Monday 12th June: Bowdon U11 vs Heaton Mersey U10 48/3 (8) abandoned – High Peak league (Scorecard)
Heaton Mersey started solidly if not spectacularly, with Stan scoring 16 and Tom S 12, but the threatened thunderstorms made an appearance and the match was soon called off.
Tuesday 13th June: Bowdon U11 272 (132/15 off 20) lost to Heaton Mersey U10 287 (127/10 off 20) by 15 runs – Cheshire league (Scorecard)
A fantastic victory for Heaton Mersey in a feisty encounter with Bowdon. Mersey won the toss under new captain, Zayaan, who decided to bat in hot and sunny conditions. The opening pair of Tom S and Zayaan batted sensibly against the opening pair of quick bowlers. Mersey scored well initially (aided by Monty’s six), but a flurry of wickets curtailed the scoring rate until the last pair, Sam and Eli, racked up forty-two runs in the last four overs to accelerate Mersey to a competitive total of 287 runs on a dry, fast pitch which was proving tricky to bat on with the irregular bounce. Top scorers were Sam, Harrison, and Tom S. Mersey would have to produce their best bowling and fielding of the season to win this game against a powerful batting attack.
The new ball pairing of Tom S and Zayan bowled fast and straight, restricting Bowdon’s best batters to a low score in the first four overs. Bowdon then started to pick up the pace of scoring, with strong hitting down the ground. However, wickets fell at regular intervals (Monty with two during a superb spell of bowling, Arjo and Felix with one apiece) and Harrison then produced a pivotal spell of bowling, taking 4 for 12, which pushed the home team behind the scoring rate required. With approximately forty runs required off the last four overs, Sam and Eli bowled skilfully to guide Mersey home for a thoroughly deserved victory. There were seven run-outs by Mersey in total, with Zayaan producing three of them with direct hits from mid-off. The wicketkeeping was superb from Harrison and Tom S, who took two smart catches behind the stumps.
A special mention to our three most inexperienced batters, Tom R, Albert, and Eli, who batted with skill and bravery against a formidable attack. And a big thank you to Tim for umpiring in difficult circumstances. This was a true all-round effort from the team with everyone contributing and propels Mersey to the top of the Cheshire League table.
Thursday 15th June: Heaton Mersey U8 257 (90/11 off 16) lost to Heaton Mersey U9 296 (108/4 off 16) by 39 runs – High Peak league (Scorecard)
In the clash of the two Heaton Mersey teams, the U8s team won the toss and elected to bowl on a hot evening. The boundaries were set to their maximum, meaning there was a lot of ground for fielders to cover in the searing heat. The U8 opening bowlers were superb, taking 3 wickets. However, Huzaifah, with one superb boundary, and Jessie kept the scoreboard ticking over with a net score of 18. Harvey and Joe then ran superbly, with 3 fours from Harvey bolstering the score to 243 at the halfway point. It was then George’s time to shine. His partner Adam was happy to play second fiddle as George plundered 3 boundaries to move the score along to 274. Ted and Max both hit superb boundaries in the final pair for a total of 296.
This left the U8s needing 6 an over to tie. They started at a lick with the impressive Jimmy playing like a pro. However, the U9s were able to take regular wickets to peg them back. The older boys exploited their younger counterparts’ lack of experience to engineer three run-outs off one over from Huzaifah. The pick of the bowlers were George and Max, with 2 wickets each. The U8s battled to a respectable 257, leaving the U9s still unbeaten after 6 games in the High Peak league.
Friday 16th June: Heaton Mersey U9 325 (149/8 off 16) beat Didsbury U9 213 (145/11 off 16) by 39 runs – Cheshire league (Scorecard)
I honestly don’t know where to start with the write-up! Didsbury are a formidable opponent and it’s not often that Mersey can beat a Didsbury team – it’s been that way for years! Until tonight.
We bowled well, taking 10 wickets with Isaac, Harley and Olly taking two each and a lovely catch from Leo. But my goodness Didsbury could bat! One of their players was astounding, scoring 43 runs alone. Wow! Didsbury finished on 312 (145/11), which is a mammoth target to beat… but by God we did it!
Mentions firstly to Isaac, Gregory, Leo and Sam all scoring epic run totals with Matty & James pushing for much needed singles to get us past their score, but an extra special mention to Olly & Harley who had only one mission… defend their stumps! The training for the last few weeks has been about defensive shots and cover drives and they used them perfectly!
Ollie’s body positioning was textbook and Harley’s chips to block the stumps were classic and he still stole singles, with Heaton Mersey finishing on 325 (149/8). What a team! They were positive & enthusiastic and played exceptionally well. It was proper cricket all round. So good to watch and a lovely team to face! They really brought the best out in us! Thank you to the parents and kids tonight for making it so much fun!
Sunday 18th June: Heaton Mersey U11 114/3 (20) beat Bowdon U11 93/9 (19) by 21 runs – Cheshire league (Scorecard)
It was a superb win against Bowdon today. Put in to bat on a damp pitch, Felix and Tom got us off to a solid start, with both managing to retire. Harry came in and hit the accelerator and Lucasz scored well to get us up to a very competitive score.
Great new ball bowling from Aidan and Joseph meant that Bowdon were behind the rate from the off. Stan, Adam and Harrison all took a wicket too, whilst Felix and Tom took 2 each to complete a reasonably comfortable victory as the opposition tried to hit out. The fielding was outstanding with Lucasz the star, Adam taking a great catch and Owen keeping very tidily. Finally, a big mention to Fionn who was a fantastic captain, setting his field, encouraging his players and showing great cricket nous throughout. Well done, everyone.
Pic: recycled from a previous week!
