Saturday 17th June 2006

Mottram 104 All Out        Whaley Bridge 105 For 6

AT LEAST WE CAN STILL KEEP ONE TROPHY AT THE MOTTRAM!

The tone of today's match report may be slightly down on usual offerings. This season has not been my best but this game will go down in history with me and many who saw it as my single WORST display of all time. That's not to say I was alone in having an off day as the scoreboard should tell you but if I were to tell you that the trophy of which the title refers to is called the DB trophy and goes to the person who has had the worst moment that day then it gives you some idea.

Perversely I also gained some sick sort of pleasure from knowing it couldn't have got any worse. I think I could have played left handed and done better. Actually I could do that most weeks.

Anyway enough babbling on on with the damage limitation. Mottram batted first and were delighted to see striding out to the wicket the estranged (stranged?) opening pair of Flint and Bennett who enjoyed moderate success some 8 years ago together. Flinty helpfully asked if I would like to face. "Of course I would" I foolishly answered. After the umpire had fixed the stumps back into the ground I realised it might have been the wrong decision. 0-1 0.1 overs.

This brought John Marsden to the crease who in typical style ground down the opponents for 38. It was a good job he did because it could have been an early finish otherwise. Apart from usual suspects John Flint with 18 and Phil Mellor with 14 Mottram's innings was littered with signs to Shattered Dreams Boulevard and Shedsville Drive.

In all there were 5 people failing to score and 2 achieving just one run. 7 batsmen 2 runs. Told you the tone was a little down!

It's a good job the bowlers performed then! Well.... most of them. With hardly anything to defend Mottram took the game as close as could be expected. Phil Mellor with 3-28 from 16 and Callum Danaher with 1-16 from 9 were the stand out performers on this day. Mike Barlow again showed an amazing ability to bowl some some real shi..  rubbish and still collect wickets with 2-16 from 4. Talk about coming up smelling of roses!

There was still time for further humiliation for the reporter as I managed to send down my first over in 2 years. It only went for 4 runs. Off the bat. And the first ball was a decent one. On a 44 yard wicket. It yorked third man.

When it was finally over in the 32nd over it was some kind of relief. We left to wallow in self pity and beer. I was kept away from sharp objects.

Duncan Bennett

Saturday 22nd July 2006

Mottram 166 For 6         Tintwistle 98 All Out

DID YOU SEE MY CATCH?

No not mine. Don't be silly. Ayrton's. I don't think he's stopped going on about it since. It was pretty good though. Diving full length. It was a bit like that save Dave Seaman did in the FA cup semi final. Reaching backwards and holding onto it. I think we were all a ltille surprised and I think Ayrton more than most. I think that's why he asks the question a lot. Because he needs to be sure it happened!

Mottram batted first in a game with fellow strugglers and local rivals Tin'sle (it seems like everyone says it this way!). The returning Andy Metcalfe would look to show the second team what he had learnt from his time in the Carribean (Where the ball goes through the air differently apparently). Seems we could all do with a trip out there as he and John Flint made a steady start to the innings that has been lacking too often. When Flinty was out for 22 and when Mottram seemed to be wobbling after Krom's early dismissal it was left to the golden child himself to forge a masterclass of stroke making alongside the doyen of the on drive Andy Metcalfe. Together this pair were truly mightier than the sum of their parts. With dazzling alacrity and no little skill these two put on a truly monumental partnership of 61. Other people did stuff later on BUT NOTHING LIKE WHAT WAS WITNESSED WITH THESE TWO AT THE CREASE.

Just Kidding! This was a team effort (No way! - Ego Ed). After Metcalfe had gone for a splendid 42 it was Chris Bowen who was promoted up the order and through a combination of suicidal running and well timed pressure Mottram began to run Tin'sle ragged. When Golden child Bennett was removed for 33 which multiplied his runs for the season by about 10 Chris carried on to make 25 (including the rarest of all sights a Bowen 6 over extra cover) leaving Tin'sle to chase 167 to win.

Tea time provided welcome rest for some of the team while others stuffed their faces. It was the same old story as Phil 'reverse stacker' Mellor showed the whole team a masterclass of tea consumption.

Luckily opening bowlers Callum Danaher and Mike Scott didn't seem too phased by this and bowled tremendously. Scotty can count himself a little unlucky that he only picked up 1-16 from 12. On another day it could have been more. At the other end Callum picked up 3-25 from 10 with a hostile spell. With Matt Krom joining the party with 3-21(including that catch by a sprawling Fielding at backward square) and 'Gannet' Mellor 1-10 picking up handy wickets Mottram looked assured of victory.

