WEEKEND ROUND-UP | 22-24 MAY 2026

Mike Jones 91 off 109

Manchester delivered something almost unrecognisable last weekend: wall-to-wall sunshine, not a cloud in sight, and the kind of heat that had players and supporters reaching for sun cream, water bottles and hats before the first ball was bowled. Urmston Cricket Club fielded sides across seven fixtures from Friday evening through to Sunday afternoon, and if the conditions were occasionally sweltering, the cricket more than matched the temperature. Three wins, four defeats, but within that, heartbreak, brilliance, and some performances that deserve to be savoured.

Here is how the weekend unfolded.

URMSTON CC 1ST XI 68 | BOLLINGTON CC 1ST XI 69-0

Saturday 23 May | Home | Cheshire County Cricket League, 1st XI Division 1 Bollington won by 10 wickets

It was a difficult afternoon on the home ground for James Bashford's first team. Batting first, Urmston were dismissed for 68 in 20.1 overs, a total that was always going to ask serious questions of the bowlers. Istigal Hanif was the lone figure of note, top-scoring with 23, while Archie Mitten contributed 7 late on. Twelve wides added to the difficulty of the batting effort.

Bollington needed no second invitation. Their openers, Andrej Yaksender and Laurence Scott, knocked off the runs without alarm in just six overs, winning by 10 wickets. A day to put behind them, and quickly.

URMSTON CC 2ND XI 104 | GRAPPENHALL CC 2ND XI 107-8

Saturday 23 May | Away | Cheshire County Cricket League, 2nd XI Division 2 Grappenhall won by 2 wickets

If one result across the entire weekend deserved better, it was this one. Duncan Hood's second XI batted first and posted 104 all out from 30.2 overs. Nikhil George top-scored with 26, Adi Manesh contributed 25 and Will Darby weighed in with 18 before losing his wicket to a fine catch. Richard Partington and Craig Wilson both played their part with the ball as Grappenhall were pushed all the way to 107-8 in their chase.

But two wickets was ultimately the margin, and Grappenhall got over the line. A game that will sit with this group for a while, and one that underlines just how fine the margins are at this level.

CHEADLE HULME LADYBRIDGE 2ND XI 66 | URMSTON CC 3RD XI 138

Saturday 23 May | Away | Cheshire Cricket League, Division B East Urmston 3rd XI won by 72 runs

And then came the performance of Saturday. Pyush Anand's third XI put together one of the most complete displays of the weekend, winning convincingly by 72 runs at Cheadle Hulme.

Urmston batted first and posted 138 all out, with Karthik Nadimpalli providing the backbone of the innings with a well-made 35. Bivan Saha complemented him superbly, contributing 31, while George Holmes set the tone at the top of the order with 24 and Omar Mohammed added 17.

What followed with the ball was, in Pyush's own words, exceptional. The bowling unit did their job with real discipline, bundling Cheadle Hulme out for just 66. Karthik Nadimpalli continued his fine afternoon by taking four crucial wickets, Jake McGinlay claimed three, and George Holmes, Arthur Mitten and Solomon Hussain each chipped in with one apiece. A genuine team performance with the ball.

Pyush was characteristically good-humoured reflecting on the week as a whole. "Cricket is a funny game," he said. "Last week we scored 367, probably the highest total ever scored in the league, and this week we couldn't get half of it." But the smile behind the observation was well earned. The team dug in, adapted to conditions, and won. That is all you can ask.

I was there for this one, and it was a thoroughly encouraging afternoon's cricket. Sharp in the field, purposeful with the bat, and clinical when it mattered. A performance Pyush and his side can be genuinely proud of.

TRAFFORD METROVICS CC 4TH XI 159-9 | URMSTON CC 4TH XI 166-9

Sunday 24 May | Away | Cheshire Cricket League, 3rd XI Division 2 Urmston 4th XI won by 7 runs

The nerves were jangling at MacPherson Park on Sunday afternoon, but Ankush Dadhwal's fourth XI held their nerve to seal a seven-run win over Trafford Metrovics in what turned out to be a proper contest.

