ARCHIVED NEWS FROM PARKGATE FOR MAY 2003 TO JULY 2003

29 July 2003 - SECOND CONSECUTIVE DEFEAT
Neston's fading championship challenge took another blow at Alderley Edge on Saturday when they lost their second consecutive game, this time by 4 wickets. Alderley won the toss and invited Neston to bat first. Gareth Peers and Stan Clifford made a useful start taking the score to 44 before Peers departed. Clifford followed soon after but Simon Marshall took up the reins and looked in great form as he raced to fifty. The home side did regain some control in mid-innings and once Marshall had been stumped for a superb 85 it was left to the middle and late order to try and push the score to a challenging total. In the end the declaration came after 55 overs with the score on 218 for 9.

Lancashire batsman Mark Currie got the Alderley reply off to a quick start but his run out and the loss of Day, Manton and Sharp left the game in the balance at 141 for 4. An interruption for rain did little to help the Neston bowlers and when Usher struck some lusty blows in the penultimate over the game was lost [Scoresheet].

The 2nd XI managed to work around the rain to pick up 25 points when they beat Alderley Edge at Parkgate. Skipper Ben Thomas top scored with 85 with Peter Barber and Jim Marshall each contributing 33 runs in Neston's 225 for 5 declared. Barber was back in action with the ball taking 5 wickets as the visitors were bowled out for 156. Victory keeps Thomas' side at the top of the table with six games remaining.

A mixed weekend for the third XI, saw a resounding victory in the league over Timperley and a disappointing defeat at home to Heaton Mersey in the quarter final of the Jack Gardner Cup. At Timperley on Saturday, having won the toss and asked the home team to bat on what looked like a typical bowler friendly wicket, Doug Chadwick (3 for 20), given the new ball was immediately in the wickets removing the opener with his second ball. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals before Richardson (3 for 17) finished off the innings with 80 on the board. In reply Neston quickly lost 2 wickets and with rain falling on and off, Reeve (31*) and Shillinglaw (27) saw the thirds home to their third victory in a row by seven wickets.

Confidence was therefore high for the visit of Heaton Mersey on Sunday, who having won the toss decided to bat first. A steady start saw the visitors with 73 for 3 with 20 overs remaining, a flurry of wickets from Strong (3 for 35) saw them reduced to 108 for 8. However Rehman (44) intelligently used up the remaining overs to post 159 on the board. In reply a combination of good bowling and poor batting reduced Neston to 26 for 5 after 13 overs, opening bowlers Hussain (4 for 19) and Ahmed (3 for 27) removing the top 5 Neston batsmen. A minor recovery from King and Strong (26) was never going to be enough and the innings eventually closed on 107, with Heaton Mersey deserved winners by a convincing 52 runs.

Mike Potters 4th XI stay top of the 3rd XI league after beating Oxton on Saturday.

After two consecutive defeats Dave Collyer's 1st XI suffered another blow this week when news broke that Aussie fast bowler Brett Bevan will not play again this season.

This Saturday the 1st XI play hosts to Didsbury whilst the second XI travel up the M56 to Didsbury with a much changed side due to the unavailabiliqty of key players including the skipper. The 3rd XI will be looking to bounce back after their cup defeat when they play Warrington at Parkgate. Potter's 4th XI enter the crucial last stage of the season with a healthy lead at the top of the table. They will be confident of consolidating their position as they visit Timperley.

24 July 2003 - 30,000th VISITOR
The latest web site milestone was reached by the 3rd XI's run machine, Russ Thompson. Not surprisingly Russ has struggled to select his prize from all those on offer. Understandably what Russ really wants to do is run out at the Deva Stadium in that famous blue and white striped shirt. Should be able to sort that one out for you Russ - as long as you realise that the standard will be a lot higher than the rubbish that you get served up at Edgeley Park.

24 July 2003 - LIGHTNING STRIKE !
Last weeks electrical storm has caused significant damage to my laptop, so for a while I will be stuggling to keep the site as up to date as usual. Please bear with me, replacement parts are on the way !!

24 July 2003 - LATEST TABLES
Cheshire County League top places up to and including Sat 19 July 2003
1st XI2nd XI3rd XI
 plpts  plpts  plpts
1 Bowdon 14237 NESTON 14207 NESTON 4th's 13286
2 Chester BH 14227 Toft 14201 Upton 3rd's 14236
3 Nantwich 14219 Didsbury 14192 Chester BH 3rd's 12232
4 NESTON 14206 Chester BH 14191 NESTON 3rd's 13199
5 Macclesfield 14191 Alderley Edge 14186 Cheadle Hulme 11190
6 Alderley Edge 14187 Oxton 14174 Warrington 3rd's 13188

22 July 2003 - DISASTER FOR FIRSTS
Neston's hopes of challenging for the Cheshire County Premier League title suffered a massive blow on Saturday when they crashed to an eight wicket home defeat at the hands of Chester Boughton Hall. Neston had started the game in second place with the visitors just one place and 6 points behind but the eagerly awaited contest turned out to be anything but the evenly matched contest that most people had expected.

Batting first, Dave Collyer's side were immediately in trouble with both Andy Woolley and Steve Carter departing early. The ever reliable Stan Clifford (56) and Simon Marshall (22) made some progress but once Marshall had been dismissed the wickets started to tumble at regular intervals with Pritchard and Kegg the main tormentors. The final score of 125 all out was woefully inadequate and when Roberts and Griffiths set about the chase with the sort of application that had been lacking earlier in the afternoon it wasn't too long before the game was done and dusted [Scoresheet].

After the match Collyer was in reflective mood, saying "We were rubbish today but unfortunately we can't change that now. What is important is that we don't let it affect the rest of the season. We remain within striking distance of Bowdon and with eight games to go there's still plenty of points to play for."

Whilst the 1st XI were struggling at Parkgate, Ben Thomas' 2nd XI were dominating their own top of the table clash at Chester. Asked to bat first, Neston made light of a tricky pitch with the skipper leading the way with a superb 65 including a massive blow into the canal for six. Jamie Hackett (35) and Adam Bass (40) provided good support and timely acceleration to take Neston to 230 for 6 declared off 50 overs. Most spectators expected 3rd placed Chester to chase all the way in their attempt to catch the table topping visitors but strangely it was not to be. Seemingly content to settle for a draw the Chester batsmen eased their way to 175 for 6 and no amount of encouragement from Thomas and his bowlers could persuade them otherwise. It was an all too familiar pattern for Neston who have now drawn their last four games.

This time last year the 3rd XI were just starting to mount a very late, very stealthy, but ultimately very successful challenge for the championship. Saturday's dramatic last ball victory at Warrington 3rd's could be the start of this years move !. It was youngster Alex Tyler who turned out to be the hero of the day. Finding himself on 47 not out, with one ball of the match remaining and 3 still required to win, Tyler crashed the ball into the deep-set field and took two. Fortunately for Neston the fielders return eluded the bowler and Tyler was quickly back for the overthrow that took him to a well deserved fifty and gave his side a great win.

