Junior Update - July 2023
Welcome One And All,
With the junior season well underway, I felt it was a good time to do a round-up of how our junior teams have fared so far and what’s still to look forward to over the rest of the junior season.
Please also allow me to add some colour to this junior update.
I wrote it all. It took me 2 hours. I was dead proud of it. I accidentally deleted it.
Having paced the cricket club frantically looking for answers which never came, I am now hurriedly re-creating it.
All-Stars and Friday Night Training
Mottram CC held All-Stars for the first time ever this summer, providing a fun and welcoming introduction to cricket for 4 to 8 years olds.
It’s been great to see several our All-Stars opt to now join us for our regular Friday Night sessions.
Our Friday Nights will be running throughout July, August and perhaps even into September if the weather allows!
So, if you know anyone from 6 to 15 looking to discover, or re-discover, cricket then please invite them to join us. New attendees get two sessions free to try it out. 6pm till 7.30pm on Fridays.
Mottram CC’s Cricket Summer Camp Returns!
We are delighted to confirm that we will once again be hosting a 3-day Summer Cricket Camp at Mottram CC.
Running on Tuesday 29th August, Wednesday 30th August and Thursday 31st August, the Camp will be hosted by our ECB Accredited Coaches and will include sessions led by Test Cricketer and Club Professional, Tafadzwa Tsiga.
More details and a booking link will be released soon.
U9s Round-Up
It’s been a busy summer for both the U9s Reds and U9s Blues, who’ve been intrepid travellers visiting Staley, Micklehurst, Glossop, Micklehurst again, Glossop for a change of scenery and then Micklehurst again for a laugh.
The Reds have been in fine form, only being vanquished once all season when they fell short v. Micklehurst. William and Kiki have been in destructive form with the bat, with Megan and Oliver regularly chipping in with wickets.
For the Blues, more wins have been achieved than across the entirety of last season. The Mark Hannon production line of 6 to 9 year olds shows no signs of slowing down. Leo M has been the star man with the bat, whilst there’s been encouraging signs from plenty of debutants including Thea and C-Fletch.
U11s Round-Up
CGB’s softball charges have decided to deal exclusively in thrillers this season. Two games decided by last gap wickets and a CricHQ busting tie against Stand in early June.
George, Thomas and Megan have all been impressive as they’ve made the step up from U9s to become Sunday stalwarts. Skipper William has spearheaded the side well with both bat and ball, plenty of bowlers falling foul of his dismissive flick for 6 off the legs.
The Hardball Brigade were challenged to repeat last season’s achievement of reaching the top Performance League. This was achieved with aplomb, finishing joint top of our Regional League with Droyslden.
After 3 performance league games, we’ve won 2 from 3. All three games were true team efforts topped off by individual moments of joy and skill (i.e. Eggsy’s Middleton 3fer, William’s double salvo in the opening over against Thornham and Paddy’s frankly ludicrous 46* vs. Saddleworth).
Plenty of cricket still to come for the 11s as we finish our league campaign and look to introduce additional
players to hardball through friendlies in July and August.
U13s Round-Up
Barring one game v Denton West, the 13s have seen pretty much all their fixtures decided right at the death.
We’ve had the highs of close victories v Hyde (Norris marshalling the run chase), Milnrow (Niamh to the rescue) and Droylsden (Patrick going into Test Match mode to help us sneak over the line).
We’ve also been on the end of a few close calls, with Micklehurst and Ashton just about sneaking over the line.
At the top of the order, it’s been great to see Thomas’s Norris and Hardman build a proper opening partnership and often build us a solid platform to bat from.
With the ball, it’s been a pleasure to witness Callum G’s Ashley Giles tribute act bamboozling people on a regular basis. 8 wickets and counting for CG.
Lots of fixtures being arranged for the 13s to ensure game time with bat and ball for everyone between now and the end of the season. This will be through both the GMCL Summer Cup and friendlies we’re in the process of arranging.
U15s Round-Up
After a chastening start to the season courtesy of tough shifts at DSL and Greenfield, the U15s have found their feet and competed well.
Close games against Dukinfield and Werneth showed strong application, before our first win of the season came at Woodhouses courtesy of Stan’s fine 27 and 2 wickets apiece for James, Eesa and Dan.
James has settled into the captaincy fantastically, and Dan Dadge has been an absolute rock at the top of the order. Currently averaging 35, he’s provided reliability and no end of quality at the top of the order.
As ever, it’s a team game and it’s worth highlighting the army of U13s and U11s who’ve taken to the field to help the 15s get a full compliment onto the field.
The likes of Noah, Thomas, Eesa and Patrick have become regulars over the past 12 months, whilst Lucas, Callum, Tom H and James H have saved valuable runs in the field and will hopefully have benefited from the experience.
The U15s have been entered into the Summer Cup so will have further fixtures in August, beyond the current games arranged.
U18s Round-Up
With the top brass at AQA and Edexcel selfishly choosing the summer months as the home of A-Levels, it’s been a fragmented season for most GMCL 18s sides.
In the heady days of May, Denton West were dismantled with Whizzer and Charlie Stafford imperious with the ball. West got their revenge last week though, beating us by 3 wickets at Windsor Park. Harley’s rapid 23 not quite enough to get us over the line.
In amongst all of the revising and practice papers, Friends Sporting snuck over the line in the Philip Simon Derby. An imperious Ben Martin 50 looked to be getting us home, but we fell agonisingly short.
A 16 over bash against Saddleworth (reduced from 20 because I sent everyone to the wrong ground) also went awry with our 116, easily chased.
Don’t panic though cricket fans. The 18s are barely getting started. There are multiple league games still to go and we also have the U19s T20 fixtures starting against Hyde on Tuesday 18th July.
