Senior Cricket Round-Up | End of 2024 Season
1ST TEAM
The 2024 season ended with the 1st XI once again consolidating their position in the GMCL Championship, with a provisional placing of 7th secured in our 3rd successive season at that level.
Winning 8 league games, the 1st XI were fairly consistently positioned in the league always sandwiched into one of the mid-table spots between 5th and 9th.
Things got off to a flyer, way back in May as Tafadzwa Tsiga set the tone for his season, hitting an imperious 107 in a victorious trip to Heywood. When Daniel Brightmore and Charlie Stafford both delivered fine 3fers to push us past Uppermill, it was 2 wins from 3 and happy days.
However, the complete loss of a double weekend to big rain in early June was costly, as was a heavy defeat to Saddleworth. A reaction was required and it came nicely, with Stefan Fielding at his gritty, obdurate best scoring 45 in our total of 176 v Edenfield. Dan’s 3 for 11 then ensuring they fell short in response.
That left the 1st XI in 6th going into the July/August period where absences and injuries began to rear their heads.
Lewis Daniel took a miserly 3 for 16 to restrict Austerlands to 116, but despite a defiant 45 from Liam Tongue, we fell 9 short. Victory the week after versus Bury was also a Liam Tongue masterclass with his 65 ably assisted by a fine 45 from Club President Liam Wright. Oliver Andrew also chipping in with a classy 5 for 54.
A complete dismantling of Friarmere was led by Brightmore and Ryan Fitton who both took 4 apiece to leave them woefully short on 98. The chance do the double on the Sunday was lost at the hands of the Weather Gods.
From that point on losses to Astley & Tyldesley, Glodwick and Stand meant a concerted effort was required to fully secure Championship status.
"That mission got off to a thrilling start as Tafadzwa gave Heywood their second edition of his batting masterclass, a blistering 128 off 81 ensuring we timed our chase to perfection and turned the game on its’ head."
Two weeks later, he laid on a similar show for Edenfield where his 98 in tandem with Skipper Andrew’s 62* set an imposing 226. After a strong start from the visitors had the patio twitching slightly, Brightmore (4 for 37) and Fitton (3 for 53) did their thing and ensured we won by 53.
That left a showdown with Austerlands as the opportunity to cement our status, with a game to spare. Batting first it was all abit precarious at 65 for 4 but Stefan (50) and Oliver (64) got themselves settled in to set 197.
Charlie removed their opener before any Austerlands attempt at resistance was masterfully pulled apart by Messrs Brightmore and Fitton.
7th then for the 1st XI and another season in the GMCL 3rd tier secured. Our 8 wins offered a positive platform for 2025 and with rain and injuries falling at kinder times there is a fair chance we can push higher still.
1st XI Statistics |
Bowling: Daniel Brightmore (36 wickets @ 15.47); Ryan Fitton (25 wickets @ 19.52)
Batting: Tafadzwa Tsiga (606 runs @ 40.40); Stefan Fielding (359 runs @ 22.44)
Fielding: Tafadzwa Tsiga (12 catches); Stefan Fielding (9 catches; 2 stumpings)
2ND TEAM
10 wins from 22 games saw the 2nd XI finish 6th in Division 4E and improve on their 8th placed finish in 2023.
Things got off to what could be politely described as a slow start for the 2s. Opening up at home v Woodley we fell 21 runs short of their 186 despite Dan Crudden’s 44 and Captain Phill’s 46. A week later, a shellacking in Alexandra Park was dished out by Friends United.
That was all forgotten soon enough as 3 wins fired the 2nd XI up the table. May’s edition of the Dyson Derby v Glossop saw Paul Graeme Marks land himself 3 for 47 as Glossop got to 147 off 45 overs. In response, PGM helped himself to 33 before Ryan (40*) and Adam Fitton (35) controlled the run chase expertly, seeing us home by 6 wickets.
A week later Droylsden tried to complete the first ever scorecard to exclusively read “Caught Michael Beech, Bowled Harry Moore” as Harry’s 5 for 27 had them all done and dusted for 58. Ayrton Fielding’s 28* seeing us home with the minimum of fuss.
It was soon three on the bounce, courtesy of an overly nervous 2 wicket win v Saddleworth. Saddleworth’s 146 looked well short as The Chairman (28), Phill (39) and Matt Fazackerley (38) took us to 133 for 4. When that suddenly became 133 for 7 it looked miles away. Will Davis 10* spared our blushes to get us home.
No sooner as fortunes brightened up, it was time to face two 1st XIs again. Friends Sporting rolled us for 71 before Denton eased us aside despite Phill’s 42 and Luke Gray’s 35.
