

Kirwin was also in good form on Sunday, (hitting 107*), as DSL easily beat Woodbank in the Derek Kay Cup.

Denton West, after heading the table for much of the early part of the season went down to a third consecutive defeat, this time at the hands of Roe Green. 

West fell to 117-7, (pro Rohail Nazir 45), and some late order resistance got them to 164ao. 

It proved no problem for the visitors who cruised home inside 28 overs for a six-wicket win. West now lie third and are seven points behind leaders Prestwich, with Woodbank in second place.                                         

Clifton 226-6 Walshaw 218-8; Moorside 115ao Woodbank 119-1; Denton West 164ao Roe Green 165-4; Astley & Tyldesley 184ao Denton SL 243-5; Prestwich 197-2 Edgworth 195ao; Heyside 217ao Egerton 200ao

Premier 2 

Flowery Field kept up the pressure on leaders Heaton with a 72-run win at Bradshaw. Pro Shreevats Goswami, (82), showed his class again and in eight knocks since arriving at Throstle Bank Street now has 442 runs, with one century and four ‘50’s’. 

Decent contributions from Bradley Edge and Nick Eastwood helped Flowery to 207ao. Wickets fell regularly in the Bradshaw reply with Declan Feakes, (4-51) and Adam Bardsley, (3-19), doing the main damage.

Glossop hosted Bury and dismissed the visitors for 145 as Dom Perrin, (5-44), proved a thorn in their side.  

Chris Gill anchored the reply and his unbeaten 45 took Glossop to a reduced target of 134, (after a rain break), for a six-wicket win.  The victory lifts the North Road team away from the drop zone and they now have an eight-point cushion.  

They did however exit the Derek Kay Cup on Sunday losing by three wickets at Prestwich.

Glossop 134-4 beat Bury 145ao (DLS); Heaton 153-7 beat Greenfield162ao (DLS) Bradshaw 135ao Flowery Field 207ao; Shaw 419-4 Brooksbottom 205ao; Glodwick 277-8 Flixton 145ao; Stand 213-8 Heywood 285-5

Championship

Both Mottram and Dukinfield had welcome wins, relieving the pressure but they are still around the relegation zone. 

Mottram travelled to Stretford boosted by a sub-pro appearance from Colne paid man Geeth Kumara and he certainly gave value for money. Mottram reached 201ao with Liam Tongue, who will shortly be swapping cricket whites for the red of Hyde United, top scoring with 43. 

Kumara entered the attack in the Stretford reply as second change and took total control.  He ran through the opposition, finishing with 7-27.

Dukinfield dismissed visiting Westleigh for 144 as pro Denuwan Rajukarana, (5-43), finished things off after Syd De Silva, (3-55), had made the early inroads. Dukinfield had lost six on the bounce going into the game but a third wicket partnership of 82 between Will Allen, (49), and Rajakaruna, (44), took them to the brink of victory.

Elsewhere, Elton lead the way, with Woodhouses and Monton filling the other two promotion places.

 Elton 180-6 Royton 179-8; Monton 98-4 beat Whalley Range 101ao (DLS); Friarmere 228-8 Winton 178-9; Dukinfield 145-4 Westleigh 144ao; Stretford 131ao Mottram 201ao; Swinton Moorside 106ao Woodhouses 107-8

Division 1 

A local derby at Droylsden, with Stayley as the visitors went the way of the home team who won for the fourth time in five games and now head the table on net run rate from Thornham who went down to Edenfield. 

Stayley looked well set at 101-2, (Chris Tipper 59), but Jamie Walker took control, taking 5-21, as the remaining eight wickets added only 56.  Richard Mooney led the way in the reply after the early departure of the normally prolific Hashan Gunathila.  Mooney got 51, and with support from Matt Halliday and Jackson Purchase took Droylsden to a five-wicket win. Droylsden exited the Cup on Sunday, narrowly losing to Elton.

Hadfield bounced back after a couple of losses. Visiting Roe Green, they posted an imposing 264-6.  Liam Doyle, (95), and Louis van Zyl, (75), were the main contributors and late hitting saw 59 added in the last five overs.  

It was far too many for the hosts who tumbled to 38-6 as Cameron Ball took 4-36, making it 41 wickets for the season. Some late resistance took Roe Green to 128ao, leaving Hadfield with a convincing win which sees them in third place.  They also had success on Sunday beating Dukinfield in the Cup.

Roe Green 2nd XI 128ao Hadfield 264-6; Thornham 81ao Edenfield 166ao; Saddleworth 204-5 Oldham 200ao; Uppermill 146ao Golborne 148-1; SW Manchester 174-9 Austerlands 178-2; Droylsden 158-5 Stayley 157ao

Division 2B 

Micklehurst had been on a decent run, (five wins in six games) but surprisingly went down when they visited Denton SL who are struggling near the foot of the table. At 99-1, (Daniel Clayton 46), with 35 overs left a huge total looked on the cards but Micklehurst were rocked by DSL, losing six wickets for 10 runs, (Harvey Cliff picking up 5-33), and they finished with a disappointing 143ao. The loss of three early wickets in the DSL reply gave Micklehurst hope of defending the total but there was to be no further success.  A patient 75* from Danny Hall, supported by 39* from Ethan Illingworth in an unbroken partnership of 124 took DSL to a 7-wicket win. 

Micklehurst bounced back 24 hours later with an impressive John Barrow Trophy win over Werneth, successfully chasing 223.

Denton went down for the seventh time this year as Milnrow beat them comprehensively by 123 runs after totalling 197ao.  Andrew Neill had a decent afternoon with the ball for Denton taking 4-24.  Denton were never in the running and fell to 74ao

Werneth head the table, having lost just a single game as they chased 221 to win at Wythenshawe who have shown a lot of improvement in 2022.

Denton SL 2nd XI 147-3 Micklehurst 143ao; Oldham 2nd XI 174ao Friarmere 2nd XI 94ao; Littleborough Lakeside 183-4 beat Glodwick 2nd XI 184ao (DLS); Milnrow 197ao Denton 74ao; Wythenshawe 220-8 Werneth 222-4; Greenfield 2nd XI 100ao Denton West 2nd XI 103-2

Division 3E 

After relegation last year Ashton set their sights on an immediate return and certainly look to be on target.  

Saturday’s win at Flowery Field preserved their 100% record.  Tom Rayson set them on their way striking with the first ball of the game and Flowery wickets fell regularly in the face of a six-man attack.  A target of 97 proved no problem as Richard Taylor took charge.  His quickfire 49 took him over 400 runs for the season and gave Ashton the impetus for a seven wicket win in 11 overs.

Ashton Ladysmith had a good win at Mottram chasing the home side’s 225-9, (James Collinson 53), with Paul Reynolds, (4-41), featuring with the ball for Ladsymith. 

David Gaskin got 54 in the reply but his dismissal at 155-5 made the home side favourites, with 71 still needed.  However, Ladysmith met the challenge and helped by 38 from Imran Khan they got over the line by two wickets with three overs to spare.

They also enjoyed success on Sunday progressing to the semi-final of the John Barrow Trophy with a win over Failsworth Macedonia.

Heywood 2nd XI 99ao Heyside 2nd XI 100-3; Werneth 2nd XI 253-7 Dukinfield 2nd XI 115ao; Woodhouses 2nd XI 245-8 Glossop 2nd XI 264ao; Flowery Field 2nd XI 96ao Ashton 100-3; Royton 2nd XI 241ao Springhead 270-6; Mottram 2nd XI 225-9 Ashton Ladysmith 226-8

Picture by John Parkins