ARCHIVED NEWS FROM PARKGATE FOR MAY 2004 TO SEPTEMBER 2004

27 September 2004 - 2ND XI CHAMPIONS


Warrington's efforts to get their ground ready for play last Saturday are to be highly commended. Their work was to prove their undoing however, as the 2 points they picked up from the completed game meant they were relegated by 5 points. If they had called the game off, the 7 points received as a result would have seen them stay up (sending Didsbury down) by virtue of having won more games. Credit to them for making every effort to play - Stimmo

21 September 2004 - 2ND XI FINAL TABLE
Cheshire County 2nd XI Premier League 2004
 plpts
1 NESTON 22333
2 Chester BH 22321
3 Alderley Edge 22309

20 September 2004 - GOOD NEWS FOR 2005
On the final day of 1st XI fixtures the remaining relegation and promotion details were resolved. Bowdon were crowned champions after overhauling Oulton Parks large lead of 6 games ago. Macclesfield were relegated and other than the long journey will be missed. Sadly (?) Didsbury were also relegated. The two replacements from Division 1 couldn't be better. Welcome back to Nigel Muirhead and his Toft side - sorely missed both on and off the field. And, congratulations to Christleton who have had a fantastic few seasons. Another local match at a ground I for one have alway enjoyed visiting. Roll on April 2005 !!! .

20 September 2004 - 1ST XI FINAL LEAGUE TABLE 2004
Final Cheshire County Premier League 2004
 plpts
1 Bowdon 22373
2 Oulton Park 22354
3 Hyde 22322
4 Chester BH 22308
5 Oxton 22283
6 Widnes 22267
7 Poynton 22243
8 NESTON 22237
9 Nantwich 22236
10 Alderley Edge 22222
11 Macclesfield 22213
12 Didsbury 22212

20 September 2004 - 2ND XI STEAL CHAMPIONSHIP ON FINAL DAY - Report by Stimmo
Warrington 2's were no match for a rampant Neston as the 2004 2nd XI premier league season finished in dramatic fashion on Saturday.

With both sides desperate to play (albeit for dramatically different reasons) Warrington batted first on a sporty, wet wicket and outfield, saturated by heavy morning rain. The game was as good as over in the first hour, with Greg Shillinglaw bowling superbly to pick up 5 wickets, aided by some excellent catching behind the stumps. Messrs Barber, Thorn and Stimson all chipped in as well as the home side were bundled out for a paltry 65.

Jim Marshall was applauded off the pitch by a Neston guard of honour at halfway, in what may possibly have been his farewell appearance for the club ?

Neston easily knocked off the required runs before decamping en masse to Chester Boughton Hall, to see if Hyde could do us a favour and beat the team that started the day 4 points ahead of us, at the top of the league.

Hyde did not disappoint, thrashing Chester by 8 wickets and in the process claiming second place for themselves, but more importantly confirming the Shrimpers as champions for the third consecutive season by the narrow margin of 12 points.

Congratulations to Jim Marshall and his troops

Meanwhile the 1st and 4th XI games at Parkgate were abandoned without a ball being bowled because of the wet weather. The 3rd XI finished their season on a low with defeat at Birkenhead Park.

15 September 2004 - 1ST XI LEAGUE TABLE WITH ONE WEEK TO GO
Neston need just 2 points to ensure their Premier League status fron Saturday's final fixture at home to Widnes. The skipper has promised an 'experimental' batting line-up. I've oiled my bat and whitened my pads !!!.
Cheshire County Premier League (11 September 2004)
 plpts
1 Bowdon 21366
2 Oulton Park 21347
3 Hyde 21322
4 Chester BH 21308
5 Oxton 21268
6 Widnes 21260
7 Poynton 21236
8 NESTON 21230
9 Alderley Edge 21214
10 Nantwich 21213
11 Macclesfield 21206
12 Didsbury 21206

15 September 2004 - 2ND'S NEED TO WIN AND HOPE CHESTER DON'T
Jim Marshall's 2nd XI need a favour from Hyde if they are to retain the 2nd XI Premier League title. On the last day of the season Neston travel to Warrington knowing that anything short of victory will not suffice. Even then it is Chester BH who are in the box seat taking a 4 point lead into their last game at Hyde.
Cheshire County 2nd XI Premier League (11 September 2004)
 plpts
1 Chester BH 21312
2 Neston 21308
3 Alderley Edge 21302