That placed the 2nd XI in 8th of 12 and in need of a strong second half of the season to avoid any potential end of season nerve-twitching.
3 wins out of 4 in July was the perfect antidote. PGM bored his way to 4fer v Glodwick to dismiss them for 84 as we won by 7 wickets. Things were much tighter v Woodhouses where Jordan Irons (48) and Michael Beech (35) dragged us to 120. Will Davis and Bailey removed the openers before a middle-order rescue act seemed to have got Woodhouses over the line. Up stepped Alice Dyson (4 for 20) and PGM (2fer) to halt their charge. Mottram win by 9 runs.
"The trio was completed at Woodley who found themselves on the wrong end of a Jordan Irons fireworks display. Across 89 balls he scored 185 electrifying runs, displaying the full range of 360 batting."
Harry Moore’s 5 for 37 completed the routine task of defending 343.
With Division 4E status looking pleasantly secure, August and September could potentially have seen the 2s fade. Promotion Chasers Greenfield and Friends United did indeed see their way past us, but August still had two wins. 56 and 3 for 11 from Phill who remembered be could bowl saw us past Glossop.
Sam’s Fazackerley (73) and Bennett (47*) ensured 225 on the board v Saddleworth. Tom N (2 for 20), Michael Scott (3 for 43) and Sam Fitton (2 for 17) did the damage with the ball to win by 85.
September wasn’t bad neither, as the 2s battled their way past Friends 1s and Denton 1s.
The win in Moss Side was set-up by Michael Scott (vital 33) and knocked over the line in dramatic fashion by Bailey Russell (4 for 32) and Will Davis (5 for 19).
On the final day, Bailey did his 4fer thing again bagging 4 for 38 to contain Denton to 120. In response, Luke set a vital platform with his 29 opening up before Jordan Irons muscled the game away from Denton in commanding fashion, his 76* showcasing a mere 6 sixes.
2nd XI I Statistics |
Bowling: Paul Marks (24 wickets @ 18.92); Bailey Russell (21 wickets @ 22.95)
Batting: Jordan Irons (360 runs @ 90); Phill Rowston (298 runs @ 29.80)
Fielding: Matt Fazackerley (6 catches, 5 stumpings, 1 run out); Michael Beech (9 catches)
3RD TEAM
The 3rd XI finished their second season in Division 2E in 4th place, winning 8 of their 18 games and demonstrating an impressive improvement on 2023’s finish of 7th.
May was the textbook definition of a mixed bag with a routine victory over Flowery Field followed by a chastening home defeat to Friarmere. The Flowery Field victory was spearheaded by Sam Smith (4 for 4) and Will Davis (3 for 8) who skittled the home side for 76, which was chased down with 6 wickets in hand.
Against Friarmere, Whizzer’s 5 for 35 was in vain as the batting failed to fire sufficiently to challenge the visitor’s 209.
A big June was needed and 3 wins out of 4 ensured the 3s delivered. Against Rochdalians it looked as though the decision to press on through the rain had backfired as Rochdalians recovered from 30 for 3 to post 173.
In response, Mathew Harrop (40) and Adam Fitton (20) took the attack to the bowling before their dismissals left us 87 for 4. With the game in the balance, Dan Crudden did the dirty but vital work of dobbing it back. His 19 for 61 steadied the ship and allowed Sam Bennett (43*) and Jibin (20 off 24) to take us over the line with 4 wickets in the shed.
Milnrow’s demise to 95 all out was the handywork of Sam Smith (5 for 9) and Jude S (2 for 6). Any sense that a nervy chase would follow was eliminated by Mathew whose 42 off 29 blasted us out of the starting blocks. Dan C (48*) was a calm presence at the other end.
7 days later, and racing to finish before England played in the Euros, Sam Smith (82* off 41) and Adam Fitton (62* off 37) made light work of Failsworth Macedonia’s 170.
Defeat to Shaw spoilt things a little bit, although Dan Crudden’s 84 was a pleasure to witness even if it brought no points home.
July was the month where the 3s went up another gear, and began to dream of sitting atop Division 2E.
"Ashton had been imperious until they met the top-order duo of Michael Beech (a nurdling masterclass for 50 off 103) and Sam Smith (58 off 46) who set them exactly 200 to win."
Mathew getting 7 for 20 meant they didn’t trouble it.
Two weeks later, Ashton visited the MCG and opted to set a total. They’d have wished they didn’t when Fudge got 6 for 32 and dismissed them for 77. His 42* alongside Adam (24*) made it 2 from 2 v ACC.