If the 3rd's are to sneak up on anyone it will have to be Neston's own 4th XI. Mike Potters side cruised to a 8 wicket win against Warrington 4th's at Parkgate to maintain a healthy lead at the top of the table. The visitors could only manage 73 all out and with Nathan Wilkes (43*) leading the way it was a formality for Potters men.

This Saturday the 1st XI will be looking to get back on track when they visit Alderley Edge. The 2nd XI take on Alderley's 2nd team at Parkgate hoping that they can end their run of drawn games. Pete Chester misses his sides game at Timperley but he does play on Sunday when Heaton Mersey are the visitors for a Jack Gardner Trophy quarter final tie. The 4th XI meet Oxton in a local derby.

16 July 2003 - LATEST TABLES
Cheshire County League top places up to and including Sat 12 July 2003
1st XI2nd XI3rd XI
 plpts  plpts  plpts
1 Bowdon 13223 NESTON 13191 NESTON 4th's 12261
2 NESTON 13203 Didsbury 13184 Chester BH 3rd's 12232
3 Chester BH 13201 Chester BH 13183 Upton 3rd's 13211
4 Nantwich 13194 Toft 13181 Warrington 3rd's 12182
5 Oulton Park 13174 Alderley Edge 13169 Chester BH 4th's 12180
6 Alderley Edge 13174 Warrington 13162 NESTON 3rd's 12179

14 July 2003 - STAN GETS ANOTHER TON
Neston's 1st XI kept up their challenge at the top of the Cheshire County Premier League with a comfortable 8 wicket win at bottom club Bramhall on Saturday. Highlight of the afternoon was a glorious unbeaten century from Stan Clifford who entertained the sun drenched crowd as Neston easily chased 201 to win. It was a second century of the season for the 41 year old Clifford who continues to roll back the years and regularly produce match winning performances with both bat and ball. Speaking after the game Clifford said, "some people may consider me to be close to the end of my career but I still feel that there's more to come. Whether or not the next ten years will be as good as the last ten remains to be seen. At the moment I'm just happy to be part of a winning side, one which should be able to push all the way for the championship."

Neston's victory came after losing the toss and being asked to bowl first. It was never going to be a day for the quick bowlers with the heat and the flat batting track conspiring against them. Sure enough Bramhall made a reasonable start with Cheshire captain Andrew Hall looking very comfortable despite being dropped early in his innings. The introduction into the attack of leg spinners Dave Jones (4 for 65) and Simon Marshall (2 for 87) immediately created problems and wickets began to tumble. Hall progressed calmly to his century but when he was caught on the boundary in the 55th over the home side decided to declare with the score on exactly 200 for 7.

With Clifford in such good form it was to turn out to be a very generous declaration that Neston took full advantage of. Youngster Steve Carter continued his excellent start to first team cricket with a composed 36, including a first ever six smashed straight back over the Cheshire skippers head.

The 20 points was enough to take Neston back to second place but with Bowdon picking up 25 points for their win against Alderley Edge the gap at the top was actually widened to 20 points [Scoresheet].

The 2nd XI are finding life at the top particularly frustrating at the moment. For the third week running they had to settle for a draw when Bramhall 2nd's visited Parkgate. Max Bass (80), Gareth Peers (53) and Jamie Hackett (35) were the top run scorers as Neston racked up 240 declared. Try as they might the Neston bowlers could not weedle out the stubborn Bramhall late order and the game drifted aimlessly to a draw.

With a draw not a possibility in their quarter final league knock out tie on Sunday the 2nd's had little difficulty in disposing of Widnes at Parkgate. Gareth Peers is full of runs at the moment and he followed his half century on Saturday with a superb unbeaten 126. With Tom Hollingsbee making 50 Neston were able to reach an impressive 255 in their 45 overs. Any hope that the visitors may have had was soon snuffed out when they dramatically collapsed to 12 for 6. Dickie Thorn was the main tormentor but once his spell was complete the Widnes late order led a spirited comeback to finish on 176. Neston now travel to Toft in the semi-final.

Neston's 3rd XI entertained Brooklands on Saturday and after winning the toss asked them to bat first. Nick Carter (2 for 9) opened the bowling and got 2 wickets in his first 4 balls. Will Noakes and Robin Gwyn (3 for 24) then removed 2 more Brooklands batsmen leaving them 26 for 4, Kilroy (73) led a recovery and was the only batsman to get on top of some tight Neston bowling. Neston eventually managed to bowl Brooklands out for 162. In reply the prolific Russ Thompson (89 not out) again was the principal contributor to Neston's score of 165 for 4. A good innings by Alex Tyler (27) was ended by a stunning catch and it was left to stand in skipper Paul King to see the team home for a comfortable 6 wicket win.

The seemingly invincible 4th XI march on this time disposing of Cheadle Hulme with consummate ease. Chris Preston-Jones (4 for 40), Brian Murphy (2 for 73) and Alistair Wilson (3 for 38) were the wicket takers as Cheadle Hulme were bowled out for 178. It took Mike Potter's side only 31 overs to knock the runs off with Adam Bass (77), Lloyd Murphy (56*) and Greg Brooker (37) top scoring in the 8 wicket win.

7 July 2003 - PRESENTATION TO JIM MARSHALL
At the recent Sporting Lunch Mike Heathfield presented the retiring Cricket Chairman, Jim Marshall, with a memento of his time on the Committee. Mike accompanied the presentation with the following words....

"Ladies and Gentlemen, before I ask the President to say grace I’d just like to take a minute or two of your time to introduce our M C today, Neston’s very own Jim Marshall.

Jim has recently ended his second term as Chairman of the Cricket section here and we want to make a very public presentation to him today to mark our gratitude for his massive contribution to the Club over more years than he cares to remember.

Cricket is a team game but where the individual gets the opportunity to star. During the many years he’s played cricket here Jim has performed with distinction as a hard hitting batsman playing countless match winning innings and also as a fielder with the safest pair of hands in the district.

At all times he’s been the ultimate team man and played the game in exactly the right spirit, setting a marvellous example as to how the game should be played.

A successful team has its star players but a successful club is built from the efforts of the people who do the hard work behind the scenes. As captain of 1st and 2nd XI’s and in two spells as Chairman, Jim has been an ever present on the Committee for a long, long time and has also represented the cricket section on the Club Council. He’s put in far, far more than he’s ever taken out and Neston CC has been enriched as a result.

We know he’s impossible to replace because we’ve spent the last 18 months trying to do just that and found nobody equal to the task. So what do you get for a man with so many strengths and whose only weakness is a liking for a large Jack Daniels and Coke late on a Saturday night? By way of a thank you Jim we’d like you to accept this Jack Daniels hipflask, which is inscribed - Jim Marshall, for an outstanding contribution to Neston Cricket Club."

Well done Mike, I couldn't have put it better myself. Every club needs people like Jim Marshall, very few have them, we've just been very lucky - DC.

