Jets Suffer Rain-Reduced Weekend

11 Aug 2021

A wet weekend saw a limited amount of cricket to frustrate the Jets across Saturday fixtures before totally wiping out any chance of play for the 4thXI. The ramifications for the 1st and 2ndXI were particularly harsh, likely ruling both out of the promotion race in their respective divisions.

Tattenhall v 1stXI

The long trip to Tattenhall proved a frustrating one for the 1stXI as they were eventually rained off for the second time this season against the struggling hosts. It was an on-off day with the format of play being constantly revised as the Jets’ first innings took place over three separate sessions to eventually total 96-6 in 22 overs. It was a good effort on a wet outfield and the 1stXI felt a little short changed when DLS calculations added just six runs to that total to leave Tattenhall chasing 102.

A fourth and final fatal shower then arrived after 14 overs of the reply to finally end proceedings eight overs short of the close and six overs short of the minimum requirement to utilise the par score. Tattenhall had reached 50-3 with the required rate steadily rising and the 1stXI in the ascendency with Will Westerby having just captured the key scalp of returning Kiwi Tom Hyslop.

It meant another rain off whilst other sides completed fixtures and accrued precious points in a tight division. No side has played less cricket than the 1stXI in 2021 who have now lost four games to the weather, all of which are disappointingly factored into the new average points format of the league table.

2ndXI v Bredbury

A home loss to Bredbury finally confirmed the inevitable that the 2ndXI will fail to gain promotion this season after they were denied by Covid after going unbeaten in 2020. The visitors arrived looking to best the Jets’ second string at the fourth time of asking this summer and they bolstered the side with 1stXI opening batsman James Garner. This paid off as he carried his bat for a match-winning 78* in Bredbury’s 135-3 from a rain-reduced 30 overs.

Despite various absentees, including leading wicket-taker Jimmy Williams, a youthful side containing six U19s nearly pulled off the win as they fell an agonising four runs short in reply. The inform Harrison Waddington again impressed with a run-a-ball 52 (5x4, 1x6, 52b) but his dismissal at 85-5 left the lower order with too much to do. Adam Burgess and Ed Parkinson helped take things down to the final stages but, when both were run out, the game was up and another season in Division C East awaits.

3rdXI v Urmston

It was a similar tale on Jackson’s Edge as the 3rdXI also came out on the wrong side of a rain-reduced fixture. In the absence of the captaincy team of Welsby and Oswell the team was led by Chris Taylor who couldn’t have wished for worse conditions to take charge for the first time. He did at least win the toss but saw the visitors strike an imposing 149-6 which could have been more but for a spell of 4-33 from Luke Johnson.

The writing was on the wall for the Jets when Rory Caine was run out for 1 and things didn’t get much better from there. With no individual scores higher than Owen Johnson, Willis Brown and the skipper all registering 16 -- and with no major partnerships of note -- the threes surrendered meekly to 86 all out.