Pride always comes before a fall, and after a perfect July came a desolate August. The tone was set in Game 1 of August v Thornham where having chosen to bat first, the 3s found themselves 11 for 5. Sam Fazackerley’s defiant 42 took us to 88 but Thornham chased it with comfort. Similar batting mishaps beset the 3s against Flowery Field and Friarmere, with a failure to chase in both games.
Come September and looking to cement 2nd or 3rd place, the 3s rallied well. Milnrow were on the wrong end of a Fudge 4fer as they set 135. In response, Sam Faz (30) and Sam Smith (49) saw us home with 5 in the shed still.
The home game v Failsworth fell foul of the weather but not before Sam Faz (141 off 103) and Adam Fitton (82* off 43) had caused mayhem whilst racking-up 290.
After a final day washout at home v Heyside, the 3s secured 4th and leaves us with a promising platform for a promotion push in 2025.
3rd XI I Statistics |
Bowling: Mathew Harrop (31 Wickets @ 14.13); Sam Smith (23 wickets @ 17.83)
Batting: Sam Smith (457 runs @ 38.08); Adam Fitton (282 runs @ 31.33)
Fielding: Mark Hannon (13 victims - 7 catches; 6 stumpings)
4TH TEAM
2024 was a step-up for the 4th XI after finishing top of Division 2 of the D&C Sunday set-up. This year, the 4s secured 2 wins during their league campaign as they adjusted to a higher standard.
May and June’s games were generally typified by strong bowling performances but a lack of nous with the bat as we fell short having started chases well.
Facing Hawk Green on Matchday 1, Stephen Scott set a strong platform with 4 for 55 before the visiting side accelerated through the gears and scored 230. In response only Nigel Corless (30) offered prolonged resistance.
June saw two games where a promising start to chases fell away at the crucial moment. The home fixture v Dove Holes saw the 4s chasing 138 and well set following Dan C (48) and Sam Bennett (28) controlling the middle overs. Following a daft shot and a daft run-out from that pair, the game turned and Dove Holes snuck home by 8 runs.
Two weeks later, Mitchell Wood (1 for 9) and Daniel D (1 for 25) kept Marple to 160. When Chris Green-Buckley (31) and Jibin Anthony (30) has us 80 for 2, things looked rosy. Alas, Marple turned the screw and bowled us out for 115.
Against Whaley Bridge, old timers Stephen Scott (3fer) and Mitchell Wood (2fer) did the job with the ball to leave us chasing 199. Jack B (28) and Charlie G (21) did an impressive job to spearhead our chase and leave us hoping to grab the elusive win but their dismissals saw us subside to 146.
Come July and it was clear the side were becoming more streetwise and beginning to close the gap, even if the elusive first win remained out of grasp.
Chris Green-Buckley’s bludgeoned 46 v Tintwistle saw us set 130 for Tinsle to chase. In response, Tintwistle found themselves 80 for 0 and almost home and dry. Calm heads however deserted the middle order as Anish L and Jude S’s probing spin partnership began to ask questions. Wickets suddenly fell with increasing regularity and the small target began to look miles away. 3 wickets apiece and Tinsle 9 down before scuttling home.
One of the big 4th XI positives for 2024 has been the emergence of Charlie G as a superb nibbly-seam option with the ball. That all started in earnest at Old Glossop where his 4 for 33 put the brakes on OG and kept us in the game. When Mitchell (49) and Dan D (46) built a beautiful partnership chasing 191 we dared to dream. Ben Dadge chipped in nicely too with a 24 that got us tantalisingly close. Alas, we fell 11 short.
After another heartbreaker v Hawk Green (lost by 8), we saw a first win of the season away at Newton. Anish L got 2 for 37 as he was pick of the bowlers, curtailing the Newton innings at 168.
"Our innings was beautifully anchored by Stan T, whose maiden senior 50* set a vital platform for the middle-order to utilise. Tyler’s 27 off 11 caused panic and Oliver B’s 32 off 23 saw us home, sparking the 1st 4th XI victory of the season."
Two weeks later, following a heartbreaker of a defeat at Dove, came the 2nd victory of the season, this time at Whaley Bridge. Having won the toss and elected to field the 4s were staring down the barrel a wee bit as Whaley raced to 50 for 1 off 8 overs. Oliver Bambroffe stemmed the tide before Thomas N entered the stage. The young in-swing merchant ripped through the middle order with ferocity, taking 4 for 16 and reducing them to 100 for 6.