7 July 2003 - MORE DETAILS FROM THE BIG GAME !!
Neston III's entertained table topping Neston IV's on Saturday. Having won the toss, the 3's asked a very strong 4th team to bat first, their line up being strengthened by the return from University of Gareth Peers and Adam Bass. Peers and Bass opened the innings and were soon scoring at over 4 an over. After a good opening spell, Noakes having been deposited into the adjoining gardens the previous ball, forced Bass to play on, bringing the in form Don Hurst to the wicket. Hurst (53) was soon on top of the bowling and with Peers (82) took the score to 170 before both were removed in quick succession by Robin Gwyn ( 5 for 65) who was part way through a marathon spell of 16 overs. At this point the 3rd. Team, recognising some normal faces, started to get on top and reduced the scoring rate to more manageable proportions, delaying Mike Potter's declaration to the 49th over with the score at 245 for 8. In reply the 3rd's innings got off to a poor start with the in form Thompson being removed without scoring, Garrett (34) and Reeve (43) then stabilised the innings and took the score to 72. Chester (37) and Reeve then accelerated the scoring and with 100 needed off the last 15 overs a close finish looked possible. Brian Murphy ( 3 for 71) and John Brown ( 3 for 57) with the help of some excellent catching managed to remove the 3rd's middle order, Mark Strong (23) falling to a tremendous catch by the younger Murphy off his dad, just as he looked to repeat some off his heroics of previous seasons. In the end Robin Gwyn and Dougie Chadwick saw of some hostile bowling from Alastair Wilson to leave the a game a draw, the thirds closing at 191 for 9.

6 July 2003 - DRAWS ALL ROUND
Neston's 1st XI missed a golden opportunity to leapfrog over Bowdon and into top spot in the Cheshire County Premier League when they could only draw with Oulton Park at Parkgate on Saturday. Whilst the league leaders were suffering a shock defeat at the hands of bottom club Urmston, the teams placed second and fourth were cancelling each other out in a drawn game which left both sides trying to claim the morale victory. If the truth be known the real winner on the day was the lifeless pitch which offered little help to bowlers and batsmen alike.

Oulton Park won the toss, chose to bowl first, and made early inroads into the Neston line-up when Simon Marshall was trapped LBW by Whittaker. Stan Clifford and Steve Carter were steadfast against an accurate bowling attack but runs were hard to come by. As the innings progressed only Chris Hackett showed any sign of breaking free from the shackles imposed by the bowlers. He struck two sixes in his 36 but was denied a third when he was well caught on the boundary. Youngster Steve Carter was playing a composed knock and although runs remained hard to come by the home side did have wickets in hand ready for a late flurry in the last ten overs of the innings. Carter was unfortunate to fall two short of a maiden half century but Paul Coles picked up the reins and his quick fire 34 allowed Neston to reach a respectable 193 for 8 off 60 overs.

After tea the Oulton Park openers discovered just how difficult it was to score quickly and after 15 overs the score had only reached 27. As the required run rate for victory rose the pressure started to build on the batsmen. Whittaker and Leech succumbed to Clifford and Bevan before Berry and Kent put together a promising third wicket partnership to take the score to 101. The important wicket of Berry fell to Simon Marshall but Kent was still looking dangerous. Neston were playing the delicate game of conceding enough runs to keep the opposition interested whilst looking to pick up wickets at steady intervals. With 34 required off the last four overs and four wickets still to fall it looked as if the game would go all the way to a thrilling climax. A mix up led to Whitehouse being run out but with Kent still going well the visitors were still in with a chance. When Kent (78) did eventually find the save hands of Bevan at long-off the visitors decided not to gamble on a possible win and elected to settle for a draw that does nothing for either sides hopes of catching the faltering Bowdon [Scoresheet].

There were lots of glum faces when the 2nd XI returned from their drawn game at Toft. A poor pitch and outfield were significant factors in producing a match which is best forgotten as soon as possible. For the record, Toft reached 150 after generally scoring slowly but then finishing with a flurry. Neston's reply started at a snails pace and once 20 overs had disappeared without too many inroads being made into the victory target it became a seriously uphill struggle. Vain attempts at accelerating the pace only led to wickets and in the end Ben Thomas' side had to settle for an uninspiring draw with the score on 85 for 7.

The 3rd and 4th XI's met at Parkgate for their eagerly awaited and fiery contested league clash. The 3rd XI are reigning league champions whilst the 4th's are already looking like champions elect for 2003. It was Mike Potter's 4th's who seized the initiative when Gareth Peers (85) and Adam Bass (36) set about the bowling in good fashion. A huge score in quick time looked on the cards but Pete Chester's 3rd XI did fight back and the eventual declaration (245 for 9), although still substantial, was at least delayed longer than expected. Few sides have been able to match Potter's men this year and once the wicket of the prolific Russ Thompson had been claimed it looked odds on that the match would swing their way. In the end the 3rd XI made a useful fist of the chase before fighting hard at the end to avoid defeat with a final total of 195 for 9. The maximum 17 points for the draw does little to dent the 4th's lead at the top of the table but whilst most outsiders seem to think it will be an inevitable outcome the skipper is not counting any chickens yet..."We are only just past the half way stage of the season and whilst it's nice to have a bit of a lead we know that there is still a lot of work to be done. At the moment we have a great mix of youth and experience which is working very nicely for us but we're taking nothing for granted. There's plenty of tough matches still to be played with lots of points at stake, we just need to keep picking up our share of them." said Potter.

3 July 2003 - SIMON RETURNS
The 1st XI will be boosted this week by the return of Simon Marshall from university. Simon has just completed his second year of studies and has been playing and captaining the Cambridge University side. As well as going straight into the 1st team for Saturday's crucial game against Oulton Park he will also play for Cheshire on Sunday in their quarter final Minor Counties tie to be played at Welwyn Garden City.

2 July 2003 - 1ST'S CLOSE GAP
The Murray Smith Cheshire County Premier League reached it's half way stage on Saturday with Neston's 1st XI placed second just 16 points behind leaders Bowdon. The encouraging first half of the campaign was completed with a fourth consecutive victory for Dave Collyer's side with an exciting 7 run victory over Hyde being the latest success.

Having won the toss the visitors to Parkgate elected to bowl first and claimed an early victim when Phil Davis departed without troubling the scorers. Still finding his feet at the top level, youngster Steve Carter impressed again before over reaching for a drive and edging to gulley where Brierley took a good catch. Shortly after, Chris Hackett fell victim to Butterworth but at the other end the ever green Stan Clifford was steadying the innings with a patient 39. Andy Woolley (13) shared a fourth wicket partnership to take the score onto 88 before a flurry of wickets left Neston in deep trouble at 106 for 7.

Whilst these mini batting collapses are a worrying feature of the Neston game there is some comfort in the fact that this year somewhere down the line there will be someone who steps forward to dig their side out of a hole. For the second time in three weeks it was Paul Coles whose 31 was to prove invaluable. With Brian Beaver also contributing a much needed 21 Neston were able to scramble to a below par, but still defendable total of 159 all out.

As in previous weeks Brett Bevan gave the home side the perfect start when he trapped Murphy LBW before a run had been scored. The dogged Fitzimmons dug in to grind out the runs and for once Bevan could find no way through. The introduction of Dave Jones brought the dismissal of Pilkington but the arrival of the Hyde skipper, Ashley, was the start of what looked to be a match winning partnership. At 77 for 2 the batsmen looked to be in control until a mix up over a second run led to Fitzimmons being run out. Ashley was still looking dangerous and despite two wickets from Clifford the balance of the game was very much tipped towards Hyde with the skipper still there and only 19 required to win with 5 wickets in hand.