15 September 2004 - 3RD XI LEAGUE TABLE WITH ONE WEEK TO GO
The title will be won at Neston on Saturday but sadly, barring a miracle it will be Upton's
Cheshire County 3rd XI Division 1 (11 September 2004)
 plpts
1 Upton 3rd's 21343
2 Neston 3rd's 21319
3 Neston 4th's 21309

15 September 2004 - WEB SITE - FULL SERVICE ALMOST RESUMED
Well we're in our new house and starting to get settled and finally the broadband connection is up and running. With access to the WWW fully restored I can hopefully get the site back up to date ASAP. Glad to see the FORUM has been well used - could save me a lot of time in the future !!!. The reports over the past few weeks have been retrospectively lifted from the FORUM or from the League Newsletter. Thanks to Pete Chester, Paul Stimson and Mike Talbot-Butler for those. - DC

11 September 2004 - 1ST'S ROBBED OF VICTORY
Chester Boughton Hall conceded third place when they were involved in an abandoned match at Neston, when heavy rain arrived with 10.1 overs remaining. Steve Ogilby top-scored with 48 in Chester’s 159-8, Dave Collyer 3-22, Simon Marshall 3-73; Neston were well-placed at 126-4, Simon Marshall 34, Alex Kegg 3-38 when umpires Jon Hacking and John Lofthouse were forced to take the players off early. Scoresheet

11 September 2004 - 3RD'S v UPTON 3RD XI
Toss Neston
Neston 158 for 8 - 54 overs (Roach 38, King 67)
Upton 84 for 4 - 23 overs (Roach 3/20)
Match Abandoned
Neston 7 points Upton 7 points

The third team visited league leaders Upton III on Saturday knowing that only a healthy victory and maximum points advantage would realistically give them a chance of overtaking the leaders. On winning the toss Neston skipper Peter Chester chose to bat and had to suffer a constant barrage of criticism from one of the more knowledgeable (names on a postcard) members of the team! The hope that swift progress towards maximum batting points was soon put into perspective as the innings slumped to 38 for 5, it was only an excellent partnership of 80 by Nick Roach (38) and Paul King (67) that saved the skippers blushes and brought some respectability to the score. A declaration was made at 54 overs with a score of 158/8. The Upton innings got off to a swift start, until Doug Chadwick (1/21) removed one of the openers and the new team all-rounder Nick Roach (3/20) removed two more batsmen in the next over. At 84 for 4 things looked fairly evenly poised, but the gathering rain clouds and drops brought an early end to the match. The abandonment effectively giving Upton the league, but mathematically postpone the handing over of the trophy until next week.

4 September 2004 - POOR PERFORMANCE BY THE 1ST'S
Alderley Edge gave themselves a boost with a seven wickets home win against Neston, who have gone off the boil again. Fine bowling by Simon Bolton (3-26) and Alan Day (3-33) helped dismissed the Parkgate men for 131, Chris Finnegan top-scoring with a fighting 47 not out. Alderley coasted after tea at 137-3, thanks to a unbroken third wicket stand between Mark Currie, 63, who has been released by Lancashire and Jon Usher, 57. Scoresheet

4 September 2004 - 3RD'S v UPTON 4TH'S
Toss - Neston
Neston 190 for 6 - 45 overs - Garrett 79, Reeve 43, Cunningham 3/49, B.Lloyd 2/69
Upton 109 for 8 - 55 overs (84 @ 45) - Shaquat 35, Gwyn 3/36, Lewis 2/39, Chadwick 9-8-2-1
Draw
Neston 16 points, Upton 5 points

Following the excitement of the previous weeks cup victory, Neston III's returned to the more mundane matter of league cricket. Winning the toss and deciding to bat, Neston got off to a slow but steady start, Mark Garrett (79) and Alan Reeve (43) putting on over a 100 for the second wicket and getting the run rate up to 4 per over allowing a declaration after 45 overs on 190 for 6. Upton with 55 overs to score the required runs approached the run chase in what can only be described as the most negative manner possible. Dougie Chadwick (1/2) started with 7 maidens, removing one batsmen in the process and with batsmen declining runs all round the wicket progress was painfully slow. Whilst Neston could understand Upton's desire not to lose and do their third XI a favour, their approach to the game was at times farcical given their position in the league and strong performances against many of the other top teams. Fifteen year old Laurence Lewis (2/39) took the opportunity to bowl 15 overs of flighted leg spin and Robin Gwyn (3/39), 16 overs of unflighted medium pace, in what turned out to be a long afternoon in the field, the saving grace being that all overs were completed in time to witness the start of the England game! The resulting draw allowing Upton III's to further extend their lead at the top of the league.

