With Saturdays match against Denton West being abandoned at 2.45pm due to persistent rain and an unfit ground, we traveled to Roe Green on Sunday looking to continue our impressive start to the season.

Unfortunately after inserting the home side into bat first on a dark green wicket and making early inroads (14/2) we failed to capitalise on a promising start, turning in a lackluster fielding and batting performance. For the hosts Phil West and overseas amateur Joe Roberts produced a century partnership for the fourth wicket although the pair did ride their luck at times with some thick edges. With the score on 146/3, West (67) was removed by Sutcliffe and in the very next over Roberts (50) fell to Catterall. The Roe Green lower order then fell like a deck of cards and the innings finished on 185/9. Amila Weththasinghe was the pick of our attack taking 2/33 from just 15 overs.  

In reply we made a rip-roaring start as Dave Taylor smashed Bridgford’s solitary over for 13 including a six which hit the club house. Chris Holt fell for 9, but Weththasinghe came in and continued in the same vein as Taylor. The pair took the score along to 67/1 after 13 overs, before disaster struck as we lost 4 wickets for 10 runs including Taylor (33) and Weththasinghe (29), with the popular dismissal being caught and bowled as our first 3 batsmen played too early at the ball. Things went from bad to worse as we collapsed in similar fashion to the home side and we soon found ourselves 108/9. Jack Ritchie put bat to ball and hit an unbeaten 9, but Bond was last to go caught and bowled as we finished 117 all out. 

We will be looking to get back to winning ways next weekend as we travel to Flowery Field on Saturday, with our third eleven in action at home to Cheetham Hill on Sunday. 

Our second eleven narrowly missed out at Denton West on Saturday in a twenty over thrash. The home side hit 126 thanks to 70 from Gareth Senior and in reply we were well on course at 60/1 after 10 overs. However, some tight bowling and low scoring overs ultimately fashioned our downfall as we fell 6 runs short on 120/5. On Sunday the seconds enjoyed an emphatic win over Roe Green after posting 191, thanks to 50 from Jehan Yahatugoda. We then skittled the visitors for 100, thanks to Noman Ahmed who claimed 7/18 from 17 overs.