View on Cheetham Hill

Looking at the North Manchester C.L. website, it seems this weekends (and next weekends) opposition where defeated in their first match of the season against Broadway (formerly BA Systems). I tried to find some match fact from the clubs websites as posted on the NMCL site but drew a blank. So the only stats available are the scores on the league's site which tell us that C.H.C.C. where 90 a.o. and B.C.C. knock them off for the lose of just 1 wicket. Does that mean Cheetham hill are poor or that Broadway are a strong team? Time, as always will tell. Still I suggest we practise bowling at the wickets in the morning, remember last year against Westleigh........bowl off, it is a cup match, Rowdy we're relying on you!

Team seection for Cheetham Hill

Cheetham Hill @ home 1st May. no change from last weeks oringinal line up.

A.Smith (captain), M.Ablett, M.Ainscoe, F.Brockway, G.Fletcher, N.Fletcher, R.Holt, S.Hunter, M.Jones, D.Moriarty & P.Yates.

meet @ ground for 1300.

problems contact Smifffy, Jonesy or Clive.

Tottington St.Johns @ Woodbank

Woodbank batted first and were dismissed for 83. Totty knocked them off with 4 wickets down.

Woodbank
M.Lonsdale.....c Horner b Holt..........6
J. Lucas...........c N.Fletcher b Holt....12
W.Hornby.......c Jones b Holt.............1
M.Khan.........st Jones b N.Fletcher...27
D.Hunter.........b Holt..........................0
R.Chandler.....b Holt ..........................0
G.Wild........c&b N.Fletcher..............12
D.Barlow.........b G.Fletcher..............12
D.Lonsdale......b N.Fletcher.............0
J.Saunders......b Brockway...............3
P.Schofield.......not out......................0
extras...............................................10
TOTAL..................................83(all out)

R.Holt 9 overs 3 maidens 17 runs 5 wickets
A.Smith 4/0/13/0
F.Brockway 9/5/7/1
G.Fletcher 7/1/20/1
N.Fletcher 8/0/26/3

Tottington St.Johns
M.Jones.............not out...............26
P.Yates..............b C.Lonsdale..........2
S.Hunter............b C.Lonsdale...........7
F.Brockway.......st Lucas b Barlow..5
G.Fletcher.........c&b Wild..................2
N.Fletcher.........not out..................18
extras..............................................25
TOTAL....................................85(for 4)

Woodbank 0pts Tottington St.Johns 5pts

A sunny day saw Totty 2nds take on Woodbank on the ground they picked up the 4th division cup. It was to be another good afternoon for Totty at Woodbank with a good 5pt win.
Rob Holt started things off after one or two looseners. Both he and the new skip put down caught and bowled chances before Rob started to destroy Woodbanks first five. First was catch to point, second a good catch by Ste Horner at cover, third a caught behind by the inform Jones, fourth and five were both clean bowled leavig Rob on a hatrick. But the hatrick ball would have to wait as the new skip removed superman Rob from the attack, at the bowlers own request?
Woodbank never really recovered from this start or where never allowed to with tight bowling from Frank Brockway. Wickets fell once again to the two Fletchers, with Jones taking a good stumping of Khan, the only batter to raise any threat, off N.Fletcher's bowling.
Brockway picked up the last wicket, a wicket that he deserved leaving Totty a total of 84 to win.

Totty started well with Jones crashing two early 4's but then the scoring slowed, and did so for the rest of the innings. Yates and hunter went cheaply, both bowled. Hunter did hit a huge 6 into the school yard but was so out. Brockway stayed at the middle for a while before being stumped by Woodbanks chatterbox keeper, but scored only a few. G.Fletcher was the next to go with a half hearted drive over the top which saw him caught and bowled, again for not many. It was left for Jones, solid as ever and N.Fletcher to see Totty through which was done with no great rush. With overs on thier side they took their time and brought Totty home and the 5 pts.

Captain's man of the match: Rob Holt for his 5 for 17

A great start for the new skip and the team. Lets home this is the norm fellows...... Cheetham Hill next week in the cup, lets have the same.

All most time!

less than 24 hours away........what will tommorrow bring..........sunshine i hope!

Meet the Skipper

The new 2nd team skipper, minus bandanna unfortunatly


Q. When did you start playing for Tottington St.Johns?

A. I started in 2001 iI think. My second match was at Darcy Lever, youwere playing aswell- it was near the begining of your illustrios tsj career. (ed.a hint of sarcasam me thinks)

Q. Previous clubs? and why did you leave?......the real reason!

A. Haslingden CC 1991-97 (ed.h classicly trained then, what went wrong ). I had a bit of an accident in '97 which put me out for a couple of years, then when i went back to training, even though I was on fire, other people said it too not just me, I was obviously out of favour with the 3's captain so never regained my deserved No.11 spot.

Q. Best batting performance?

A. I've had three good batting performances (ed.this will be news to some people, still 3 out of 100 or so innigs was bound to produce the odd fluke......sorry smifffy do cotinue) two at Greenfield and one at home to Chew Moor Brook (ed.Rowdy take note of the order of the words please).
The best though was probably the first against Greenfield, after a fast and furious 21ish, we got to stuff our faces with possibly the best teas in the North Manchester League (ed.no possibly there smifffy, it's a definate in my book).