28 August 2004 - 1ST'S LOSE BY 2 RUNS
Oulton Park opener Danny Leech (41) stood between the leaders and a total batting collapse against fine seam bowling by Chris Finnegan, who claimed 4-55 from 23 overs and spinner Simon Marshall 4-26 in a closing tally of 114 The wicket continued to seam after tea and Neston were reduced to 54-7 before number nine batsman Finnegan produced a fighting display until he was dismissed for 32 at 104-8. Sharp catching then had Neston dismissed for 112, Jason Whittaker closing with 4-27, Stewart Eaton 3-21 and Danny Jones 3-40 to clinch a 21 points return. Scoresheet

28 August 2004 - 2ND'S SNEAK HOME AT TOFT
Neston 2's won their first game in a while with a narrow victory at Toft.Fielding first, the Shrimpers were indebted to Shilly and Barker, who had first use of the rolled plasticine that purported to be a wicket. Both picked up wickets regularly, and the score crept along at 1-2 an over. Shilly eventually tired, so thingyney and the Child Catcher had a couple of overs each, whilst Barker completed an uninterrupted 27 from the other end, without seeming to break into a sweat. Toft 123 all out after 54 overs. Neston's batters found life no easier in the second dig. Peebs, Shilly and the head master all made useful runs, but at the start of the last over it could have gone either way. Fortunately Yard Dog was able to long handle it over the smallest bloke on the pitch, and we'd squeaked home with 3 balls to spare.

28 August 2004 - 3RD'S DRAW WITH WARRINGTON
Neston III v Warrington III
Toss Neston
Warrington 194 for 8 - 55 overs (156 @ 45) - O'Neill 67, N.Carter 2/36, N.Roach 3/36
Neston 149 for 9 - 45 overs - Chester 47, Qamar 3/52, Naseem 5/11
Draw
Neston 9 points, Warrington 10 points

Having won the toss and asking Warrington to bat first, Neston had to wait for 26 overs for a break through and that only came when the warrington openers O'Neill (67) and Corroboy (22) forgot that Mark Strong was actually on the field and not conducting a dental inspection in the car park. The ensuing run out started a steady , if not fast fall of wickets, with Nick Roach (nee Peach) taking 3 for 36. With Neston unable to bowl out their determined visitors a "declaration" was eventually made after the maximum 55 overs, leaving Neston to score 195. Once again the innings got off to a slow start and three wickets were down for 23 in the 12th over, all to Qamar (3/52). Peter Chester (47) and Allan Reeve (23) then started a recovery and with 20 overs remaining 120 were required with 6 wickets in hand. The run rate was maintained until Chester was removed by Naseem (5/11) and with the help of some excellent catching in the deep further wickets fell regularly. It was eventually left to Dave Carter and Dougie Chadwick to see out the final overs for what was a dissappointing draw.

21 August 2004 - 1ST'S RAINED OFF
After a heavy mid-day downpour, the match between Poynton and Neston was cancelled.

21 August 2004 - 3RD'S v 4TH'S REPORT
Neston IV v Neston III
Toss Neston III
Neston IV 200 for 7 - 52 overs (158 @ 45) - Yardley 73, B.Murphy 54, Preston-Jones 29, Lewis 3/33, Gwyn 2/39
Neston III 152 for 8 - 48 overs (147 @ 45) - Garrett 36, King 23, Chester 21*, Murphy 3/13, Edwards 2/17
Draw
Neston IV 10 points, Neston III 9 points

The 3's and 4's battled out a draw that will probably only benefit their rivals at the top of the table. The 3rd's won the toss and asked the 4's to bat first on a damp but firm wicket. With stand in skipper Brian Murphy determined not to give his wicket away progressw was slow but wickets remained intact. Although Chris Preston-Jones (29) tried to accelerate things the score was still only just over 100 at 40 overs. Enter Alex Yardley (73) who the played the innings (plural, , ) of the day and with some gigantic sixes (6 in all) proceeded to change the temp of the game, in little over 5 overs over 50 had been added and although Brian Murphy departed for 54, the total continued to rise and the innings was eventually closed on 200 after 52 overs. The 3's reply got off to the worst start with Russ Thompson helping the ball onto his wicket, followed by Allan Reeve doing the same. Mark Garrett (36) and Vidal Roach (19) then started a recovery. With the score at 100 for 4 and 18 overs to go a victory looked possible. Brian Murphy (3/13) then took control and reduced the 3rd's reply to 117 for 8. Peter Chester (21*) then joined Laurence Lewis (12*) with Vidal assisting with the running and saw out the remaining overs and collecting a couple of extra batting points. The draw maintains the gap between the two sides but leaves the door open for Upton 3's to take over top spot.

