Opening Weekend Teams & Preview
After a long winter, the most exciting day of a cricketer’s calendar is nearly here. The start of the new season!
Preparations for competitive action have been difficult, with the poor weather meaning friendly matches cancelled and only a handful of outdoor nets have been able to take place. The 3rd team were slated to begin their league campaign away to Ashton last Sunday, but the weather put paid to that too.
Forecasts for Saturday and Sunday are mixed, but cricket and results should be possible.
Thank you to all our match and ball sponsors, as well as our tea persons ahead of this weekend.
You can view the selected teams by clicking the button below.
Mottram 1st XI v Bury 1st XI – 22nd April, 12:30
Match Sponsor –
Phil Mellor
Ball Sponsor –
Kudos Drinks
Tea Sponsor –
Mark Conroy
The 1st team have the honour of the first home game of the year at the Sapphire Cricket Ground, facing a Bury side who were relegated from Premier Two in 2022, into the Championship. The two clubs have not met before in GMCL history.
The side will be led by Ryan Fitton this season, following Stefan Fielding stepping down after 10 years at the helm. Tafadzwa Tsiga returns as professional having landed in the UK on Tuesday, fresh from his test debut for Zimbabwe in February.
The key man for Bury looks to be all-rounder Mukhtar Nasir, who took 38 wickets and scored 486 runs in 2022.
Shaw 2nd XI V Mottram 2nd XI – 22nd April, 12:30
Away Ball Sponsor:
Paul Stevens
The 2nd team are on the road to start the season, travelling to Shaw (Oldham, obviously) for what will be many of the player’s first visit there. Shaw were promoted from Division 4 East in 2022, but following a restructure will be playing in a named Division 4 East again, albeit a step higher in the pyramid after the addition of a Division 5. As with the first team, the two clubs have not met before in GMCL history.
The team are also led by a new captain in Phil Rowston. Phil joined the club in 2022 after a few years away from cricket, previously playing for local rivals Broadbottom. Sadly, Phil is not available to play this weekend owing to a bout of pancreatitis and a trip to Tameside General. However, he will be there to support his charges.
Mottram 3rd XI v Prestwich 4th XI – 23rd April, 14:00
Match Sponsor:
Chris Bowen (Mottram Supporters USA Branch)
Ball Sponsor:
The Stafford Family
Tea Sponsor –
Adam Fitton & Mathew Harrop
The 2023 season sees the 3rd team join the full Sunday pyramid for the first time, which will see 18 league fixtures and proper competitive action. Led once more by Adam Fitton, hopes are high in the camp for a strong season, with runs of games to allow settled sides as opposed to the long gaps between fixtures seen in 2022 as well as a proper averages and stats table.
Despite playing against a 4th XI, Prestwich are a strong club boasting 5 senior sides and so will certainly be no pushovers as we look to make a winning start. Mottram have met Prestwich before at 1st and 4th team, but the 3rd team has not played against them previously.
Middlewich 4th XI v Mottram 4th XI – 23rd April, 13:30
Away Ball Sponsor:
Dave Green
Sam Bennett’s men and women loved travelling to deep Cheshire in 2022, and there is no change at the start of the 2023 season as continue to accrue their miles with a trip to Middlewich.
Sam is as keen as ever to play cricket and find new speed cameras to get caught on. Mark Hannon has purchased a new mouth guard.
This is the first of a few friendly fixtures before the team play their first ever competitive fixture in the Derbyshire & Cheshire Sunday Development League in May. It’s fair to say both young and old players are chomping at the bit!
We have never played against Middlewich before and so little is known on the potential ability of the opposition; we hope it closely matches our side. We also look forward to the return of Sam’s match reports, which provide us with light humour on a Sunday evening/Monday morning.
