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Cheshire County Cricket League

2015 PRE-SEASON NEWSLETTER

Opening fixtures and umpires:

Saturday, April 18

ECB Premier League (12.30 p.m.)

ALDERLEY EDGE v CHEADLE Don Flanagan and Paul Herring

BOWDON v TOFT Ged Kinsey and John Lofthouse

CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL v BRAMHALL Ankit Jain and Phil Prince

MARPLE v GRAPPENHALL Trevor Burnett and Graham Harris

NANTWICH v HYDE David Tate and Steve Walton

NESTON v MACCLESFIELD Alistair Davies and Gary Zimmer

First Division (1 p.m.)

CHEADLE HULME V MIDDLEWICH Howard Briggs and Garry Hambleton

OULTON PARK V CHRISTLETON Jon Hacking and Jeff Young

SALE V DIDSBURY Steve Kirkbright and Steve Wilkinson

TATTENHALL V OXTON Darrin Clark and Peter Davies

URMSTON V TIMPERLEY Steve Duckers and Ian Greensmith

WEAVERHAM V DAVENHAM Ray Prescott and Martin Roberts

Second Division (1 p.m.)

BOLLINGTON V NORTHWICH John Lowe and Liam Spires

BROOKLANDS V UPTON Martin Howe and Paul Lawday

IRBY V BREDBURY ST. MARK’S Tony Morris and Graham Pugh

STOCKPORT V ALVANLEY James Emmerson and Glyn Roberts

WARRINGTON V CONGLETON Simon Smith and David Stoter

WIDNES V MOBBERLEY Brian Boys and Clive Rice

2nd XI Premier Division (1 p.m.)

Bramhall v Chester Boughton Hall No panel umpires available

Cheadle v Alderley Edge No panel umpires available

Didsbury v Marple No panel umpires available

Hyde v Stockport No panel umpires available

Macclesfield v Neston No panel umpires available

Toft v Urmston David Williams and no panel umpire

2nd XI First Division (1 p.m.): Congleton v Warrington; Grappenhall v Sale; Middlewich v Nantwich; Oxton v Tattenhall; Timperley v Bowdon; Upton v Brooklands;

2nd XI Second Division (1 p.m.): Alvanley v Cheadle Hulme; Bredbury St. Mark’s v Irby; Christleton v Oulton Park; Davenham v Weaverham; Mobberley v Widnes; Northwich v Bollington

3rd XI Saturday Division 1 (1 p.m.): Brooklands v Urmston 3; Chester Boughton Hall 4 v Warrington 3; Macclesfield v Oxton 3; Neston 4 v Neston 3; Oxton 4 v Didsbury.

3rd XI Saturday Division 2 (1 p.m.): Ashley v Cheadle Hulme; Haslington v Irby 4; Irby 3 v Timperley; Urmston 4 v Upton 4; Wilmslow Wayfarers v Warrington 4.

PRE-SEASON NEWSLETTER: 2

CHAMPIONS OPEN AT NANTWICH

ECB Premier League champions for the first time last season, Hyde open their defence of the title at Nantwich strengthened by the return of Danny Woods, the new Cheshire captain. Danny Berry continues to lead Hyde with Ray Doyle again i/c the Dabbers.

Runners-up Chester Boughton Hall open at home to Bramhall (Nick Cantello) with Lee Dixon captaining a line-up which includes summer acquisitions Cheshire all-rounder Rick Moore from Oulton Park and Neston paceman Ash Davis.

The two promoted clubs both face away fixtures: Cheadle (again led by Paul Sperring) are at Alderley Edge (Adam Worrall), while Macclesfield (Tom Parfett) make the longer trip to Neston with David Hurst aiming for a better start.

Bowdon field a re-built team under new skipper Simon Marshall against Toft (Toby Drummond) at South Downs road, while Marple (Mark Bennett), whose ground will show signs of large-scale redevelopment, host Grappenhall, where the leadership has been undertaken by Liam Parkinson.

New heights for Weaverham

NEWLY- captained by Ian Eaton, Weaverham play at the highest level in their history when they host much-strengthened local rivals Davenham (Mark Greaves) in the First Division fixture which catches the eye.

Also figuring in Division One for the first time, Tattenhall – whosenew captain has yet to be confirmed - host relegated Oxton (Andy Gibson).

Also relegated are yo-yo club Urmston (Chris Turner) who pitch wickets home to Timperley (Craig Grindley)

Outstanding Christleton all-rounder for the past five seasons, Iroshan Da Silva is expected to figure in the Oulton Park team (under Pat Roberts) to entertain his former club at Little Budworth. Mike Gaynon takes over the reins at Christleton.