Batting first, Urmston posted 166-9 from their 40 overs. Yuvaraj Mohan was the standout with a well-crafted 55 that gave the innings its foundation. Karthik Nadimpalli added 23 in the middle order, and Karthik Rengaraj and Cody Grindley showed composure in the lower order to squeeze every run out of the innings. When Trafford replied, Rengaraj stepped up with the ball to take three wickets, Nick Crowther and Vignesh Parameswari claimed two each, and Cody Grindley completed the job with one more. Trafford were left nine short on 159-9.

I was at this one as well, and the last few overs were not for the faint-hearted. Credit to every member of that side for holding their nerve and seeing it through.

URMSTON CC SUNDAY 5TH XI 178-3 | STYAL CC 3RD XI 231-8

Sunday 24 May | Home | Cheshire County Cricket League, 3rd XI Division 4 Styal won by 53 runs

David Stubbs's Sunday XI faced a stiff ask after Styal batted first and posted a formidable 231-8 from their 40 overs. Captain Hussain Fulat was generous in his assessment of the bowling effort. Arthur Mitten was the pick of the attack with four wickets, vinay varala claimed two, and Ismail Fulat was described by his captain as very economical throughout. Mustafa Raza brought his mystery off-spin to bear, and a special mention went to Joe Shannon, who opened the bowling and consistently beat the edge, drawing false shots that had the batters in real trouble even when the wickets did not come. Behind the stumps, Rian Mandal contributed a sharp stumping and a catch on a day when everyone played their part.

The batting response was, in Hussain's words, brilliant. Mike Jones was magnificent, finishing unbeaten on 91 from 109 balls and anchoring the innings from first to last. Around him, vinay varala made 19, Mustafa Raza 21 and Bilaal Hanif 24, with the captain noting that the contributions produced three fifty partnerships and ensured Urmston made Styal field for the full 40 overs. That takes character, and this side showed plenty of it.

Perhaps the most touching moment came after the game. As the ground was being locked up, the opposing captain sought out Hussain to pass on his compliments about the standard of Urmston's junior players. In a results-driven game, that kind of recognition means something. A fine day for the club, even in defeat.

HALE BARNS CC UNDER 13s 103-4 | URMSTON CC UNDER 13s 101

Friday 22 May | Away | South Manchester Junior Cricket League, Under 13 Zone 4 Hale Barns won by 6 wickets

The weekend's cricket had actually begun on Friday evening as the Under 13s made the trip to Hale Barns. Urmston posted 101 all out from their 20 overs, with Veyahn Poluri top-scoring on 22 and Joe Shannon contributing a purposeful 14. The extras column, however, told its own story: 29 runs in wides and byes proved a costly drain. Hale Barns knocked off the target comfortably, reaching 103-4 in 17.1 overs to win by six wickets. A result to learn from, and the Under 13s will know they left something out on that pitch.

URMSTON CC UNDER 11 TIGERS 41-6 | STRETFORD CC UNDER 11 TIGERS 40

Sunday 24 May | Away | South Manchester Junior Cricket League, Under 11 Zone 2 Urmston won by 4 wickets

Sunday started on a bright note. The Under 11 Tigers chased down Stretford's 40 in just 7.4 overs, winning by four wickets to end the three-day programme on a high. Captain Veyahn Poluri led from the front with an unbeaten 16, and Nithnanush Yuvaraj top-scored with 10 as Urmston powered past the target with plenty to spare. Earlier, the Tigers had dismissed Stretford for 40 from 15.3 overs, with wickets shared generously across the whole squad, exactly the kind of collective effort that builds a team.

A fine way to close out the weekend.

Full scorecards and statistics for all fixtures are available at urmston.play-cricket.com