But Neston hadn't given up yet and when Clifford had Brierley adjudged LBW the visitors inexperienced tail had been exposed. Happy to give Ashley the single to keep him off strike the Neston pace attack of Bevan and Clifford were able to pile the pressure on. Torkington and Berry succumbed to leave the match finely balanced at 147 for 8 and then Bevan took the key wicket of Ashley as the skipper tried in vain to push on for the winning runs. Moments later it was Bevan again who completed a remarkable fight back by bowling last man Butterworth to pick up his fourth wicket of the match and give Neston an exciting 7 run win. [Scoresheet].

Top of the 1st XI Premier Table at the half way mark;
 plpts
Bowdon11191
Neston11175
Chester BH11169
Oulton Park11159
Nantwich11149

The 2nd XI suffered a set back at Warrington when they were beaten by 2 wickets in a close fought game played on a difficult pitch. Neston's total of 158 was not quite enough to ensure victory but despite the defeat Ben Thomas' side remain top of their league;

Top of the 2nd XI Premier Table at the half way mark;
 plpts
Neston11170
Didsbury 11168
Chester BH11163
Toft11149
Grappenhall11145

The seconds were back in action on Sunday when they travelled to Chester for a League knock-out tie. Chester batted first and reached 180 for 8 off their 45 overs with Tom Richardson and Pete Barber the pick of the Neston bowling attack. Adam Bass led the reply with a majestic 65 ably supported by Nathan Wilkes (25) and Alex Tyler (17*). It was a close fought affair but Neston eventually ran out winners by 2 wickets with one over to spare. Thomas awaits the outcome of the Warrington v Widnes game before he can plan for the quarter final.

Back to Saturday, and the 3rd XI' game at Chester BH 4th's. Chester won the toss and elected to field. On a damp soft and slow pitch, the ball tended to pop occasionally, causing difficulties for the batting through most of the innings. Russ Thompson (65) provided the backbone of the batting as usual with wickets falling fairly regularly at the other end. Paul King (50) struck some lusty blows to up the tempo a bit but wickets continued to fall and it was left to Robin Gwyn and Sam McPherson to provide support to allow an eventual declaration at 221-8 at 48 overs.

Chester replied very slowly with the wicket not misbehaving anywhere near as much as before. Neston (Noakes and Gwyn) bowled very well, giving very little away, but were unable to get a wicket. Chadwick & Strong couldn't do any better and the scoring rate eventually starting to increase. Immediately after the drinks break, one of the Chester openers was run out, having put on a partnership of over 100. Steve Cook took a wicket and had several catches dropped but Chester were now scoring at about 6 an over - just about the rate they needed to win. Neston did pick up a few late wickets to snuff out any hope that the home side had of victory but it was too little too late for Neston and the match petered out to a draw.

With the 1st XI in second place and the 2nd XI top of their respective leagues, things are looking rosy for Neston Cricket Club. But the 4th XI are even better placed in their league - top of the table by a considerable margin and looking virtually unstoppable. Saturday was no exception even though the visitors to Parkgate were the strong Chester BH 3rd XI. The visitors won the toss and asked Mike Potter's men to bat first. Against some good bowling the Neston batsmen didn't have things all their own way but knocks of 27 from Nathan Wilkes, 24 from the skipper and 60 from Don Hurst took the home side to 204 for 9 off 55 overs. The Chester reply started well before Brian Murphy and Alistair Wilson applied the brakes and got amongst the wickets. Murphy ended with 6 for 24 and Wilson 3 for 41 as Neston eventually ran out winners in this top of the table clash. The final margin was 35 runs with victory coming in the penultimate over. It was a hard fought but much deserved 23 points that extends the 4th's lead at the top still further.

24 June 2003 - NINE FOR BRETT
Just seven days after taking a remarkable eight wickets against Urmston, Neston’s Aussie pace bowler Brett Bevan went one better on Saturday and claimed an astonishing nine victims in the Cheshire County League game at Macclesfield. It was a performance that sent statisticians scurrying for their record books – possibly the best ever return by a Neston bowler at 1st XI level and certainly the first time that any player had claimed nine wickets in an innings since the County League became an ECB Premier competition in 1999.

After a slow start to his English career Bevan has now taken 24 wickets in the last 4 games to increase his season’s total to 28 and put him top of the leagues wicket takers. The Macclesfield batting line-up was simply blown away by the left-armers pace and swing and the innings was all over within 25 overs with only 59 on the board.

Prior to Bevan’s match winning performance Neston had won the toss and decided to bat on a pitch which was clearly going to help the bowlers. There was a taste of things to come when the home sides opening bowling attack had the ball moving all over the place to cause plenty of problems for Phil Davis and Stan Clifford.

The Neston opening pair share more years experience than they would care to admit to but on this occasion they needed every bit as they battled it out to give their side a slow but very important base to the innings. Once Clifford had finally succumbed, youngster Steve Carter found himself in at the deep end on his debut. But he too showed great application as he dealt with everything thrown at him. It was an impressive first knock for Carter who only scored 17 but his time at the crease was vitally important as the Macclesfield attack tired and the ball became softer.

Davis (39) was third out with the score on 81 but by that time it was clear that any total over 150 would represent a severe challenge on the bowler friendly wicket. Just as that target looked within easy reach Neston suffered a middle order batting collapse with the Hackett brothers, Steve Egerton, Paul Coles and Brian Beaver all falling in quick succession to leave the visiting side on 135 for 8. Unaware of the major impact that he was yet to have on the game Bevan was already playing a significant role - with the bat. His 20 runs were crucial and with skipper Dave Collyer adding a quick fire 23 Neston were able to reach a more than respectable total of 168 off 59.1 overs.

After tea the fireworks really began with Bevan taking the first six wickets in quick succession as Macclesfield slumped to 22 for 6. Reed and Buckley put together some sort of partnership but the introduction of Dave Jones for the luckless Clifford soon brought about Reed’s dismissal. It may have been the wicket that spoilt the Aussie’s chances of taking all ten but at the time it was a crucial breakthrough as the seventh wicket pair threatened to grind it out. With the partnership broken Bevan took his chance to mop up the tail with the final three wickets all falling with the score on 59 [Scoresheet].

The impressive performance from a rejuvenated Neston side takes Dave Collyer’s team to joint second in the league table. All eyes now turn to the home game against Hyde on Saturday to see if Bevan can keep up his recent rate of improvement and who knows perhaps go one better again ?.

A 1st XI nine wicket haul is going to overshadow most other events and as it happens there were plenty of other great things happening at Neston on Saturday. All four sides returned comprehensive wins with some excellent individual performances thrown in as well.

The 2nd team took on Grappenhall at Parkgate and after dismissing them for 137 proceeded to knock the runs off for the loss of only one wicket. Pete Barber (75*) and Tom Hollingsbee (54*) sharing a century partnership that keeps Ben Thomas’ side right up at the top of the table.