Adie, Jude and George chipped in to leave Whaley 136 all out. CGB (31) and Andrew Willerton (30) set about the chase with a mixture of classic elegance (Andy) and pure brute force (Chris). By the time they were both out, we were in a promising position which was fully cashed in by Jack B who delivered a chanceless 47 to see us home with 7 wickets to spare.
All in all, the sharp upturn in performances as the side got to grips with the division bodes well for next season when we hope to go again in Sunday Div 1.
4th XI I Statistics |
Bowling: Charlie Green (13 wickets @ 11.77); Jack Buxton (12 wickets @ 13.25)
Batting: Jack Buxton (175 runs @ 25); Chris Green-Buckley (164 runs @ 16)
Fielding: Jude Starkey (6 catches)
WOMEN'S TEAM
2024 was a positive year on the field for the Women’s Team as they finished 4th in the league (up from 6th in 2023) and reached their first ever Cup Final.
The first battle they won was versus the weather, which cost them all but 4 league games in 2023. After an initially similarly sodden start to 2024, they eventually got most of their league campaign played winning 8 of their 13 games.
Now under the tutelage of Nigel Corless, the team started well with two comprehensive wins making it a 100% winning start come the end of May. A 2fer from Aimee Cardwell took us past Stalybridge before Rachel Bradburn’s fluent 22* and Skipper Julie’s 1 for 9 helped vanquish Charlesworth by 70 runs.
June was the first hiccup encountered as a winnable tie v Chapel-en-le-Frith was lost courtesy of an infectious dose of run outs. A week later, Imogen Schofield got us off to a magical start with 2 early wickets versus Buxton. When Amy Baguley and Aimee started well in Pair 1 we looked well set, but nagging Buxton bowling saw them restrict our scoring and beat us by 18 runs.
A return to winning ways was soon found though, and it came in some style. Chapel-en-le-Frith’s visit to the MCG saw them comfortably dispatched to begin what became a 5 game winning streak.
Chasing Chapel’s score of 57, Annie Bate (35*) and Imogen (26) served up an array of boundary scoring shots to power us way beyond the required score. Annie repeated the trick a week later as her 19 was enough to see off Offerton in chilly Mottram conditions.
Next up was a low-scoring affair versus Charlesworth. With both teams finding runs hard to come by, wickets was the key currency. Up stepped Sharon (2 for 16) and Diane Fildes (1 for 20) to wrap up the 3 points.
The streak didn’t stop there.
"Eventual champions Buxton were vanquished at home courtesy of Annie (29*) and a week later Offerton were outscored by a combination of Tilly Corless, Rachel and Imogen."
The last three games saw 2 defeats and 1 further win v. Stalybridge (Julie Crudden 1 for 9; Annie 27) as the women wrapped up a strong league showing and turned their attentions to a Cup Final versus Hayfield.
Progress to the final was secured via a mixture of coin tosses and hard-fought wins. The standout moment of the run to the final coming as Mottram delivered the shock of the season, sneaking past Charlesworth. With Mottram batting 2nd things hung in the balance as the last pair went out to bat. By their 4th over, victory was in sight but not guaranteed. Up stepped the team's founder Joanne Fox to smash a triumphant 4 to the boundary and seal the win. It's fair to say Charlesworth are one of the pioneers of DCCL women's cricket with a phenomenal record and little to no defeats over the past 3 years. Winning against them was a real sign of our progress.
Alas, the season ended on a bittersweet note as Hayfield snook over the line in the final by the barest of margins, a mere 4 runs. With nerves jangling, Hayfield won the first battle of the day by calling correctly at the toss and asking Mottram to bat first.
After a cautious start with the bat, the last two pairs accelerated well and enabled us to reach a defendable total of 78.
With Imogen and Annie in fine form with the ball, Mottram took the final down to the last over and one further wicket would have tipped the balance in our favour. Hayfield’s last pair hung on well and got them over the line. Tough, but a fantastic performance and the side will go again next year.
2025 promises to be another year of growth for MCC Women as more of the team dip their toes into hardball waters. From a softball perspective we aim to have two teams entered in the league, so anyone wanting to play is more than welcome to reach out join us at winter training. We have welcomed Georgia and Sarah this year who have fitted in so well with the team and we hopefully have 4 other new players looking to join us, so the future is bright.
Women’s Team I Statistics |
Bowling: Imogen Schofield (14 wickets @ 12.36); Sharon Norris (8 wickets @ 13)
Batting: Annie Bate (156 runs @ 26.20); Imogen Schofield (123 @ 36)
Fielding: Rachel Bradburn (6 catches; 1 stumping)
