Whilst we’d had a steady stream of fixtures throughout the season thus far, it hadn’t seen anything like week 10’s “maelstrom” of fixtures, as John put it. There were 9 fixtures in all and, despite the oppressive heat, we got 8 of them completed (Bredbury St Marks had cancelled all junior cricket that week, although it was actually relatively pleasant in the evenings so this was perhaps an overreaction). Spectacularly, we won all 8 of them.
Monday 22nd June 2026: High Peak U13s league T20 (Division Bollin)
Heaton Mersey Phoenix 110/6 (20) beat Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge 53 all out (16.2) by 57 runs (Scorecard)
We started the week with a High Peak fixture against Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge, debuting at our third ground, Burnage School For Boys. The outfield grass was heavy and the boundaries were uneven (short on one side and long on the other) and so, despite the artificial strip theoretically making the bounce more predictable, lower scores were expected.
Whilst the temperature had started to crank up this week, by 6pm it was not too bad and we had regular drinks breaks. By 7pm, it was perfectly pleasant and there were no issues with playing the game. The opposition’s umpire was as young as we have seen, and was repeatedly commented on by our players. He was apparently 14 but did an okay job – there were certainly no specific issues arising.
Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge won the toss and put Mersey in to bat. Billy was happy to face the opening delivery but unfortunately it was an absolute beauty: a fast, full yorker which crashed into Billy’s stumps. Despite that early setback, Shazil and Stan accumulated nicely. Boundaries were hard to come by, but Stan struck two fours to keep the scoreboard ticking over at about five runs an over. Stan tried a more aerial route but was caught for 15 off 21 balls, which brought Ollie M to the crease.
Shazil hit two fours during his innings but otherwise it was pure accumulation and he retired on 25 off just 26 balls, an impressive strike rate given the conditions. With Ollie batting relatively conservatively, that enabled Sam to score at his customary fast rate, hitting three fours, albeit playing and missing against some away swing. With retirement in sight, he was bowled for 24 off just 22 balls.
The score was 90/2 at the start of the 17th over and the rest of the batters were on a hiding to nothing, playing purely for the team. Archie had a swing and was bowled for 1, while Gregory set off for a single in the last over but was run out first ball for 0. That at least enabled Huzaifah to hit a sweet four after the opposition had conceded four byes. Ollie had also fallen in the last over trying to increase the pace, scoring 20 in his first meaningful knock of the season.
The little rush at the end got us to 110/5, which we reasoned you could probably add 20 runs to given the outfield, so it was expected to be a challenging target.
That proved to be the case as the opposition found scoring tough. Jake conceded two runs off the first over then enter Puneeth. Bowling an immaculate wicket-to-wicket line and getting a decent amount of outswing, he bowled both openers in first over, in what was an inspired bowling choice by captain Stan. Evan bowled the fourth over, and their batter smashed a low flat shot to Archie at mid-off, who pouched it well.
The bowlers continued to keep it tight, with Archie finding a nice line and hitting the batter’s off stump in his second over. The visitors reached 31/4 after 10 overs and had a mountain to climb.
Huzaifah then entered the attack, with the batter (who was the captain, I think) having previously confessed to liking spin, unless it was legspin. He duly went on the attack against Huzaifah but, having struck a powerful lofted drive, could only watch as Gregory ran round and took an impressive catch on the run. It was then a procession.
Sam H hit the stumps with the final ball of his over, as did Ollie M, while Stan did the same twice in his first three balls. The best was saved for last, though. The batters had survived a couple of further overs, but Sam found some turn and the edge of the bat, which was plucked out of thin air by Jake at slip with his left hand to end the innings. They were 53 all out and we had won by 57 runs. That put us back in the mix at the top of the table.
Tuesday 23rd June 2026: High Peak U13s league T20 (Division Dean)
Prestbury 91/6 (20) lost to Heaton Mersey Magic 101/8 (20) by 10 runs (Scorecard)
Magic were on fire as the heatwave started, to make it 5 wins out of 6 games played in the High Peak league.