The 3rd XI entertained Irby and were asked to bowl after losing the toss. Robin Gwyn (3 for 22) and Douggy Chadwick (2 for 18) reduced the Irby innings to 33 for 5 before an excellent partnership between Parkinson (62) and Parker (50) added some respectability to the score. Neston's attempt to bowl the visitors out was brought to an abrupt end by an early declaration with the score on 191 for 8. Neston replied with Russ Thompson (77) and Mark Garrett (48) putting on 148 for the first wicket, Irby's score being reached in the 37th over for the loss of 3 wickets.

The invincible 4th XI extended their massive lead at the top of the table even further with a 9 wicket win at Birkenhead Park. Alistair Wilson's 7 for 38 was a match winning performance with Ben Edwards also chipping in with 3 for 31 as Park were bowled out for 167. In reply veteran Jim Hughes, making his first appearance of the season, showed that he had lost none of his batting prowess with a majestic 85 not out. Ably supported by skipper Mike Potter (70*) the pair made light work of knocking the runs off for the loss of only one wicket.

A great weekend for the club was capped on Sunday when Pete Chester's 3rd XI returned to action in the League Knockout. It was a confident looking Hale Barn's side that travelled to Parkgate for a third round tie and having won the toss the visitors invited Neston to have first use of a wicket which they evidently thought would pose some problems for the batsmen. Once again Russ Thompson (77) and Mark Garret (74) got the innings off to a flying start, putting on 168 for the first wicket. Once Thompson had been removed, Alan Reeve (68*) led the charge towards 300, with 95 runs coming in the last 10 overs. The score of 302 for 3 is thought to be the highest by a Neston third XI. Hale Barns replied and soon fell victim to the vagaries of the Neston wicket and were eventually all out for 96, with the wickets being shared by all who bowled, giving Neston victory by 206 runs.

16 June 2003 - COLESY AND BRETT DO THE BUSINESS
Urmston made their first ever trip to Parkgate for a Cheshire League game on Saturday and for a short while looked as if they would create a shock and gain their first win of their season. The side rooted firmly to the bottom of the table reduced Neston's 1st XI to 49 for 6 before a dogged rearguard action was mounted by Paul Coles and the Neston late order. It was a notable return to the side for Coles who arrived at the crease with his side in something of a crisis. His innings started circumspectly but together with Aussie Brett Bevan a useful recovery was underway. The pair put on 44 for the seventh wicket before Bevan was adjudged LBW. Brian Beaver and Dave Collyer hung around for a while as Coles gained in confidence with every bad ball being efficiently dispatched to the boundary. By the time last man Dave Jones arrived at the wicket Neston had progressed to 122 - a reasonable total considering the disastrous start. But the real fireworks were yet to come. Coles reached a well deserved half century and at the other end Jones (18*) crashed some magnificent shots to all parts of the ground. The pair added a quick fire 33 before Coles finally succumbed for a superb 63 having led his side to a respectable total of 155.

The Urmston innings was immediately rocked by the pace of Brett Bevan. The Aussie has been in great form of late and with the sun shining and the temperature more to his liking he proved unplayable. Bowling unchanged he produced the magnificent figures of 8 for 55 as the visitors were blasted out for only 81 [Scoresheet].

Skipper Dave Collyer was delighted with the win saying.."I thought Colesy's knock was fantastic, he's finally shown everyone just what he is capable of doing at the highest level. Under normal circumstances he'd get the man of the match award, but then Brett goes and takes eight wickets !. We have shown great resilience today and in the end won quite comfortably." The win takes Collyer's side up to third place in the table... "We're playing pretty well at the moment. We've always had real match winners like Stan Clifford and Dave Jones in the side and now there are regular and significant contributions coming from the rest of the team. We will try and keep the momentum going and see if we can keep in touch with Bowdon at the top of the table."

After a shaky start the 2nd XI's season has certainly gained plenty of momentum recently. Saturday's win at Upton was their third consecutive success and one which puts them close to the top of the table. But it was a hard fought affair after the home side had posted 159 for 8 with Dickie Thorn picking up 3 wickets and Steve Carter and Pete Barber claiming two apiece. Neston's reply was steady, with skipper Ben Thomas (30), Steve Carter (25) and Pete Barber (25) all making useful contributions. Jimmy Marshall injected some urgency with 3 boundaries in his four ball 12 but it was veteran John Fennah who capped a rare appearance by leading his side to a tense two wicket victory with a composed 35 not out. Sadly Fennah's appearances are limited but on this occasion his experience and ability proved invaluable.

Pete Chester's 3rd XI crushed Birkenhead Park by 10 wickets to pick up 25 points and keep them in the hunt for honours. Having won the toss Park made painful progress on what was a lovely day in rural Birkenhead. Neston's bowlers struggled to get a breakthrough and it was only with the introduction of Cook that the wickets started to fall. Mark Strong bowled 12 overs, taking 5 wickets for 15 runs, but it was left to young Sam McPherson to get the important 10th wicket off the fourth ball of the last over. The Neston reply, inspired by the advent of 20/20 cricket, got off to a flying start and then accelerated!. Russ Thompson (102 not out) was particularly savage in his treatment of the Park bowlers, reaching his century of the last ball of the 21st over, having faced just 63 balls. The skipper chipped in an unbeaten 51 as his side cruised to a 10 wicket victory.

The 4th XI's winning run of six games finally ended when they could only draw against Urmston 3rd's at Parkgate. Mark Strong's 5 wickets not quite enough to bring a seventh straight win.

13 June 2003 - A SAD DAY FOR THE 1ST XI
Regrettably the 1st XI have conceded their League Knockout 1st Round tie scheduled to be played at Macclesfield on Sunday. Skipper DC couldn't find 11 players willing to play in the game and had little choice but to concede... "I always knew that we wouldn't be able to put anything like a full strength side out but I was looking forward to taking a team of promising youngsters - unfortunately it's exam time. It is a sad state of affairs which reflects badly upon the club and automatically excludes us from the competition next season."

13 June 2003 - STAN'S OUT
An arthritic hip rules Stan Clifford out of Saturday's game against Urmston at Parkgate.

8 June 2003 - WINS ALL ROUND
It was smiles all round at Neston on Saturday night after the 1st, 2nd and 4th XI's all scored important wins in their respective chase for honours. The 1st XI turned in an impressive performance to beat Wirral rivals Oxton by 26 runs, the win taking Dave Collyer's side up to joint third place in the Murray Smith Cheshire County League Premier Division.

Playing on the same Oxton pitch that had been used for Cheshire's three day Minor Counties game earlier in the week Neston elected to bat first and got off to a flying start with Stan Clifford and Phil Davis both looking in good form. Making light of the difficult surface the pair shared a 61 run opening partnership that was to eventually prove to be the significant difference between the two sides. Once Clifford (33) and Davis (29) had been dismissed the rest of the Neston batting line-up struggled to come to terms with the spin of Stafford and O'Brien. Chris Hackett made a useful 28 but with wickets falling regularly Neston eventually finished on a slightly below par score of 156 all out.

