Green finish season with stylish win
CRICKET JOHN RICHARDS
THE Green travelled to Cheadle Hulme on Saturday for the last match of the season with three main players missing in a game that some said would be their sternest test of the season.
On winning the toss Josh Hampson the Greens skipper elected to bat, opening the innings with himself and Justin Blackhurst facing the Cheadle attack of Scott Howarth and Sohail Asilzada.
With a wicket that had uneven bounce runs were at a premium and both batsmen struggled particularly when facing Howarth and it was he who struck first when he had Hampson caught by Jordan Potts for 16, 24-1.
Blackhurst was next to fall caught by Tom Balderson again off the bowling of Howarth for 3, 33-2.
Next to the crease was Jason Downey joined by Jack Needham and whilst Downey tried to take the attack to the bowlers, Needham struggled and was eventually caught Richard Robinson once more off the bowling of Howarth for 1, 44-3, he was replaced by Elliot Young.
After a couple of hefty blows Downey eventually departed caught Sam Walker for 18, 54-4, with Howarth again the successful bowler, next to the crease was Dylan Heginbotham and in the ensuing overs he played with consumate ease and appeared to have no problems with any of the bowlers and in this mood he his really pleasing on the eye.
In parnership with Young, who itermitantly showed his undoubted class, they took the score to 120-5 when Young received a ball that stopped and popped on him and he was caught Syed Azam Shah for a dogged but important 22 off the bowling of Sam Walker.
14-year-old Jake Skelton was next to the crase and after a couple of pleasing back foot drives he too had a ball that stopped on him and was caught by Sayed Azam Shah this time off the bowling of Sohail Asilzada for 11, 148-6.
Veteran Craig Young joined Heginbotham and belied his age as he and Heginbotham added 56 valuable runs with Young even taking a couple of twos and proving that he still has the ability to count to six and shout come one.
Heginbotham’s fine knock eventually came to and end when he was caught by Humayan Khalid off the bowling of Howarth for 83, 204-7, Young was next to fall bowled Tom Balderson for 31 valuable runs, 209-8, the innings eventually closed on 211 with Balderson mopping up the tail.
Scott Howarth and Tom Balderson were the pick of the Cheadle bowlers with 5-32 and 3-31 respectively.
Unfortunately it is difficult to give a full report on the Cheadle innings as there was no scorer available, however Cheadle faltered to 170-9 in their allotted overs with Jack Needham taking two early wickets and one more from Dylan Heginbotham.
There followed a slight recovery led by Syed Azam Shah who posted a half century before being bowled by Mark Richards who, in partnership with Elliott Young, put a stranglehold on Cheadle’s middle order batsmen, each finishing with two wickets along with Needham and Lee Hallas, an excellent victory to end a very difficult season.
The Green will, hopefully, start next season in Division One of the UK Fast League.