Jets Looking to Finish the Season Strongly

As the 2021 season winds down another set of wins for the senior sides took all four teams towards positive finishes. The 3rdXI collected the points without needing to take to the field but for the rest it was a trio of strong team and individual performances.

Oakmere v 1stXI

An attritional win for the 1stXI at Overdale Lane was marred by two nasty injuries for the hosts that left both players in A&E. The first arrived in the warmup leading to an enforced change to the Oakmere XI before a long stoppage in the final stages of the first innings left them a man down for the rest of the afternoon. North East Cheshire Cricket Club wish both speedy recoveries.

It made for a strange atmosphere in this end-of-season encounter which played out at a sedate pace, the 1stXI managing just nine boundaries in their 40 overs on a slow surface. Four of those came from the bat of Jake Reynolds who also deposited a monstrous six onto the A49 as he cashed in on an early life to strike 71 of his side’s 163-8. The Jets then strangled the response after Andy Heath (2-10) accounted for both openers in an excellent opening burst. 

Wickets were otherwise hard to come by but smothering spells through the middle overs from Toby Carson and Will Westerby meant something had to give. Hodgkinson was first to crack, LBW to Westerby for a patient 17, and when fellow set batsman Lyons (44) was yorked by James Banner (3-16) the game was almost up. A surreal end to a strange day’s cricket soon arrived as North East required just eight wickets to end the innings, Oakmere’s last man unable to bat due to heat stroke.

2ndXI v Langley

Bank Holiday availability led to a much-changed 2ndXI under the temporary leadership of Fran Turnbull. With almost all of the season’s leading wicket takers and run scorers absent it was an impressive showing to still comfortably beat visitors Langley. A youthful bowling attack containing five teenagers did the business, blasting the visitors out for 66 with Max Collins returning 2-1 from six tight overs.

A dashing 36* from veteran Scott Parkinson at better than a run-a-ball then dominated the chase. He ensured that a brief wobble to 20-3 was easily overcome, adding an unbroken stand of 48 with Luke Johnson who added a red inker to his first innings 1-14. A fifth place finish is all but confirmed with two weeks of the season left, the side falling short of a promotion challenge but having blooded plenty of young talent in 2021.

Prestbury v 3rdXI

Prestbury conceded.

4thXI v Brooklands

Anyone who witnessed the first six overs of Sunday’s encounter at London Road would have been hard pressed to predict a Jets win. Visitors Brooklands raced to 55-0, smashing the ball to all parts before Adam Burgess picked up the key wicket of Bloomfield for a savage 48. A complete about turn then saw the visitors fall to just 113 all out, Scott Parkinson following his batting exploits on Saturday with 6-15 with the ball on Sunday.

Suddenly all momentum was with the 4thXI, but they immediately lost both openers to be 2-2 in reply in a game that didn’t ebb and flow as much as violently swing one way and then the other. A fifty stand for the third wicket between Dan Mullany (58*) and John Whittle (23) helped put North East back on top, a position they wouldn’t relinquish as Mullany carried his bat with help from Owen Johnson and then the skipper