After a slow start to his English career, Aussie opening bowler Brett Bevan is now enjoying a more productive spell. After taking three wickets last week Bevan set about the Oxton batting line-up in explosive fashion. Cross was trapped LBW off the second ball and then two overs later Stokes was caught behind. At the other end Clifford was also quickly into the game taking 2 wickets to reduce the home side to a perilous 15 for 4. Allan led a bit of a recovery but Clifford, the leagues leading run scorer, was this time making his presence felt with the ball. His figures of 6 for 60 took Neston to the brink of victory before Bevan returned to mop up the last two wickets and earn a much deserved win and important 22 points [Scoresheet].

The 2nd XI had a relatively easy game against their Oxton counterparts at Parkgate. The visitors were dismissed for 123 with Paul Stimpson and Dickie Thorn amongst the wickets. The run chase was a formality with Paul Coles scoring 40 as Ben Thomas' side cruised home with 8 wickets to spare.

Whilst the 3rd XI were enjoying a free date, Mike Potters table topping 4th XI met up with third placed Warrington at Parkgate. Potter lost the toss and Neston were asked to bat. It was a poor start with runs hard to come by and wickets falling at regular intervals. That was until Chris Preston-Jones turned the match on its head with a magnificent 85 made in quick time with important contributions from youngsters Lloyd Murphy (28) and Alistair Wilson (23*). At tea time a shell shocked Warrington side couldn't believe what had happened to them. They needed 205 to win and close the gap at the top of the table but Neston had gained the psychological advantage and were determined to make the most of it. With two experienced old pros, Brian Murphy (3 for 35) and Bob Yardley (3 for 30) bowling in tandem Neston were soon in full control. Again there was useful support from the sides talented youngsters this time it was bowlers David Hurst and Sam McPherson who chipped in with important wickets as Warrington were eventually dismissed for 116.

This coming Saturday the 1st XI play hosts to bottom club Urmston whilst the 2nd's make the short journey to Upton. After their week off the thirds return to action at Birkenhead Park. The 4th's will be looking to keep their impressive run of results going when Urmston are the visitors to Parkgate. Sunday sees the 1st XI back in action when they make the long trip to Macclesfield for a League Knockout 1st round game.

1 June 2003 - 1ST XI FAIL TO FINISH OFF NANTWICH
For the third consecutive game Neston's 1st XI played themselves into a strong winning position but failed to complete the job, this time letting Nantwich off the hook at Parkgate on Saturday. It was a change of tactic for Neston when, on winning the toss, they elected to bat first after chasing in every other game to date. Phil Davis fell early to the first of a few dubious LBW decisions that were to mar the game but Stan Clifford - after being dropped on nought - and Andy Woolley, settled in and were soon on top of the Nantwich attack. Clifford (34) looked in really threatening form but just as he began to cut loose he fell to an LBW decision despite more than a suggestion that the ball had taken a thick inside edge before hitting the pads. Jamie Hackett (25) played some great shots before falling to a sucker blow by hitting a full toss straight down mid-on's throat and soon after brother Chris (10) managed a similar dismissal when he picked out Cotterill at deep mid-wicket. Woolley's usual anchor role was temporarily put on hold for three balls when he decided to demonstrate to his colleagues how to play the tricky full toss, dispatching Celap for six, six and four. With Steve Egerton also going well Neston looked set for full batting bonus points. But once Woolley had departed two short of his half century the Neston tail failed to wag and wickets tumbled. In the end it was only the efforts of Egerton (42) that helped take the final score to 201 all out off 54.5 overs.

Having posted a useful total the home side were looking to make early inroads into the Nantwich batting line-up and the large crowd didn't have to wait too long before the wickets started to tumble. Aussie Brett Bevan produced his best spell of the season so far, removing both openers (LBW decisions this time going Neston's way !) and then dismissing the dangerous Maynard - bowled via an inside edge. When Stan Clifford got into the attack trapping Prince LBW the visitors were struggling at 21 for 4. It got even better for Neston when Dave Jones had Ferris caught by Davis at slip to put Neston in an even stronger position at 42 for 5. At this point the Nantwich skipper Newton set about forging some form of recovery and with Chris Hampshire the two managed to consolidate somewhat. With Neston not unhappy to keep the visitors interested in the game and with attacking fields deployed the scoreboard was kept ticking over. Although Neston still controlled the match there was a glimmer of hope for Newton and his big hitting fifty took his side closer to the required total. Unfortunately the skipper's dismissal probably came too soon and the visitors slim hopes of a win were over. Neston's late attempt to blast the final few wickets out were in vain and in the end they finished two wickets short of victory whilst Nantwich reached 193. [Scoresheet].

The 2nd XI had such a comfortable win at Alsager they were back at Parkgate in time to watch the last hour of the 1st XI game. Alsager chose to bat first but were no match for the Neston bowling. Paul Stimpson was the chief destroyer taking seven wickets as the home side collapsed to 80 all out. There were no problems for Ben Thomas' men who cruised to victory and 25 points losing only two wickets.

Pete Chester's 3rd XI faced a much tougher task as they played hosts to a strong Upton 3rd XI. Having won the toss Upton decided to bat and got off to a flying start with 20 in the first 2 overs. Steady bowling controlled the run rate with Tom Richardson looking the most likely to take wickets. Only when Ken Crofton (67*) was joined by Clark (60) did the run rate start to rise, Upton eventually declaring at 213 after 50 overs. The Neston innings got off to a dreadful start with in form Russ Thompson falling second ball, Alan Reeve and Mark Garrett then got Neston back into the game and with the score on 74 after 18 overs things looked promising. Three wickets then fell for 2 runs with a further 4 falling with the score on 109, Jones (5 for 31) being the only bowler to get something out of a very flat wicket. With 17 0vers still to bat Upton went on the attack with fielders all around the bat, Noakes (42*) and Richardson (16*) managed to survive and take the score upto 177 to give Neston another draw, their 5th of the season.

There were plenty of runs around in the 4th XI's game at Birkenhead Park with Neston consolidating their top of the table position after chasing a huge 240 to win the game by 4 wickets. Hero of the day was Don Hurst who made a superb 121.

26 May 2003 - DEFEAT FROM THE JAWS OF VICTORY
Neston's 1st XI turned in an encouraging performance on Saturday but frustratingly managed to eventually slip to defeat against the reigning champions Bowdon. Despite outplaying their visitors for most of the afternoon it was the crucial final hour of the game that went horribly wrong for Dave Collyer's side and allowed Bowdon to snatch the win. Having won the toss Neston chose to bowl first and were soon on top as Aussie Brett Bevan fired out both openers. With Stan Clifford bowling as tightly as ever from one end it was left to Dave Jones to get amongst the wickets and return the superb figures of 7 for 47 as the visitors strong batting line up was restricted to 167 all out off 55 overs. After tea Neston's reply started well with Phil Davis and Stan Clifford sharing a comfortable opening partnership of 27 before both were dismissed in quick succession. There was a further setback when the Hackett brothers departed in consecutive deliveries but things were soon back on track with Andy Woolley sharing two good partnerships, first with Steve Egerton (30) and then with Max Bass (20). At 137 for 5 the home side only needed another 31 to win with plenty of overs to spare and victory looked certain. Unfortunately at that point Bass was run out by quick work from Yates and he was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Bevan and Beaver. Woolley battled bravely on as partners continued to disappear and he reached a fine half century. Seventeen runs were still required for victory when Collyer was run out and after adding only one more run Woolley finally succumbed as he tried in vain to take his side through to the win that for so long had looked inevitable. [Scoresheet].