Captain Leo won the toss and elected to bat first. Charlie stepped out and produced another fantastic opening batsman performance, retiring on 25 runs from 32 balls. He was ably supported by some great batting from Lucas and Joseph.
The controversial hydration break at 10 overs didn’t work for the Magic team, with 7 wickets falling in quick succession afterwards. However, up stepped the last two batters, Zane and Yusuf, the latter standing in at the last minute. Both played some great shots, clocking up a partnership of 21 runs and pushing the total over the hundred mark.
With the added motivation of finishing the game swiftly in time to watch the England football match, the Magic team started brightly. Wickets quickly came from Issac’s bowling (LBW) and from a run-out from Finlay. At the hydration break, Prestbury were slightly ahead on run rate. However, afterwards, Magic stepped it up with wickets from Tom B (caught George) and then George himself (bowled).
In the 15th over, Finlay managed to get some impressive turn from his leg spin. First ball: wicket (caught and bowled); second ball: another wicket (caught and bowled). There were shouts of ‘hat-trick ball’ and the energy in the field stepped up. Unfortunately it wasn’t to be, but Magic kept things tight in the last 4 overs to secure the win and get back home just in time for kick off.
Tuesday 23rd June 2026: Cheshire U13s league T20 (Under 13 Zone 1)
Heaton Mersey U13s 108/5 (19.1) beat Timperley Eagles 107/9 (20) by 5 wickets (Scorecard)
It was a superb victory for Mersey in the sultry heat against a full-strength Timperley side who had only been beaten once this season (by Whalley Range). Captain Younus won the toss and elected to bowl first. The away side started brightly until Shazil struck with a full-length thunderbolt clean-bowling the Timperley opener who walked off chuntering to himself. Adam then struck with a smart caught and bowled, and there was a calamitous run out by the visitors as Stan scored a direct hit to the stumps with his customary rocket throw from point.
The visitors accumulated runs briskly as the extras mounted up until Jake struck in the 10th over, clean-bowling Timperley’s best batter (statistically speaking this season) with a superb full delivery. After a much-needed drinks break, Mersey struck twice in the twelfth over as Stan bowled an immaculate line and length (just outside of off stump), bowling his first victim and with Adam pouching a smart catch at cover for the 2nd wicket of the over.
The visitors then had an excellent partnership of 41 runs until Stan struck again with Adam taking his 3rd catch of the innings. Timperley tried to accelerate, but another wicket fell as Sam H took a superb catch on the run from a slog that went high up in the sky. Thomas L took another wicket and the innings finished with a run-out by Billy, the visitors finishing on a respectable 107/9. Stan finished as the best bowler, taking 3 for 6 in his 2 overs.
Mersey started their innings and lost an early wicker through a run-out because of a superb piece of fielding to leave Adam stranded. Shazil joined Harrison at the crease and, after a slow, careful start, they began to accumulate runs with quick singles and well-timed fours. The partnership blossomed with Mersey reaching 55/1 after 10 overs before another drinks break.
Harrison and Shazil put on an unbeaten 63 runs as both batters retired not out (30* off 41 balls and 31* of 36 balls respectively); a superb effort as they repelled everything that Timperley could throw at them. The visitors turned to spin and struck quickly with Sam holing out to mid-off as Younus joined Stan at the crease. Younus struck a meaty couple of fours before another run-out on a tight quick single.
Billy then came to the crease and immediately batted with calm assurance. Then the visitors struck with two wickets in two balls (Stan and Naeem missing straight deliveries). Jake was next in, and despite a bit of playing and missing, hit a lovely four before Billy hit the winning runs with a punch through the offside for 2 runs.
Mersey finished on 108/5, winning with 5 balls to spare, with Billy and Jake staying cool in the heat to steer Mersey to victory. It was a superb team effort and well-deserved victory. The pink match ball was awarded by captain Younus and vice-captain Stan to Shazil for his excellent batting (retiring not out) and bowling.
Areas for improvement – hard to fault the team in the hot conditions. So, I won’t.