However K.Neild was proving most stubborn down the order batting at 9. With Tinwistle 9 down it looked like we would have to make do with the points we had as fortune was favouring the brave effort of Neild. Ryan Fitton had other ideas though and picked up a valuable scalp bowling Neild for 21 and providing Mottram with only their second win all season.

If more of the team were old enough to drink I think it would have been a very merry evening!

Duncan Bennett

Saturday 24th June 2006

Mottram 140 All Out        Stockport 175 For 7

More Mottram Woe

Eight games played, seven defeats. Not the start anybody at Mottram had wanted or envisaged. However at the end of June we find ourselves rooted to the bottom of the division and adrift from the sides above.

Would this week bring an end to our horrendous run of form? Could we finally win a league game to propel us up the table? Could we for once find a way to beat Stockport? Erm, No.

However the start of the game mirrored so many this season. A promising start with Mike Scott bowling tight and the old pro Phil Mellor looking dangerous, Mottram took four early wickets and had their opponents 24 for 4, Mellor taking all four as Stockport looked shaky. Step forward Danaher. No not our Callum but older brother Liam for Stockport. He too looked shaky early on but settled to build a good partnership. Wickets dried up and Mottram heads went down as the Stockport total went past 100.

Liam finished with 64 not out and led Stockport to 175 for 7 at tea. Not a total we felt we could not get as in previous weeks but at the same time a total much larger than it should have once been.

Tea bought yet another Lynne Flint special as we watched Germany beat Sweden in the World Cup, Germany looking far more convincing than England had against the same opponents earlier on in the tournament.

Back to the cricket, Mottram started steadily but both Flint and Mike Marsden were bowled early on by the young Eley leaving Mottram with an uphill task. Ayrton Fielding was then run out. Debatably. Apparently he must remember to slide his bat when making a run. Anyway we were then three down and after Adam Le Fondre was caught, leading edge on 33. we looked out of the game. Mike Barlow scored steadily but Mottram ran out of men 35 runs short.

So nine games, eight defeats add to that the no result we are already 34 pts short of safety. We need to start winning and fast if we are to avoid relegation this term. Saturday brings a trip to Hadfield the side 3rd from bottom. Lose, and for me it is difficult to see us recovering. Win, and you never know.

Team: John Marsden (C), Chris Bowen (WK), John Flint, Mike Marsden, Ayrton Fielding, Adam Le Fondre, Mike Barlow, Phil Mellor, Callum Danaher, Mike Scott, Matt Nixon.

Stefan Fielding

Saturday 27th May 2006

Mottram 129 All Out         Compstall 131 For 7

Complacent Compstall made to work

Disappointment was prominent in the Mottram dressing room after this game as many of the lads felt this was a game we were so close to winning. The ground was hardly fit to play on, however in true Mottram style the game went ahead on a pitch boasting a very green top. The game was delayed by half an hour meaning it was reduced to 40 overs a side. Mottram batted first and got off to a steady start getting into the twenties without the loss of a wicket. However Andrew Metcalfe lost his wicket only to be followed back to the pavilion by Ayrton Fielding who succumbed to a second ball duck. Stefan Fielding lasted 6 overs before he was on his way without troubling the scorers and it started to look bleak for Mottram. However Mike Marsden made a lovely 42 hitting some exquisite shots along the way to make sure Mottram had something to defend in the field. John Flint also showed some form with a measured innings to help the cause and the tail chipped in here and there.

So Mottram went in at tea with 129 on the board and they would probably have taken that after there poor start. It was Mary’s turn to satisfy the players with another splendid tea and I must say as much as it was to my dismay to see no full size sausages the smaller variation went down a treat. Just 8 small sausages this week taking my season tally to 18.

Compstall opened their innings carelessly throwing away silly wickets at the start of their innings as they tried to finish the game quickly. However, on the wicket at Mottram you cannot afford to try and lash everything to the boundary as you will lose your wicket cheaply. Mike Scott bowled well throughout taking 4 wickets and once again showing how vital he is to this improving Mottram side. The game was surprisingly close towards the end after a good spell of bowling from Stefan Fielding and Phil Mellor however, Mottram were probably 15 runs light of a winning total and Compstall reached the finishing line in the very last over to the relief of their captain.

Mottram again showed signs of a good team, however must feel that Hayfield and Newton and must win games if they are to climb up the table towards safety

Team: John Marsden (C ), John Flint, Ayrton Fielding, Matthew Nixon, Stefan Fielding, Callum Danaher, Adam Le Fondre(Wk), Mike Scott, Mike Marsden, Andrew Metcalfe, Phil Mellor

Stefan Fielding