After the game the captain was mystified about the dramatic turnaround.."We've played really well and can take a lot from the performance. But somehow we've managed to lose a game that we should have finished off easily - I still can't quite understand what happened"

The 2nd XI's topsy turvy start to the season took a turn for the worse when they lost by 41 runs in a low scoring game at Bowdon. The pitch was not the best but having dismissed the home side for only 121 Ben Thomas' side should have been more than capable of chasing their victory target. It was not to be, and a poor batting performance all the way down the order saw Neston dismissed for only 80.

Back at Parkgate the 3rd XI were involved in a dreadful bore draw. Having won the toss and decided to bat, Neston's openers got the innings off to a solid start, Russ Thompson (83) and Mark Garrett (50) in the runs. Having scored at a brisk rate, Neston declared at 230 for the loss of 3 wickets after only 38 overs, with Alan Reeve unbeaten on 49, leaving a potential 62 overs to bowl Irby out. Neston's bowlers lacked the necessary penetration and guile to trouble the Irby batsmen and the innings progressed with no real eye on the runs target or batting points. The game subsided to a boring draw, with some minor excitement provided by Mark Strong (3-31) when he managed to remove one of Irby's more obstinate batsmen.

Sitting proudly at the top of the table the 4th XI took on Irby 3rd's full of confidence. Nathan Wilkes hit a superb 98 and Brian Murphy 50 as Neston reached 192 for 6 declared off 46 overs. Irby threatened little in reply and were eventually bowled out for only 73 with David Hurst (3 for 13), Alex Yardley (2 for 15) and debutant Sam McPherson (5 for 15) amongst the wickets. As if picking up another 25 points was not enough for skipper Mike Potter - he recorded an incredible seven victims behind the stumps, six of which were stumpings.

The 2nd XI were back in action on Sunday when they took on Bramhall in the 2nd XI knockout trophy at Parkgate. In a side containing eight under 21's it was veteran Jim Marshall who took the accolades with a stylish 97. Marshall was ably supported by Elliot Berstock (50) as Neston posted a useful 223 off their 45 overs. Last years winners, Bramhall, never gave up despite the fall of regular wickets but in the end it was Neston who ran out winners by 30 runs.

19 May 2003 - 2ND'S & 4TH'S WIN, 1ST'S & 3RD'S WASHED OUT
Neston's 1st XI game at Didsbury was the victim of the weather on Saturday with both sides, and indeed the rest of the Premier Division, picking up 7 points for abandoned games. Consequently the positions at the top of the table remain unchanged with Oulton Park leading the way after five games on 79 points followed by Bowdon (75), Chester BH (67) and Neston (64).

Whilst most of Cheshire suffered from the persistent rain there was time enough between the showers for both the 2nd and 4th XI's to steal a march on their rivals by winning their respective games at Parkgate. Ben Thomas' 2nd team started their game against Didsbury in dramatic fashion with a hat trick from opening bowler Martin Noakes. With the experienced Dean Wright also claiming three victims to reduce the visitors to 57 for 9 it looked as if the rain would certainly be beaten. Unfortunately as the sky continued to blacken Didsbury's last pair added to the frustration with some sensible play until a needless run out brought the innings to a close at 98 all out. Rain after the tea interval again threatened to spoil Neston's chance of victory but fortunately conditions prevailed long enough for Jim Marshall to stroke his way to a superb half century, leading the home side to a handy 20 point haul with a 7 wicket win.

It was a similarly soggy affair on the back pitch at Parkgate as Mike Potter's table topping 4th XI extended their lead with a hard fought win over Wirral rivals Upton. The visitors elected to bat first but never really came to terms with the conditions and some excellent bowling from the senior pros, Johnny Brown and Bob Yardley. Having dismissed the opposition for only 121 the in form Neston side must have fancied their chances, if only the rain stayed away. Unfortunately a sharp shower delayed the restart and reduced the number of overs available for the chase to only 31. After the loss of early wickets the pressure had increased significantly to the point where Upton were favourites to win. It was now the turn of Yardley junior (Alex) to play his part in the game - and what a dramatic contribution it turned out to be. The fifteen year old struck a magnificent 33 in quick time including two huge sixes, the second of which was the match winning blow in the penultimate over.

The 3rd XI were just about to leave Neston when they received the call from Urmston that their game was off. But after an inactive Saturday they were in action on Sunday when they entertained Nantwich IV's in the second round of the Jack Gardner Cup. Nantwich batted first and got off to a flying start with 21 off the first three overs, Mark Strong then came onto bowl and applied the brakes taking four wickets for 5 runs. The innings progressed slowly, finally reaching 98 in 42 overs. Neston replied with Hollingsbee (28), Hasell (30) and Reeve (28 not out) all getting scores, reaching the target in 29 overs for the loss of three wickets.

11 May 2003 - 1ST'S THROW AWAY WINNING POSITION
Neston's 1st XI suffered a dramatic late batting collapse in their game against Alderley Edge at Parkgate on Saturday and ended up having to hang on for a draw instead of taking the 25 points that should really have come their way. At 153 for 2 Dave Collyer's side needed another 70 to win off 18 overs and with Stan Clifford (62) and Jamie Hackett (52) both going well there was no-one at the ground backing the visitors. But cricket is a funny game and the loss of Clifford and Hackett in successive overs created a few jitters in the Neston middle order. Egerton, Bass, Woolley, Bevan and Beaver all fell cheaply and in the space of 10 overs the game had been turned on its head. In the end Neston's last pair of Collyer and Jones had little option but to block out for a draw with the score at 183 for 9. All this drama was in contrast to the Alderley Edge innings which had steadily progressed to a final total of 222 all out off exactly fifty overs, with Dave Collyer, Stan Clifford and Dave Jones each picking up three wickets [Scoresheet].

The 2nd XI turned in a much improved performance at Alderley Edge but were denied victory in a game that followed a similar pattern to the 1st XI match. Ben Thomas (45) and Stevie Carter (75) shared a fine opening partnership for Neston and with Pete Barber (46*) and Jim Marshall (39*) both making useful contributions Neston were able to declare on 225 for 2. Alderley Edge replied very positively and at 165 for 2 they were strong favourites to win the game until slow bowlers Dickie Thorn and Paul Stimpson applied the brakes and picked up a few wickets. Unfortunately for the game the home side decided not to risk pushing on for the win and the match ended in a draw with Neston picking up a useful 17 points for their efforts.

The 3rd XI had an easy win at Upton. Having won the toss Upton decided to bat, possibly influenced by their opening bowler having gone to Neston. Upton batted steadily with Chapman batting through the innings for 88 and some mid innings hitting from Clark. Noakes was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 24 in 15 overs. Neston's reply saw the two top scorers from last season get into form, Russ Thompson scoring his second century of the season with 106 and Mark Garrett with 74 seeing them home for the loss of only one wicket. It was a day for the batsmen, nearly 400 runs and only 6 wickets, perhaps Uptons opening bowler had the right idea in trying to play somewhere else!

