Partington's perfect nine as Urmston celebrate a weekend of family

Richard Partington

Some weekends you remember for the scoreline. This one you remember for a man who took nine wickets, and for the families who make Urmston Cricket Club what it is.

Richard Partington, nine wickets, and a spell for the ages

Let's start where the week's story really belongs. Richard Partington, bowling for the 2nd XI at home to Upton CC, produced one of the great individual performances this club has seen in a long while. Twelve and a half overs, two maidens, twenty runs, and nine wickets. Nine. He took all but one of the wickets to fall as Upton were bowled out for 89, and Urmston knocked off the runs for the loss of five wickets to win by five and seal a comfortable afternoon.

Figures like that don't come along often. A bowler can play for years and never take nine in an innings. Partington did it in twenty runs, with control from first ball to last. Whatever else happened this weekend, this is the performance the club will be talking about for seasons to come. Take a bow, Richard.

A tough day for the 1st XI, but three men stood tall

Away at Macclesfield, the 1st XI ran into a side in full flow. Macclesfield posted 308-3 from their 50 overs and always looked to have enough. Urmston fought to 223-8 in reply, going down by 85 runs, but there was plenty to admire in the batting. Omair Mohammed top-scored with 64, Ashaun Sibi weighed in with 59, and Istiqlal Haif brought up a half-century of his own with 50. Three innings of real substance on a hard day.

3rd XI edged out despite Mohan's 68

The 3rd XI were beaten by 5 wickets away at Macclesfield 4th XI, but not before Y Mohan gave the innings its backbone with a fine 68. Urmston posted 210-9 from their 40 overs, Macclesfield chasing it down to 214-5 with an over and a bit to spare. A narrow one, and Mohan's knock deserved better.

Sunday's results

The 4th XI fell 31 runs short at home to Bredbury St Marks, chasing 200-7 and finishing on 169-8. The Sunday 5th XI were beaten by 4 wickets away at Heaton Mersey, bowled out for 116 before the hosts got home with wickets in hand.

A word on the families that make the heart of Urmston what it is.

Here's the thing that ties a club together, and it isn't the league table. It's families. Urmston has always been full of them. The Husseins, the Ghoshs, the Stubbs, the Arnolds, Shinods, and many more. Generations turning up together, filling teams, running the tea, cheering from the boundary.

This week the family in the spotlight is the Bartons. Duncan and his daughter Isadora, known to everyone as Dory, both pulling on the Urmston shirt. There's something special about a dad and daughter playing for the same club, and after Dory's four-wicket heroics for the Under 15s recently, and getting to play a final at LORDS for Monton, along with Emma Arnold, the Bartons are a household name at the UCG for all the right reasons.

That's what we're about here. Not just results, but the people, and the families, who come back week after week and make Urmston home.

Full scorecards for every side are on our Play Cricket page: https://urmston.play-cricket.com/home.