Result: Timperley CC 162-8 (55 overs) LOST TO Bowdon CC 164-4 (44.3 overs) by 6 wickets (Cheshire County Cricket League ECB Premier League)
Venue: Timperley Sports Club (Saturday 18th June 2016, 12pm)
Att: 65 (approx.)
After a visit to Timperley CC fell to the weather the previous week, the fixtures fell kindly enough to allow a second attempt on this very day. I would be watching them play Bowdon in a derby fixture, with both teams sitting in the upper echelons of the table.
Timperley had become even more attractive for a visit the week before (the one when I was due to go originally) when their twitter-master sent football twitter into meltdown by posting a picture of “Zlatan’s helicopter” landing on the club’s outfield. Needless to say, football twitter was humorously mugged off. Great job!
Anyway, back to the day at hand and I set off for the game at just before 11.30, knowing I’d likely miss an over or two. After grabbing the bus towards Altrincham, I hopped off just past Broadheath and embarked on the 20 minute walk up to the Sports Club. Eventually, I ended up on the main road and opposite a large field, with the tell-tale sign of men in all white roaming around on it. Unfortunately, this was a 3rd X1(?) game and so I couldn’t take advantage of the hole in the hedge and instead headed to the actual entrance where I spotted the game I was supposed to be watching.
Timperley Sports Club
After eventually spotting Dan behind a slightly protruding wall on the club decking area, I found out I’d only missed around 4 balls of the game, arriving just as the first boundary had been struck to the fence. Not a bad effort. Also, an added attraction to this fixture was the fact that Bowdon were fielding the likes of ex- Lancashire representatives Glen Chapple (still on the staff, but all but retired as a player now) & Simon Marshall in their side. As for Timperley, one of their players, Jack White, had just been called up to the Cheshire County squad for their contest down in Devon. With all that quality to digest, let’s take a break with a look into the history annuls of Timperley CC…
History Lesson:
Timperley Cricket Club was formed in 1877, originally playing out of a ground on Moss Lane, prior to moving to their current home, on the junction of Stockport Road & Wood Lane. Adjacent to the club sat a Victorian tip, which is now the site of Altrincham Golf Club. If you were unaware of that trivia, play there in future & have a rubbish round, you now can make some witty remark about it.
Honours
History
Since 1950, the club have competed in the Manchester Association & the Cheshire League only, making the switch to the latter from the former in 1993. They were promoted from Division 2 in 2005 & then into the ECB Premier League for the first time for this season.
The home side were batting first and had got off to a fairly decent start. Kiwi Danny Cooper looked comfortable enough on what appeared a pretty slow pitch, alongside wicket-keeper Michael Ness. However, with the score advanced onto 44, Ness fell, bowled by spinner Richard Carter for 18, with #3 Asif Iqbal falling immediately after, first ball. Timperley were now in danger of stuttering somewhat, at 44-2.
This became 52-3 when Edward Galley went for just one, bowled by the spin of Oliver Makin, and Timperley’s innings was beginning to look shaky, despite a solid foundation. But captain Craig Grindley, along with Cooper, ensured they wouldn’t fold and added a partnership of 66 to take Timperley past the 100 mark. Grindley, though, fell on 29 to another spinner, Chris Ashling, who forced him to chip to mid-off.
In the air
Blocked
Hitting his stride
Cooper had passed 50 at this point and was clearly the big wicket for Bowdon and he didn’t last too much longer, as he became Makin’s second victim, falling in a similar manner to Grindley. He was out for a well made 66, but Timperley were again a bit unstable, standing as they did on 120-5.
Just six runs had been added when David Price (2) went to Ashling & another five further runs were on the total as the aforementioned White went for three, to give Makin a third scalp. He also took the final wicket to fall in the innings, that of Dave Howarth, after a bit of late resistance, to finish up with 4-34 from 17 overs. Timperley ended their innings on 162-8, with Nathan Brown & Dominic Ashling ending unbeaten on 14 & 3 respectively, with the last three wickets falling with the batsmen looking to advance the score quickly.
So, as is now traditional for the innings break, it was to the bar, but I was having to ignore the BBQ on account of having been not as healthy of late. Of course, beer doesn’t count in that department as I’m sure you’ll all agree and so a bottle of the brilliant Tsingtao was purchased for £2.60. Not bad. To pass the time further, we watched the Republic of Ireland get a bit of a lesson off Belgium in the Euros, but I’m sure they didn’t care about that come the evening of the 22nd…. Right, no football from now, honest!
Clubhouse
On the deck
With Dan informing me the sides were now back out on the field for the Bowdon innings, we were soon heading back into the, relatively pleasant afternoon, with its occasional sunny spells providing some heat in between the usual overcast conditions. However, despite the cloud and the seemingly difficult pitch, the Bowdon openers, Marshall and Jack Tipton, looked in little danger and serenely, if watchfully, took Bowdon on and past 50 and through to the drinks break.
Not too long after the resumption, Marshall became the second opener to pass 50, becoming more aggressive as the innings progressed, especially after he’d raised his bat to acknowledge the applause of the crowd and his team. Eventually, though, he fell: stumped by Ness of Ian Grindley (another spinner) for 71, including three sixes. The score was 121-1 and with just a further 42 needed for victory, it looked too little, too late for the hosts.
Timperley, to their credit, didn’t lie down and proceeded to make it difficult for the visitors to get over the line. Indeed, they took a further three wickets in pretty quick succession. First, Carl Hey went to give Grindley his second wicket, caught in the deep cover region for eleven before Glen Chapple went, nicking behind without scoring, to be Grindley’s third victim.
Chipped
Big stride
But, the wickets in hand always favoured Bowdon and despite the late loss of opener Tipton for the unfortunate figure of 49, Patrick Ashling struck the boundary they required to take the win. With the players making their way off and exchanging the after match pleasantries, Dan and I were headed for Altrincham for our respective journeys home and to hopefully catch the final Euro 2016 game in the day. Sh*t, football again.
Handshakes
Anyway, with Dan taking advantage of his bus pass and myself not having the luxury, I set off on foot and we again managed to cross paths, with some in the Interchange looking on at his strangely after our duologue “Hi, it’s been a while!” “I know, all of 20 minutes!! Wow, the pure comedy. Anyway, a good day was had, as usual and next week likely will see the final episode of club cricket for this summer, with Flixton being the likely venue. But, for now, it’s cheers Timperley!…
My Men of the Match:
Timperley: Danny Cooper.
Bowdon: Simon Marshall.
Manchopper's Ventures 