4th XI skipper Mike Potter has set his stall out to develop a side that will provide opportunities for all involved, particularly the younger members of the team. Results so far are more than encouraging. The 4th's sit proudly at the top of the table on the back of a fine start to the season, and yes, the youngsters are making some great contributions. Saturday was no different as Potter's men crushed Irby 4th's by 181 runs after scoring 239 for 5 declared and then bowling the opposition out for only 53. Newcomer Nathan Wilkes scored a maiden fifty for the club in Neston's innings with Lloyd Murphy (45), Greg Brooker (43) and Johnny Brown (53*) also making significant contributions. Two of the younger players were amongst the wickets with Alistair Wilson taking 4 for 3 and fourteen year old Lawrence Lewis picking up 3 for 9.

9 May 2003 - UNDER 21'S GO OUT
After winning the trophy in 2002, Neston's Under 21's fell at the first hurdle this year when they were beaten at Nantwich on Monday.

9 May 2003 - WILF GOES TO 1,000 CAREER WICKETS
When Max Bass held a catch of the penultimate ball of the innings at Chester on Saturday it was of little consequence to the match. But it was a fantastic milestone in the career of Dave "Wilf" Jones. The wicket was Wilf's 1,000 league wicket in 1st XI cricket. A magnificent achievement.

8 May 2003 - SIMON CAPTAINS CAMBRIDGE
Neston's own Simon Marshall is the 2003 captain of the Cambridge University side. Clearly this is great recognition for Simon's ability and everyone at Neston wishes him well as he follows in the footsteps of some famous names.

8 May 2003 - 4TH XI CONCEDE JGT TIE
Sadly the 4th XI were unable to field a side for their scheduled Jack Gardner Trophy match at the weekend and skipper Mike Potter had no option but to concede the fixture.

Turning out competitive teams on Sundays at any level is proving to be a real headache (last season the 2nd XI withdrew from their league knockout). Club Captain DC believes the situation is getting worse "A lot of our players are family men and playing twice at the weekend is not an option. Even at 1st team level I know that the side that I take to Macclesfield for our league knockout match in June will bear little resemblance to a normal 1st XI. Fortunately I can call upon the talented youngsters in the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XI's and in fact it's a good way to introduce the likes of Steve Carter and Tom Hollingsbee to the higher level."

To try and reduce the extent of the problem in future years it is highly likely that the 3rd and 4th XI's will only enter one side between them into the JGT.

5 May 2003 - CHESHIRE CUP EXIT
Neston's hopes of progressing in this season's Cheshire Cup were dashed at the first hurdle yesterday when they lost to Nantwich by 85 runs. Choosing to bowl first on a damp wicket Neston should have quickly been in the ascendency but instead were left ruing the painful fact that they could indeed field even worse than they had done at Chester on the previous day. "Catches" were grounded at regular intervals and the visitors took full advantage as they went to 209 off their 45 overs. Somewhat demoralised the Neston batting never got going, except for a late flurry from the Bass brothers who did manage to bring some respectability to the innings. In the end it was a poor performance from Dave Collyer's side and one which he will be looking to bounce back from when Alderley Edge visit Parkgate this Saturday.

5 May 2003 - WILF REACHES MILESTONE
Neston's 1st XI turned in a lacklustre display at Chester Boughton Hall on Saturday slipping to their first defeat of the season by 16 runs. Dave Collyer's hitherto unbeaten side elected to bowl first but were soon on the back foot as opener Andy Bennion chanced his arm and raced to 46 before being caught off the bowling of Dave Jones. The miserable weather throughout the afternoon didn't help the fielding side but even the damp conditions couldn't be blamed for an error strewn performance with umpteen "catches" going to ground. Although Chester didn't quite dominate proceedings they were patient and accumulated runs with youngster Mathew Griffiths batting well for his 42 and Aussie Heath Pritchard also chipping in before being trapped LBW by the skipper. Collyer went on to pick up 5 wickets as the home side edged up to a more than respectable total. Neston's miserable afternoon was eventually to have one redeeming feature when, on the penultimate ball of the innings, Dave Jones had Shewring caught by Bass in the deep. In the context of this game it was a fairly meaningless wicket but the large crowd rose to applaud what was Jones' 1,000th league wicket in 1st XI club cricket. Considering that few bowlers ever get near to taking 50 wickets in any one season it is almost unbelievable that a bowler would ever reach the 1,000 wicket milestone.

With 180 on the board Neston set about their task but were soon in trouble as first Woolley and then the in-form Clifford were sent back to the pavilion. Chris Hackett took on the main run scoring role and looked very comfortable as he raced to a fine fifty. Unfortunately wickets continued to fall around him and when Hackett himself was dismissed for 54 Neston were struggling. At 135 for 9 the game looked all over as a contest but by then the light was fading fast. Neston's Aussie, Brett Bevan, was not giving up so easy and he showed that he could contribute with the bat. He found a useful partner in Dave Jones and slowly they edged the score closer to the target. Twice the pair were offered the light by the umpires but to their credit they felt that victory was still a possibility. Sadly it was not to be - with 3 overs remaining and 17 required to win, Bevan drove to cover where Pritchard took the catch to win the game for Chester [Scoresheet].

Ben Thomas' 2nd XI are still not into top gear and they sank to defeat at home to Chester Boughton Hall. The visitors made 175 with Stevie Carter by far the best of the bowling attack. Neston's reply never got going and eventually they were all out for 118.

Pete Chester's 3rd XI travelled to Birkenhead Park and having won the toss and inserted Park on a wet wicket with an eye on the weather and the chance of a short game, remarkably the game finished in near darkness at 8.30 with a full quota of 100 overs. Neston fielded most of the afternoon in varying levels of rain and with a ball that resembled a bar of soap. Park batted well in the conditions, the pitch resembling a scene from the Somme and perhaps scored an above par score given the slowness of the outfield. Some hard-hitting from Carlton being the core of their innings. Nick Carter was the pick of the bowlers with 4-37. Neston's reply got off to a slow start and then got worse with 4 wickets down for 41. Reeve and Chester led a recovery and with 100 needed of the last 20 overs a victory looked possible. However, with 50 required from 10, the wheels fell off again and the innings subsided to 147 for 8 before Tom Richardson and Robin Gwyn held out for the draw. Both sides managed to accumulate more points than had they stayed in the pavilion, but the washing machines will be busy on the Wirral getting everyone's kit clean again.

The 4th XI have started their 2003 campaign with a vengeance and Mike Potter's men continued the good work on Saturday when Timperley were the visitors to Parkgate. Neston wasted no time in racking up maximum batting points as they raced to 199 for 6 declared. Adam Bass followed up his fifty from the previous week with another 43, veteran Johnny Brown made 40 and youngster Lloyd Murphy played magnificently for an uneaten 57. The visitors never got to grips with the varied bowling attack and were easily dismissed for only 118 with Johnny Brown (3 for 6) the pick of the bowlers.

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Please send comments and mail to dc@nestoncc.co.uk