Friday 26th June 2026: South Manchester U13s league T20 (Division 3)
Heaton Mersey U12s 113/1 (13.5) beat North East Cheshire Spitfires 112/6 (20) by 9 wickets (Scorecard)
Our final U12s fixture of the season saw us come to our favourite ground (for our winning record if not the facilities), Heaton Mersey Village, with the oppressive heat just about starting to dissipate. The opposition won the toss and elected to bat, meaning that we were going to field during the warmest part of the day, although we generally like to bowl first anyway, hot conditions aside.
The second over, bowled by George, could have got us off to a great start, as he got their decent opener to nick the ball behind, but it was unfortunately dropped by Sam W. The opener then punished George with three fours before chipping the ball back to George, who also put him down. However, Thomas L’s golden arm continued, inducing a chipped shot from the other opener, to be comfortably caught by Charlie at mid-on.
Their opener continued to find the boundary at will, including a consecutive four and six off Leo, which took him to a retirement on 35 runs off 19 balls. Shortly after, Charlie bowled a steepling bouncer, which went way over the head of the batter and was given a no-ball, but the batter was confused and took off for a run, leaving Sam to throw down the stumps for a clear run-out. Charlie then found more reasonable bounce to get the batter to nick off into the welcoming gloves of Sam, who did not make a mistake this time. That left the opposition at 57/3 in the 8th over, losing wickets but maintaining a healthy scoring rate.
They continued to tick the scoreboard over until they tried to take on a second run against the rocket arm of Gregory, running round from square leg to fine leg, with the throw taken well by Sam and finding the batter well short. Their other batter soon retired on 30, and the run rate started to slow. Harvey bowled one of the batters in the penultimate over with his customary full length, while Sam threw down the stumps for a run-out off the last ball in the innings, for four wicket involvements in the innings. They finished on 112/6 off their 20 overs, a fairly decent total but the outfield was much faster than it had been in previous games.
We needed to start well, having lost two early wickets the previous week against Timperley, and that’s what we did. Both openers seized on anything short – and the opposition generally bowled too short – hitting cleanly through the line. The well-shorn outfield helped, as they traded boundaries. Charlie was on four fours compared to Jake’s one, but then Jake hit a tennis-style shot, hooking the ball from above his head from outside his off stump, cleanly over the line of parents for six, and then hitting a four two balls later.
Charlie rode his luck, twice skying the ball high in the air, being dropped both times. He added two more fours and retired on 30 off just 24 balls. The very next ball, Jake clothed the ball to midwicket to be out for 23 off 16 balls. But the damage had been done: we were already 61/1 after 7 overs.
The scoring then slowed and the fielding side got more vociferous, led by their captain Reggie; but the batters were just getting their eye in. Leo started circumspectly, and it was Thomas who started to up the scoring rate first, striking five fours in as many overs, retiring on an impressive 30 off 27 balls. We were in sight of the finish line then, so Leo stepped up with a couple of boundaries of his own to finish on 15 not out off as many balls, while Sam smashed a four off his first ball, before a bye run off a no-ball sealed the match in mild anti-climactic fashion.
We had won the match by 9 wickets, with over 6 overs to spare, which was a pretty amazing chase even allowing for the relatively fast-scoring nature of the pitch and outfield. We finished the league with three wins out of five, and had we put a better foot forward, we could have won all five. In all, we’d won 7 out of 10 matches playing as an U12 side – it felt like the side really gelled with great spirit. A photo of the best scoreboard ever:
Friday 26th June 2026: South Manchester U13s league T20 (Division 1)
Hale Barns Gold 90 all out (19.3) lost to Heaton Mersey U13s 131/8 (20) by 41 runs (Scorecard)
On a very warm and humid evening in the leafy grounds of Hale Barns’ home ground, Mersey completed an excellent victory. The visitors won the toss and captain, Shawaiz, decided to bat. From the start, Mersey batted with real intent with Shawaiz and then Younus hitting glorious boundaries. After losing Shawaiz, Younus and Adam in quick succession, Naeem and Billy steady the batting and progressed the scoring, with Naeem hitting some classy boundaries through point/gully.
