After one win in the first four games, Heaton Mersey U12s upped their game in the second fortnight, winning the next four.
Friday 16th May 2025: Heaton Mersey Phoenix 130/7 (20) beat Ashton-on-Mersey 106/8 by 24 runs –South Manchester T20 league (Scorecard)
A much needed win against another strong team last night. Batting first, the boys played with good intensity from the start. A lovely 21 from Shazil opening, including the most technically perfect pull shot, helped us make a solid start. As has become the norm, Adam came in, and after a shaky couple of balls found his rhythm and retired again off 20 balls with 6 fours. Stan 17 and Felix 19 made sure the scoreboard kept ticking as we amassed a great score.
Conditions were perfect for batting, and Ashton came out firing. Thankfully, a stunning 2 overs from Shazil with 2 for 3 put the brakes on their fast start. 2 wickets from Zayaan, 1 for George, 1 for Arjo, 1 for Cameron, and 1 for Sam meant a relatively comfortable win in the end. Fielding was greatly improved with Adam taking 2 worldies in his 3 catches. Zayaan was the star, patrolling the boundary, and Billy was back to his best behind the stumps. Still a few misfields to improve, but a real team performance with everyone contributing.
Tuesday 20th May 2025: Heaton Mersey Phoenix 122/6 (17.4) beat Lindow Under 12 121/6 (19.5) by 4 wickets – U12 John North Cup Round 1 (Scorecard)
What a result for Mersey this evening. The opposition’s lineup was chockablock with Cheshire players but they weren’t a patch on our lads.
Captain Stan won the toss and elected to field. A surprising choice considering the scorched pitch and blue skies, but it was all part of a carefully crafted plan. Turned out to be a masterplan.
Shazil’s opening two overs were laser beam accurate. Two richly deserved maidens, but how he didn’t get a wicket I’ll never know. Along with some good stuff from Stan, Aman, Zayaan, George and James, the first eight overs were miserly.
But after the first wicket fell (a safe catch by Shazil off the bowling of Zayaan), the big hitters arrived at the crease and Lindow’s scoring rate cranked up a notch. Enter Stanley Wall. After a few bludgeoned fours, big hitter one had his middle stump removed by a swinging yorker from the captain and was soon trudging back to the hutch. He was replaced by big hitter two, and while the runs continued to flow, our bowlers stuck to the task.
A wicket for Younus, two for Zayaan (including a peach of an lbw), and another for Stan, along with some solid overs from Albert, Puneeth and James, made it 121-6 at the end of twenty overs. Not bad considering Lindow’s firepower, but in truth it should have been better. If we’d have held all our catches, taken a few easy runouts, and not given away some sloppy buzzers, we could have kept it below a hundred.
Some negative onlookers from afar wondered whether 122 was really chaseable (Rich, I’m looking at you) but in the end the Phoenix made it look easy. Billy was composed from the off, blocking the straight ones, smashing the bad ones, and picking up twelve runs before spooning a catch to mid-on. Shazil got twelve of his own at the other end, in calm and understated fashion, before Stan stepped up again. He anchored the chase with great confidence and, apart from running out the author of this report’s son (bad luck, James), batted superbly until retiring on 30*.
George played a key role, nonchalantly smashing it around the park for thirteen, before Younus and Puneeth came to the crease. Puneeth was unlucky to be bowled by a jaffa for 1, but Younus, who should forever now be known as “the finisher”, was magnificent. Ably supported by Monty at the other end, he belted it all over the place, ending on 20*.
The winning run came from a wide which was a little anticlimactic, but the job was done. Who could ever have doubted that 121 was chaseable? Phoenix did it with two overs to spare…
Wednesday 21st May 2025: Macclesfield 43 all out (12.2) lost to Heaton Mersey Phoenix 44/0 (5.5) by 10 wickets – High Peak T20 league (Scorecard)
A comprehensive victory this evening for Mersey against a callow home team.
Captain Stan won the toss and elected to field in his customary fashion. After a tight first couple of overs, Stan struck with the first wicket and Mersey did not look back. The wickets tumbled as Arjo, bowling a fuller length, got two in his only over. Then Leo snared one aided by a sharp catch from Younus before Felix hurtled in with a double-wicket over, bowling full and straight.
Younus then bowled his best-ever over, taking three wickets, all cleaned bowled, again with a fuller length. Stan then wrapped up the innings with a smart caught and bowled. The home team were simply blown away by Mersey superb bowling as they were bowled out for 43 runs off only 12.2. overs.
Stan and Isaac then knocked off the modest target of 44 runs in double-quick time off only 5.5 overs. Both openers finishing unbeaten on 16 runs and 18 runs respectively.
Two wins on consecutive days for the squad with improving performances and much better fielding, fuller and straighter bowling and canny batting. That’s two wins out of two in this High Peak League.
Friday 23rd May 2025: Sale 96/7 (20) lost to Heaton Mersey Phoenix 100/6 (14.0) by 4 wickets – South Manchester T20 league (Scorecard)
A solid victory this evening for Mersey away at Sale. The home side won the toss and decided to bat on a dry, dusty pitch which displayed significant variations in bounce, and with the cloud thickening may result in swing later in the match.
Mersey bowled well from the start with the opening pair of Joseph and Felix bowling a beautiful line and length making scoring difficult. Wickets fell at regular intervals with Joseph snaring two of the top three in his first two overs. George then bowled a beauty to clean bowl one of the openers. Scoring then increased until Adam struck as George neatly pouched a catch.
Our new recruit, Naeem, then bowled a superb couple of overs, conquering his nerves and was unlucky not to take wicket. Smart fielding from Sam in an unaccustomed wicket-keeping position resulted in a run-out as Sale looked to accelerate. Zayaan then took two wickets during an excellent spell of controlled swing bowling with Albert taking an excellent catch. Sale finished on 96/7.
Mersey started their batting and from the outset scored at a healthy run-rate of 6 to 7 runs per over. Felix hitting some nice shots before departing when he looked set. Isaac anchored the innings as Sam accelerated before falling to a smart catch when he looked set for a >30 score. Despite a quick three wickets, Younus and Joe steered the Mersey ship home to win the game with ease.
Top scorers: Sam with 18 off 11 balls, Isaac with 17 off 18 balls and Felix with 15 off 22 balls. The running and calling were excellent as Mersey pressurised the home team’s fielders into making mistakes.
That is four wins in eight days for the squad: congratulations! As it is half-term, there are no planned matches for 10 days (I think – actually, currently 12), so enjoy the break and be ready for a busy June.