16 August 2004 - BRIEF NEWS FROM SATURDAY
The 1st's lost at Hyde by 2 wickets in an exciting game that could have gone either way. Simon Marshall (41) top scored in our innings of 180 for 9 declared. Chris Finegan took four wickets as Hyde edged home. The 10 points keeps Neston in sixth place. Scoresheet

Elsewhere in the league - A. Edge drew with Macclesfield, Bowdon beat Widnes, Oulton Park beat Didsbury, Oxton beat CBH, Nantwich beat Poynton. The table after 17 games now reads; OP 296, Bowdon 279, Hyde 233, CBH 230, Widnes 215, Neston 213, Oxton 207, Poynton 191, Didsbury 181, Nantwich 174, A Edge 160, Macc 151. (Macclesfield have had 16 points deducted for fielding an ineligible player !)

15 August 2004 - SEMI-FINAL SUCCESS
Jack Gardner cup semi-final Timperley v Neston Sunday 15th August.
Mike Potter won the toss and put Timperley in on a damp pitch. Timperley never came to grips with the tight Neston bowling, led by Mark Strong (6-10). Wickets fell at regular intervals, and Timperley subsided to 52 all out. Neston knocked off the runs for the loss of two wickets.

Warrington 2nd XI v Neston 2nd XI (15th August 2004)
Result - Neston 2nd XI won by 43 runs
A superb all-round team performance saw Neston 2nd XI progress to the final of the 2004 League KO.Batting first on a difficult, worn wicket surrounded by a heavy outfield, Neston totalled 132-7 from their alloted 45 overs. Steve Carter, Alex Tyler and Alex Yardley all making vital contributions as wickets fell regularly.In reply, Warrington's batting never came to terms with the accuracy of the Neston bowling, or the quality of the ground fielding, led once again by the outstanding Greg Shillinglaw. Jamie Hackett, Graeme Rickman and youngster Ben 'Pinky' Edwards were all superb as the Warrington innings subsided to 89 all out. Neston now travel to Alderley Edge to contest the final on Sunday 22nd August.

14 August 2004 - 3RD XI REPORT
3rd XI result.
Toss - Brooklands
Neston 156/8 - 55 overs (117 @ 45) - N.Roach 50, P.Chester 33, Murphy 3/23, Bellwood 3/63
Brooklands 65 - 26 overs - Gwyn 2/13, Chadwick 2/28, N.Carter 2/9, Lewis 3/7
Neston won by 91 runs
Neston 21 points, Brooklands 4 points

After missing the hottest weekend of the year last week, Neston III's travelled to a very wet Brooklands on Saturday. On winning the toss the home skipper invited Neston to have first use of a very wet wicket, his decision soon vindicated as the league leaders slumped to 16 for 3. Nick Roach (50) and Peter Chester (33) then staged a recovery and very slowly started to accumulate runs, Roach's 50 coming after 45 overs at the crease. The pick of the home bowlers being Murphy (3 for 23) and Bellwood 3 for 63. With only 124 runs at half way Neston continued on to use the full 55 overs and it was left to Robin Gwyn (16*) and Peter Carter (16*) to put on over 30 for the eighth wicket and post what seemed a respectable total of 156 for 8. Following some rolling the wicket behaved a bit better, but a mixture of injudicious shots and good catching soon started to see wickets fall, which were shared by all the bowlers. The innings closed on 65 after 26 overs giving Neston victory by 91 runs.