Two wickets fell to leave the visitors on 53/5 and in danger of not batting their 20 overs. Arjo then fell LBW (not given by me) leaving Mersey on 57/6 with 11 overs left. But Zayaan and Sam batted sensibly against some excellent spin bowling as the bowlers extracted significant turn from the surface, mixing sturdy defence with quick singles to rotate the strike (good left-hand/right-hand combination). At the end of the 15th over, Mersey were 78/6: cue the training scenario about batting in the last five overs (performed two days ago).
Sam and Zayaan hit the batting accelerator scoring 45 runs in four overs, destroying Hale Barns’ attack, Zayaan batting with real class and focus, and Sam hitting form including two massive sixes towards the barbeque at the clubhouse. Sam retired on 33* (of 31 balls); in the push for runs, Zayaan perished for a superb 27, the pair putting on a partnership of 68 runs. Stan clipped a legside four before getting run out of the last ball leaving the visitors on 131/8 off their 20 overs.
Hale Barns had a powerful-looking top order and they started well before Shazil struck with a customary superb full-length ball to send the stumps cartwheeling. Naeem struck in the 5th over with a similar delivery to send the bails to Wales. The home side’s two best batters then batted fluently with some excellent boundaries, but ‘golden arm’ Younus then struck at the end of the 9th over.
The match then turned decisively when Arjo bowled a classic arm ball to pin the Hale Barns batter for a plumb LBW. Arjo struck again in his next over with Sam taking a smart catch at midwicket, before Younus got a run out (off a misfield) to leave Hale Barns reeling. Zayaan then bowled a superb couple of ‘death’ overs, taking a wicket and bowling two maidens. Shawaiz bowled the final over the match and struck in his first ball with Billy taking a stonker of a catch behind the stumps. With a run-out off the final ball of the match, Mersey completed a comprehensive victory.
An excellent victory for Mersey. The pink match ball was awarded by captain Shawaiz and vice-captain Younus to Sam for his batting (retiring not out).
Areas for improvement – nothing obvious as the previous training on batting/bowling came to fruition.
Saturday 27th June 2026: High Peak U13s league T20 (Division Bollin)
Heaton Mersey Phoenix 170/4 (20) beat Cheadle Falcons 69 all out (15.5) by 101 runs (Scorecard)
It was a very easy win for Mersey against the High Peak League leaders on a warm Saturday morning at Burnage Academy for Boys (‘BAFB’). The away side, shorn of a few of their best players, won the toss and elected to field on the artificial pitch and a freshly cut grass outfield. The home side batted at a quick scoring rate before Shawaiz was bowled. Naeem joined Shazil at the crease and the runs continued to flow quickly.
Shazil fell to the last ball of the 6th over and Adam entered the fray. Adam then batted like someone who had a train to catch; his scoring was as follows: .444.424.6 (the six being a brutal straight hit which nearly hit the school sports hall) retiring on 28* off 9 balls (a strike rate of 311.11!!!). Naeem departed, leaving Jake and Sam at the crease. This batting pair shredded the bowling attack, scoring 43 runs off 22 balls, with Sam hitting 27* off 15 balls including 2 sixes and 2 fours, and Jake retiring unbeaten on 27* off 17 balls including 5 fours.
Billy and the U11 player, Evan, then batted fluently and the score continued to rattle along, with the pair running lots of quick singles and Evan hitting some sumptuous punches for four through the cover region (some of the best shots that I have seen all season). Huzaifah then batted with Evan after Billy’s departure and pushed for quick singles, with the home side finishing on an impressive 170/4 as Evan finished unbeaten on 14 off 11 balls.
The away batted carefully until Liam struck first in the 5th over. Ollie M then took a wicket and the wickets continued to tumble, with Liam taking two more wickets (one a spectacular catch by Huzaifah who collided with Ollie and still held onto the ball!!!) and Ollie bagging another. There was some resistance from the away side’s best batter until Huzaifah struck with a lovely looping left arm off-spin delivery. Huzaifah struck again and this was quickly followed by Sam cleaning bowling their next two batters. Naeem then finished off the innings with a rapid yorker which scattered the stumps far and wide.
