Week 6: Sat 31st May & Sun 1st June
Match Reports
1st XI (215) vs Tottington St John’s (91)
Stretford Back in Business with Crucial Win Over Tottington St Johns
Stretford 1st XI snapped a three-match losing streak with a commanding 124-run victory over Tottington St Johns, in a performance that combined patient batting, late-innings firepower, tight bowling, and a slice of controversy—all under warm but blustery conditions at The Boundary.
Batting first, Stretford posted a competitive 215 all out in 46.4 overs. The innings was anchored by a magnificent unbeaten 97* from Tim Boyd, who made the visitors rue an early, regulation dropped catch. He went on to control proceedings, mixing composure with clean strokeplay to finish just short of a deserved century.
At the top of the order, Ollie Barrett produced a patient and circumspect 41, resisting some probing new-ball bowling to lay the groundwork for the innings. His discipline set the tone for Stretford’s more aggressive second half.
Late in the innings, Syed Haider (25) turned the tempo with a burst of powerful hitting, blasting three huge sixes to lift the scoring rate and take the total close to 200.
Controversy struck when captain Adam Saynor was given out hit wicket while playing a late cut for four. The ball sped away to the boundary, but Tottington’s players appealed, claiming Saynor had disturbed his stumps. Much to the frustration of the home side, the umpires upheld the appeal despite disbelief in the Stretford ranks.
In reply, Tottington St Johns were under pressure from the outset. Benjy Evans made the crucial early breakthrough, removing danger man Heyes for single figures and setting the tone with a sharp opening spell. From there, Stretford’s bowlers worked efficiently through the order, dismissing the visitors for just 91 with the 1st XI top marksman Niall Heyes taking 4-11.
The result was a vital morale boost for Stretford after a tough run, with Boyd’s near-century and a disciplined all-round performance providing the perfect platform to rebuild momentum heading into the next round of fixtures.
Westleigh (227-9) vs 2nd XI (226)
Stretford 2nd XI suffered a heartbreaking 1-wicket defeat away at Westleigh in a thrilling encounter that went down to the wire.
Winning the toss and opting to bat first on a flat-looking deck, Stretford got off to a solid start before a scintillating 111-run partnership between newcomer Atif Azhar (69) and the in-form Hamza Arif (60) lit up the innings. The pair took the score to a commanding 139-3 and looked set to take the game away from the hosts.
However, once the partnership was broken, momentum shifted as wickets fell at regular intervals. Despite useful contributions through the middle order, Stretford were bowled out for 226 in 43.3 overs — a competitive total, but perhaps short of what had seemed possible at the halfway stage.
In response, Stretford’s opening bowling duo of Pares Malindi and Rai Faizan Ahmad bowled with pace and purpose, striking early and often. Malindi finished with figures of 4-65, while Ahmad backed him up with a fiery 3-57.
Despite the pressure, Westleigh’s lower order held their nerve. A series of dropped catches from the visitors proved costly as the hosts edged closer to the target. In the end, Westleigh scrambled over the line with just 1 wicket in hand and 7 overs to spare — a bitter pill for Stretford to swallow after dominating large portions of the game.
Plenty of positives for Stretford to take, especially the batting form of Azhar and Arif, and the continued wicket-taking threat of Malindi and Ahmad. But in tight contests like this, fielding often makes the difference — a lesson they’ll look to put right in the coming weeks.
Sunday
3rd XI (136) vs Friends United (137-7)
Stretford 3rd XI endured a third consecutive defeat as they went down by 3 wickets at home to Friends United at The Boundary.
Batting first, the hosts struggled to build momentum throughout the innings. Despite all nine of the batters getting starts, none were able to anchor the innings or convert into a meaningful score. The result was a frustrating collapse that saw Stretford bowled out for 136.
Defending the modest total, the 3rd XI showed plenty of grit with the ball. The bowlers chipped away steadily, with seven wickets falling to raise hopes of a dramatic comeback. Captain Lambton led from the front with an economical spell, returning figures of 2-21 and keeping his side in the hunt.
However, Friends United managed the chase with patience, ultimately reaching the target inside 32 overs and handing Stretford another disappointing loss. While the bowling unit can take credit for pushing the game into a contest, the lack of a significant batting contribution once again proved to be the difference. With three straight defeats, the 3rd XI will be looking for answers and a response next week as they aim to get their campaign back on track
stretfordcricketclub.co.uk 