7 August 2004 - THIRD WIN ON THE TROT
The 1st XI registered their third successive win to banish all fears of relegation, Lancashire scholarship all-rounder Simon Marshall turning in another fine performance. The Cambridge Blue took 4-54 in Nantwich’s tally of 176, to which Aussie batsmen Leigh Murphy contributed 96. Then hit a stylish 50 as the reviving Parkside side replied with 180-3, James Hackett chipping in with 43 not out. Scoresheet

7 August 2004 - WEB SITE OUT OF ACTION
Someday pretty soon I will be losing my internet access temporarily whilst Doreen and I move house. I'm not quite certain how long it will take to get reconnected at the new house (quite a while the way BT are going !) which means that for a while this site will not be updated in the normal manner. What I will try and do is put information and match reports on the FORUM so if you want to keep up to date just click on the link in the side menu. Don't forget that anyone can post stuff on the FORUM - please feel free to do so - DC

7 August 2004 - UNDER 15'S BEAT ORMSKIRK
After beating Ormskirk (full report in the JUNIOR section) we are now through to the Regional Play Off Finals which will take place on Tuesday 10 August 2004 at York Cricket Club. The semi final match (10.30am start) is against Lullington Park CC (Derbyshire Champions) with the winners facing either Pudsey St Lawrence (Yorkshire) or Tynemouth (Northumberland) in the final (2.15pm start). All support welcome.

2 August 2004 - MIXED FORTUNES
There were mixed fortunes for Neston's 1st XI at the weekend with a crucial win in the league and a disappointing exit from the Cheshire Cup. The victory over Oxton on Saturday was a second consecutive success for Ben Thomas's side and one that lifts them up to a respectable mid-table position.

After losing the toss Neston were invited to bowl first but made a great start when Chris Finegan's pace proved too much for Neil Cross and Andy Woolley took a smart catch at second slip. At the other end Wallace adopted a gung-ho approach, blazing away at anything - a tactic that brought him 50 in quick time. It couldn't possibly last, and sure enough the introduction of Simon Marshall into the attack proved the undoing of the Aussie who was bowled for 58 with the score on just 72. Despite the perfect batting conditions the rest of the Oxton line-up struggled to make any real progress with Jarrod Bird looking particularly threatening. Bird's improved line and length has brought an extra dimension to the Neston attack in recent weeks and again he was rewarded with the wickets of Stokes and Armstrong. With the visitors on the back foot Thomas opted for an all spin attack. It was a decision that paid dividends with Simon Marshall taking 4 for 30 off 20 overs and Dave Collyer 3 for 37 off 15 as Oxton were reduced to 148 all out.

Neston's reply stuttered at first with Elliot Berstock (5), Ben Thomas (9), and Stan Clifford (9) all dismissed before the score had reached 40. Simon Marshall (24) and the in-form Chris Hackett staged a slight recovery until Marshall fell to a good catch by Stokes. For the second week running the Hackett brothers were thrown together at a fairly tricky stage in the innings but once again they showed great composure, sharing a fifth wicket partnership of 57 that effectively sealed the game. Jamie's dismissal for 35 was just a consolation for the Oxton bowlers and it was left to Andy Woolley (12*) and Chris Hackett (45*) to see their side comfortably home. Scoresheet

Cheshire County Premier League (31 July 2004)
 plpts
1 Oulton Park 15248
2 Bowdon 15238
3 Chester BH 15221
4 Hyde 15208
5 Widnes 15194
6 Oxton 15176
7 NESTON 15168
8 Poynton 15167
9 Didsbury 15162
10 Macclesfield 15148
11 Alderley Edge 15148
12 Nantwich 15146

The 2nd XI dominated their game at Oxton with Lloyd Murphy (84) top scoring for the second week running. Skipper Jim Marshall contributed 35 in the chase for 164 for victory and another 25 points that keeps his side at the top of the table. Earlier in the afternoon Graeme Rickman picked up 5 wickets.

The 4th XI were slow out of the blocks in their chase for 230 runs to win at Upton. Consequently the final total fell a disappointing 20 runs short and the game finished as a draw.

On Sunday the 1st XI returned to action with a Cheshire Cup Quarter Final tie at home to Chester Boughton Hall. Again Neston started well and the large crowd were treated to some magnificent fielding from Stan Clifford and Andy Woolley that led to the run outs of danger men Ogilby and Goodwin. Andy Bennion and then Mathew Griffiths led a spirited recovery from the visitors and at the halfway stage the game was evenly poised with Chester having scored 192 off their 45 overs. A fine second wicket partnership from Simon Marshall (31) and Stan Clifford (39) seemed to be steering Neston towards victory until both departed in quick succession and from 82 for 1 Neston fell away to a disappointing 152 all out. Scoresheet