Sale (Chris Canning) are at home to promotion favourites Didsbury, again led by Nick Anderson, while Cheadle Hulme (Adam Wilde) take on Nick Gill’s Middlewich at Grove Park.

Times change at Widnes

OPERATING in the Premier League five seasons ago, Sean Moore’s Widnes host 2015 TACS Cheshire League champions Mobberley, captained by Will Berisford-Ince at Beaconsfield Road in the Division Two Match of the Day.

The second relegated club Brooklands, with Dave Madden remaining at the helm, host Andy Roberts’ Upton.

Back in the League after a brief 12 months absence, Bollington will be led out at the Recreation Ground by Rick Hough when they host Northwich. Their visitors need a temporary skipper to replace Mark Walker, who is serving a three-match suspension carried over from 2014.

One of the pre-season promotion favourites, Stockport (Sam Edwards) pitch wickets at Cale Green against Alvanley (Chris Charles), while Irby (Martyn Smith) take on Bredbury St. Mark’s (Graham Barlow) in the Wirral.

With their extensive paviliion improvements now completed Richard Heaney’s Warrington begin at home to Congleton, again led by Paul Beaumont.

CONTRACTED PLAYER REGISTRATIONS

CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL: Jordan Clark, 14, Lancashire all-rounder

CHEADLE: Nathan Buck, 24, Lancashire bowler.

GRAPPENHALL: Saqib Mahmood, 18, Lancashire bowler.

NANTWICH: Liam Livingstone, 22, Lancashire all-rounder.

URMSTON: MAtthew Parkinson, 18, Lancashire leg-spinner

Ordinary resident categories

Alderley Edge: Ciaran Sanders; Christleton: Talha Tufail; Zaigum Abbas; Oulton Park: Tom Hyslop; Oxton: Thivanka Mahesh Nilandra; Widnes: Rajiv Singh (qualifies on May 16).

PRE-SEASON NEWSLETTER: 3

OVERSEAS REGISTRATIONS TO APRIL 11 (18)

ALDERLEY EDGE: Sean Sturrock, 25, Australian all-rounder

BOLLINGTON: Mohammed Sabir Mallie, 21, South African all-rounder

BRAMHALL: Dale McKay, aged 22, Australian all-rounder

BREDBURY ST. MARK’s: Matthew Barrand, 23, Australian all-rouder

BROOKLANDS: Emmanuel Parmakelis, 21, Australian all-rounder

CHEADLE: Matthew Fotia, 20, Australian all-rounder

CHRISTLETON: Mitch Renwick, 21, New Zealand all-rounder

DAVENHAM: Tim Nieman, 18, Australian all-rounder

DIDSBURY: Matthew Graqce, 22, Australian all-rounder

MACCLESFIELD: Nick Bertus, 21, Australian all-rounder

MARPLE: Sam Harrison, 20, Australian all-rounder

MIDDLEWICH: Leonardo Du Toit, 22, South African batsman

MOBBERLEY: Charles Nield, 22, Australian all-rounder

NANTWICH: Abishek Santosh Raut, 28.

NESTON: Ovais Ather Yousuf, 35, Pakistani all-rounder

STOCKPORT: Roscoe Price-Moor, 24, New Zealand all-rounder

TIMPERLEY: Daniel Cooper, 23, New Zealand opening batsman

WARRINGTON: Nathan Green, 21, Australian allrounder

WEAVERHAM: Wilden Cornwall, 41, Antiguan all-rounder

WIDNES: James Menzies, 23, Australian all-rounder

Cheshire team for early start

CHESHIRE make an early start to their Unicorns Counties Knock-out group fixtures when they travel to Grantham to play Lincolnshire on Sunday (11 a.m.). Team: Danny Woods captain, Danny Berry. Khalid Sawas (Hyde). Lee Dixon, Warren Goodwin, Ash Davis, Rick Moore, Mark Rowland wicket-keeper (Chester Boughton Hall); Rob Jones (Toft), Adam Syddall (Nantwich), Calum Rowe (Alderley Edge). 12th man: Matt Ingram (Upton).

Remaining group games (all 11 a.m.): Sunday, April 26 – Shropshire at Nantwich; Sunday, May 3 – Cumberland at Kendal; Sunday, May 27 – Northumberland at Hyde.

O A Cheshire Select XI take on Lancashire 2nd in a T20 warm-up game at Urmston on Tuesday, April 21 (3.30 pm).

DEATH OF DON SMITH

THE death has occured of former Cheshire fast bowler Don Smith, aged 82.

