Urmston CC: Weekend Round-Up - Thursday 4th June to Sunday 7th June 2026

Sohan Khandra

The weather did its best to put a dampener on things this weekend, as grey skies and the odd shower drifted across Greater Manchester. But as anyone at Urmston Cricket Club will tell you, a bit of cloud cover has never stopped the sun from shining in the hearts of the players. Across six days of cricket, the club turned out in force at every level, from the Under 9 Squirrels to the first team, and there was plenty to shout about.

Thursday 4th June

1st XI vs Widnes CC, 1st XI | Cheshire County Cricket League T20 Cup | The UCG

The 1st XI opened the week's action in the T20 Cup, taking on Widnes at home on Thursday evening. Widnes posted a challenging 173-3 from their 20 overs, and despite a determined effort with the bat, Urmston fell short on 137-7. A defeat, but experience gained in a format that never forgives a slow start.

Friday 5th June

Under 13s vs Didsbury CC Under 13 Bulls | SMJCL Under 13 Division 2 | Away

The Under 13s travelled to Didsbury on Friday evening and found themselves up against a side in good touch. Didsbury's Under 13 Bulls posted 107-3 from their 20 overs, with the Urmston bowling attack giving a solid account. Charit Tapal and Finn Stubbs were among the wicket-takers.

In reply, Urmston were bowled out for 79 from 14.4 overs, finishing 28 runs short. Charit Tapal top-scored with 30, and Joe Shannon contributed 26. A hard evening, but the group continues to develop and learn together.

Saturday 6th June

1st XI vs Macclesfield CC, 1st XI | Cheshire County Cricket League Division 1 | The UCG

The 1st XI returned to league action on Saturday, hosting Macclesfield in Division 1. Urmston batted first and were bowled out for 205 from 50 overs. David Dempster made 59, Salman Hanif contributed 41, and Irfan Naseri added 23. Irsitqal Hanif and Umar Munawar also weighed in with useful contributions.

Macclesfield chased the target down, reaching 208-4 from 47 overs. Matthew Fielding top-scored with 57 for the visitors, and Alex Thomson made 33 not out. Irfan Naseri and David Dempster both bowled tidily in an effort to stem the chase, but the hosts could not prevent the visitors taking the points. A defeat to reflect on, but the depth of the batting lineup showed promise.

2nd XI vs Upton CC, 3rd XI | Cheshire County Cricket League Division 2 | Away

The 2nd XI made the trip to Upton and came away with a convincing win that had Duncan Hood reaching for superlatives. Urmston batted first and posted 229-8 from 50 overs, with Nikhil George delivering another fine innings, top-scoring with 45. Ritesh Shetty was electric in the middle order, carving out a half-century that changed the tempo of the innings. Archie Mitten and Craig Horner added important contributions lower down the order.

Defending 229 with a revised target of 230 in 50 overs, the Urmston bowlers set about their work with purpose. Ritesh Shetty backed up his batting with four wickets from the ball, while Craig Wilson was once again at his brilliant best, claiming five wickets in what Hood described as "wicket-taking at its finest." The two catches taken by Archie Mitten at crucial moments, according to Hood, helped turn the game. Upton finished on 223 all out, six runs short, and Urmston took the points.

Hood was in no doubt about where the man-of-the-match honour sat: Ritesh Shetty, for an outstanding all-round display that will linger in the memory of everyone who was there.

3rd XI vs Macclesfield CC, 4th XI | Cheshire County Cricket League Division B East | Add New Ground

This was a day for Pyush Anand's 3rd XI to show their character, and they did exactly that. Macclesfield posted 185-9 from 39.5 overs, a competitive total on a pitch that had been affected by rain. For Urmston, George Holmes was the standout with the ball, sending down 10 overs and conceding just 29 runs without taking a wicket. That economy rate of under three runs per over put the brakes on the Macclesfield innings and gave the team something very gettable to chase. Ab Hayat also bowled with discipline, and Arthur Mitten weighed in with two wickets.

Urmston's reply began carefully, with early wickets falling on what Anand described as a tricky surface. But then Bivan Saha and Omar Mohammed steadied the ship and posted an 85-run partnership that put the game firmly back in Urmston's hands. George Holmes then arrived to play a captain's knock of 41 not out, providing calm and authority when it was most needed. Urmston closed on 190-6 from 32.5 overs, winning by the second innings calculation with a 5-run margin.

Anand was delighted with the effort, particularly highlighting the way the side regrouped after those early setbacks. A win that shows exactly what this group is made of.

Sunday 7th June

1st XI vs Timperley CC, 1st XI | Cheshire Cup | The UCG

Sunday brought cup action to the UCG as the 1st XI took on Timperley in the Cheshire Cup. Timperley batted first and posted a formidable 307-8 from 40 overs, with Daniel Scholz top-scoring on 110. For Urmston, David Dempster bowled 10 overs for 76 runs, Irfan Naseri took two wickets, and Archie Mitten, Uzzar Shah and James Bashford all contributed with the ball.

Chasing a revised target of 146 from 18 overs, Urmston were bowled out for 70 from 18 overs. Umar Munawar top-scored with 14, and Freddie Cartwright and James Bashford both showed fight. Timperley won by 76 runs on the revised target. A tough day in the cup, with Timperley thoroughly deserving their passage through.

4th XI vs Ashton-on-Mersey CC, 3rd XI | Cheshire County Cricket League Division 2 | The Beets | Abandoned

The 4th XI's Sunday fixture at The Beets was unfortunately abandoned due to the weather, with Urmston having batted through their full 40 overs to post an impressive 194-5. A special mention must go to Sohan Kandra, who was simply outstanding with the bat, carrying his innings to 90 not out from 114 balls in difficult, rain-affected conditions. It was the kind of knock that holds an innings together, and it deserved far better than a share of the points. George Holmes contributed a busy 40 at the top of the order, and Ankush Dadhwal added 34 to give the total real substance. The game never got going in reply, and the points were shared. A frustrating afternoon for all involved, but Sohan Kandra's innings was one to remember.

Sunday 5th XI vs Heaton Mersey CC, 4th XI | Cheshire County Cricket League Division 4 | 2nd Ground

The Sunday 5th XI had a tough afternoon at home against Heaton Mersey. Urmston batted first, posting 186-6 from 40 overs with Bilaal Hanif making 27 not out and Mustafa Raza contributing a measured 15. Heaton Mersey were set a revised target of 168 from 25 overs and reached 257-3 in their full 40 overs, winning with considerable comfort. James Wickham and Andrew Rogers bowled well for Urmston without luck. A match to put behind them and move forward.

Under 9s Squirrels vs Whalley Range CC Under 9 Eagles | Away

What a result for the Squirrels. The Under 9s travelled to Whalley Range and came away with a 7-run victory, scoring 90-4 from 16 overs and restricting the Eagles to 86-5. A brilliant day for the youngest members of the Urmston family, and a sign of things to come.

Under 11s vs Alderley Edge CC Under 11 | SMJCL Under 11 Division 1 | Urmston's 2nd Ground

The Under 11s rounded off an excellent Sunday with a tidy win over Alderley Edge. Alderley Edge were bowled out for 69 from 20 overs, and Urmston chased the target down comfortably, reaching 70-5 from 15.1 overs. Veyahn Poluri top-scored with 25, and Muhammad Goga made a bright 25. A disciplined performance all round.

A full, varied weekend of cricket that captured everything Urmston Cricket Club is about. Results went for us and against us, the weather tested everyone's commitment, and through it all the players at every level gave everything they had. That is what this club is built on.