Q. Best bowling performance?

A. Can't remember a great match (ed. there's a surprise) but I do remember one particular over at Darcy Lever. Five out swingers that the batsman played and missed at, followed by an inswinger straight through the gate! "it was the five balls before that that got the wicket" cheered Micky J (ed. don't worry I will be checking this event with Micky J)

Q. Funniest thing you have seen on the pitch?

A. I can't remember who we were playing, but we were in the midst of one of our legendary collapses. Scott Parkinson steps up to take the middle, this is Scott who at this point had only been playing cricket for about 25 years (ed. smifffy words Scott, not mine) when young Jedi himself, a mere 5ft 10in who at the time was just a young foal in terms of match experience (ed. and other things) strolls over to the towering 6ft 4 in frame of Scott, takes a deep breath and with the lowest possible tones he could muster, suggests to Scott that he should play his own game and then proceeds to extend his arm for a "go on son" style pat on his back.

Q. Favourite ground, other than Crompton Meadows of course?

A. You know it's Greenfield. It's the most picturesque, with a great viewing area for all the locals to sit as they pass through on their leisurley country walks. It's a real village cricket ground and as mentioned before, the best teas in the league.

Q. Least faourite ground?

A. Westleigh! It takes a decade to get there, it's surrounded by barbed wire fencing and there is an insecent droning of scally's on scramblers along with a donkey and an ice-cream van tuneage coming from one of the local units. It just beggers beleif the variety of sounds one is able to sample at the ground (ed. it doesn't help that the 2nds have had little sucess until last season there).

Q.What was the last bit of work YOU did on the ground?

A. (ed.smiffffy seemingly avoided this question meaning he's done jack diddlely. This information will be passed on to Clive who will i'm sure sort this out. get them rubber gloves out smifffy you're on bog cleaning for two months!)

Q. Biggest hope for the season?

A. On a personel level I'd like to go through the season duckless (ed. gonna be difficult without a defensive shot in your locker) -if i have to be out being caught is my perference and my usual solid bowling performance (ed. too easy)
I would like the team firstly to avoid the drop, but ideally looking like we should be in that division. If we take last seasons attitude into this i think we will have a good chance.

Q. Who's fault was the run out at Woodbank last season?

A. Well it was obviously mine, but there was contributin factors: you really needed to be running faster (ed. if i had run fast i would have been run out!!!), and that kid really didn't need to be hitting one stump fromthe boundary! (ed.well that cleared that up)

Cheers skipper. hope the comments were to insulting and i'm still good for the No. 3 spot!
next profile will be Mick Jones (any question you want to know answer for and i'll ask 'em.

Provisional team

The 2nd team line up for Woodbank CC on Sunday 24th April.

Andy Smith (captain), Matt Ablett, Mike Ainscoe, Frank Brockway, Graham Fletcher, Nick Fletcher, Rob Holt, Stu Hunter, Mick Jones, Danny Moriarty, Phil Yates.

players to meet at woodbank @1300.

problems, contact smifffy, jonesy or clive.

Lancashire escape

Lancs' start to the totesport oneday league see them gain a draw due to rain. In fairness the rain saved them from a Glamorgan team which seem to have the upper hand untill the heavens opened. Earlier in the week Lancashire's county match ended in another draw, partly effected by the weather. Lacashire need to make a good start if they are to make a swift return to the 1st division.
Local leagues, that started this weekend seem to have faired as well as Lancashire with the weather. Please don't let this be the shape of things to come for the season! A link to thr BBC weather forcast online has now been added to the links on this site so you can check that 5 day forcast.

County cricket begins

The county game gets underway, late of course due to rain. luckily it's only a short delay and all the matches see plenty of play. At old trafford, where promotion has to be seen as the only out come for one of the country's biggest players on the county scene this season, they have made a resonable start against Marcus Trescothick's Somerset, scoring 163 for4 at tea. A good stand is needed to push Lancs twords at least three hundred.
On the Totty front, it's nets again. Lets see if young Danny can continue his early promise or if shalom can improve on a promising start. Also can captain smith find his line and length for the first time in 2 seasons (only jokin' skip, no.3 spot in the battin' order ;-)). A plan is afoot to try and get my brother down to nets, but dont hold your breath!
A must for me at nets this week is not to dance down the wicket to mike jones, especially if i keep missin the ball, bugger. Its not worth it, as it gives the impression that he's a bowler

'Oh Danny Boy'

In the last two weeks, in the practise nets there has been a new addition to the 2nd XI team. I say a new addition as young Danny Moriarty has been batting like a different person! What has caused this metamorphosis? Has he spent his winter practising or being coached, if so please Danny tell me, how, as i need all the help i can get!! Danny has been driving the best that Totty 1st and 2nds has for fun, admittedly he has got carried away at times but lets concentrate on the important fact that he looks like he could become a real asset to team 2 this season, IF he can carry this promising form on to the square! So, Danny head down and show us what you can achive not what you might.

Captain's on deck!

Last night saw the first appearance of the 2nd team skip at the net practise. To be honest it showed that it was his first net, and by his own admission that 'i haven't bowled a descent ball all night' that more time is need to perfect his art. Smithy's battin', it has to be said was it's usual energetic affair, with plenty of swinging of the blade and some contact. It has to be said also that stepping into a full toss from cotters is not a good idea and led to whinging about a bruise afterwards from the skip.
Ste Horner takes the prize for strangest delivery of the night with a ball that pitched two feet in front of him and bounced up into his face. Ste was fine and no injury sustained except to my ribs as a result of trying to contain the laughter.

Practise makes perfect....apparently!

The first indoor net of the season and the return of the increasing familiar aches. Still good to be back. Must say that the turn out was poor and no 2nd team captain....shocking. Three more weeks of nets so lets hope the title of this blog turns out be true and in three weeks enable me to be taking 5 fors and 50's.......but i'm not holding out as it hasn't produced the desired results so far. I wonder if i'm doing it right or just untalented.