Educated at Stockport Grammar School, Don played 56 Minor Counties games for Cheshire between 1952-71, scoring 648 runs and taking 646 wickets. He also played for Cambridge University and Cornwall and in club cricket for Stockport, Poynton, High Lane and Macclesfield. He was one of the first players to be selected by the newly-formed England Schools Cricket Association. His funeral is at Macclesfield Crematorium on Friday, April 24 at 1.20 p.m.

The funeral of Gerald Hardstaff, who recently died aged 75 is at St. Mary’s Church, Sandbach, on Friday, April 17 at 11am.

NATIONAL KNOCK-OUT: FIRST round games in the Royal London National Club knock-out are scheduled for Sunday, April 26.

Six County League clubs will be involved, two others having byes.

CHESHIRE CUP: THE first round of the Cheshire Cup is due to be played on Sunday, May 3.

SUNDAY LEAGUE: FIXTURES in the re-vamped 3rd XI Sunday League divisions begin on May 3

OVER FORTIES: THE first round of Over 40s fixtures is scheduled for Wednesday, May 6.

PRE-SEASON NEWSLETTER: 4

JOSEPH HOLT BREWERY 1st XI T20

OPENING group games in the Joseph Holt Brewery 1st XI T20 will be played during the week commencing Monday, May 11.

Latest fixture change: Timperley v Hyde from Thursday, May 14 to Friday, May 15. Any further changes should be notified to the Competition secretary by the first week in May. All re-arranged games must be played within the same week,

TACS Cheshire League opening fixtures on Saturday (1.30 p.m.)

DIVISION 1: Disley v Ashton on Mersey; Heaton Mersey v Malpas; Prestbury v Hale Barns; Runcorn v Barrow; Stockport Georgians v Poynton,

DIVISION 2: Barnton v Chelford; Bunbury v Ashley; Chester County Officers v Woodford; Kingsley v Haslington; Lymm Oughtrington Park v Stockport Trinity; Winnington Park v Oakmere.

DIVISION 3: Alderley Park v Cholmondeley; Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge v Langley; Over Peover v Aston; Port Sunlight v Wilmslow Wayfarers; Sandbach v Wirral; Wilmslow v Winsford.

Umpires’ quiz set by Alistair Davies

LEAGUE panel umpire Alistair Davies resumes his weekly quiz to help players and spectators brush up on their cricket lore. Here is his first poser (answer next week):

The striker is standing out of his crease. A fair delivery is missed completely and goes through to the wicket-keeper who promptly throws the ball at the striker’s stumps, but misses. The ball hits the striker, still out of his crease and rebounds onto the stumps and the bails fall. There is an appeal. What should be the umpire’s decision?

Reorganisation plans agreed

CLUBS attending the League management committee at Warrington on Tuesday, April 7 voted heavily in favour of plans to introduce wide-scale reorganisation of 2nd and 3rd XI cricket from the end of the season. The motions approved were:

O From the end of the 2015 season, 2nd XIs will be promoted and relegated between the County League and the TACS Cheshire League irrespective of the position of their 1st XIs.

O At the end of the 2015 season, teams in the County League 3rd XI competition will merge with the teams from the TACS Cheshire League Divisions B and C, in accordance with proposals previously circulated to clubs.

The pre-season meeting of the TASC Cheshire League management committee at Holmes Chapel next day was due to consider the same proposals.

PLEASE NOTE: Full and/or associate member clubs who failed to collect their cricket balls, result sheets etc. at Warrington on April 7 should contact League treasurer Matt Beckley, tels. 0161 221 9383 (h); 07443 909 232 (m); or mbeckley@ (e-mail

Nick James goes freelance

NICK JAMES has left Heaton Mersey as head groundsman to pursue work as a freelance consultant.

Nick is maintaining his role with the Cheshire Cricket Board as an ECB Pitch Adviser, but will now be fully available to all clubs to help with any aspect of their club playing surfaces. In addition he offers hands-on assistance as well as technical advice to any club, especially smaller ones,who may need an extra pair of hands.

Contact details are on the Cheshire Association of Groundsman website: .uk

Best Pub in Cheshire

THE recently re-opened Egerton Arms just beyond the boundary at Oulton Park, has been named Best Pub in Cheshire and has also won an award for providing the Best Service.

All the more reason for a post-match pint after your next visit to Little Budworth?

RIP RICHIE: Sad news from Down Under was the death on Thursday, April 9 of the Great Richie Benaud, at 84. He was someone those cricketers those of us of a certain era grew up with and admired all he achieved, both on and off the field.

mike.t-b@: Saturday, April 11, 2015

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