It was a very easy win for Mersey to put them top of the group. The pink match ball was awarded by captain Shazil and vice-captain Sam to Ollie.
Areas for improvement – loud and clear calling for a catch to avoid players colliding.
Sunday 28th June 2026: High Peak U13s league T20 (Division Dean)
Stockport Georgians 80 all out lost to Heaton Mersey Phoenix Magic 94 all out (16.3) by 14 runs (Scorecard)
It was another hard fought victory by Magic against a well-drilled Stockport Georgians team.
Mersey lost the toss and were put into bat. Despite a couple of showers and a 5-minute rain break, Magic quickly started racking up the runs. Leo was top scorer and retired with 25 runs off 22 balls. He was well supported by Arjo who was the second top scorer with 14.
There were also boundaries from Younus, Finlay, Zayaan and Lloyd as they kept the total ticking over. Controversially, Tom B should have also had a boundary, but the biased home crowd failed to do the right thing and report the fielder had touched the rope even when respectfully challenged by the away crowd. Where is DRS when you need it!
Spurred on by the controversy, Magic responded in the best way possible by putting in a fantastic bowling and fielding performance. Spin was king with Arjo taking 4 wickets and Finlay 2. There were also wickets for Younis (2), Charlie and Omar (on his debut). The fielding performance was excellent, with a stumping from Leo, four catches from Charlie as well as catches from Omar and Finlay.
It was a great win which moves the Magic team up to 3rd in the table and within striking distance of the top two and a semi-final spot. Player of the match went to Arjo for his performance with both bat and ball.
Sunday 28th June 2026: Cheshire U13s league T20 (Under 13 Zone 1)
Sale 94/8 (20) lost to Heaton Mersey UI13s 147/3 (20) by 53 runs (Scorecard)
It was a solid win for Mersey against Sale on a rare Sunday morning outing. After a delayed start due to some issues at the Sale ground, the away side won the toss and captain Shazil decided to bat first on a dry, green-looking pitch which had significant cracks in its surface. Shazil and Harrison started batting confidently until Shazil was given out adjudged LBW. Adam then started with his customary zeal, hitting a couple of powerful fours before being bowled at the start of the 6th over.
Naeem joined Harrison at the crease, having been promoted up the order, and the pair ran superbly between the wickets, putting pressure on the fielders. Harrison hit a fluent 27 before being adjudged caught behind to a wide delivery. Sam then joined Naeem at the crease. The scoring rate dipped before Sam exploded in the 17th over, hitting 6/4/4 in the first three balls with the first hit nearly clearing Sale’s net, which was protecting the nearby houses.
Sam then retired on 31* (off 14 balls), bringing Shawaiz in, who immediately batted with real intent, hitting 12 off 6 balls. Mersey finished on an excellent 141/6 off 20 overs, with Naeem finishing unbeaten on 23 off 35 balls.
The home side started their innings and immediately went on the attack, with one of their openers hitting a couple of powerful boundaries in the opening over before Naeem produced a superb delivery to splatter his stumps (the best delivery that I have seen this season). Sale continued to score well, aided by several extras.
However, the match was effectively ended in the 8th over when Adam produced a superb burst of quick bowling to take a HAT-TRICK. Sam W took an excellent catch behind for the 1st wicket, with the next two wickets being superb full-length deliveries. Gregory and Will then produced four excellent overs with no reward before Sam bowled the next batter with a classic left-arm full delivery.
Puneeth then took another wicket as his bowling has greatly improved this season. Stan and Harrison bowled accurately as the Sale batters protected their wicket well. Harrison then took two wickets in two balls in the final over but narrowly missed out on a hat-trick as the match ended with a Test Match field from the visitors, Sale finishing on 94/8.
The pink match ball was awarded by captain Shazil and vice-captain Shawaiz to Adam for his glorious hat-trick. A special mention to Sam W for his wicket-keeping during this match which was excellent.
Areas for improvement – bowling to the conditions, e.g. altering line for slope of pitch and wind direction.