1 August 2004 - 3RD'S STAY TOP
Neston III v Oxton
Toss - Neston
Neston 202 for 4 - 41.2 overs - Chester 103*, Strong 33*, Syed 2/31
Oxton 123 all out - 45.2 overs ( 123@45 ) - Hockings 29, Mathieson 28*, Lewis 4/48
Neston won by 79 runs
Neston 25 points, Oxton 4
On the hottest Saturday of the season, at least since early May, Neston won the toss and decided to bat against visitors Oxton. A lively opening spell from Syed ( 2 for 31) saw both Neston openers back in the pavilion with the score on 28 for 2. Neston captain Peter Chester (103 not out) then joined Nick Roach (20) to stage a bit of a recovery. Another couple of wickets saw Mark Strong (33 not out) join the skipper to put on 111 in 20 overs to allow a declaration on 202 for 4 after 41.2 overs. With 58 overs to bowl out the opposition and only one wicket to show in the initial 16 overs, young Laurence Lewis ( 4 for 48) came on to bowl with his legspin. Wickets soon started to fall and with the help of some near suicidal running, resulting in three run outs, Neston soon looked like winners. The final wicket falling in the 46th over with the score on 123, giving Neston victory by 79 runs.

25 July 2004 - 1ST'S ESCAPE RELEGATION ZONE
Neston's 1st XI recorded their second win of the season on Saturday - a victory that leapfrogged them over opponents Macclesfield and out of the relegation zone. The long journey to the far eastern side of Cheshire is never an easy one, but accidents, roadworks, and navigational difficulties all conspired to cause delays and disrupt the Neston pre-match preparations. Not that it made too much difference, with the deadly Aussie duo of Jarrod Bird and Stan Clifford straight into their stride after skipper Ben Thomas had won the toss and elected to bowl first. Bird in particular was in good form picking up three early wickets to reduce the home side to 74 for 4. The introduction of Simon Marshall into the attack immediately paid dividends with the Lancashire second teamer producing a great spell of leg spin bowling to claim six wickets. The Macclesfield middle order did provide some resistance along the way (inadvertently helped by some lapse fielding moments) and the innings eventually reached what seemed to be a reasonable total of 174 all out.

Despite the early loss of Elliot Berstock, Neston's reply progressed well with Thomas (45) and Marshall (61) sharing a 98 run second wicket partnership. When the skipper fell victim to an unfortunate 'shooter' with the score at 119 it looked as if most of the hard work had been done. Three runs later both Clifford and Marshall were back in the pavilion and Macclesfield suddenly felt that they were in with a chance. Their hopes were soon dashed by the Hackett brothers, with Chris (34*) and Jamie (19*) calmly and sensibly taking their side to a comfortable 6 wicket success. Scoresheet

This coming weekend the 1st XI face two crucial matches. The battle against relegation continues on Saturday with the visit of local rivals Oxton. 24 hours later Ben Thomas leads his side out again for an attractive Cheshire Cup Quarter Final tie at home to Chester Boughton Hall.

Back to last Saturday, and the 2nd XI consolidated their top of the table position with a 25 point victory over Bramhall at Parkgate. Youngster Lloyd Murphy hit a splendid half century and skipper Jim Marshall 35 as Neston racked up 194 and maximum bonus points. In reply the visitors made a valiant attempt but in the end the wily spin of Paul Stimson (3 wickets) and the cunning flight of veteran Dickie Thorn (6 wickets) proved too much.

The 4th XI were involved in a high scoring affair at the tiny 3rd XI ground at Birkenhead Park. After the home side had accumulated 264 before tea, Neston's reply looked promising with Tim Brooker (134) leading the way. In the end it turned out to be not quite enough as Mike Potter's men were all out, 30 runs short.

25 July 2004 - 3RD'S CRUISE TO VICTORY
Neston III v Irby III
Toss - Irby
Irby 149 - 9 - 55 overs (107 @ 45) - Leigh 45, McNally 27, Chadwick 3/47, Strong 3/15
Neston 150 - 1 - 26.2 overs - Garrett 65 not out, Reeve 46 not out
Neston won by 9 wickets
Neston 20 points, Irby 2 points

Irby 3's won the toss and seeing a very flat dry wicket decided to bat first. A combination of tight bowling by Dougie Chadwick (3/47) and careful batting kept the scoring rate in check. However 4 wickets for 24 runs brought Leigh (45) and Barber (20) together who staged a bit of a recovery before Strong (3/15) started to make further inroads into the Irby batting, the innings eventually closed after the maximum 55 overs on 149 for 9. Strangely the Irby innings had been accompanied by a string of hits from the 40's and 50's being played at full volume by the local old folks home. Dougie Chadwick bowled at lot better to Jive music and felt that his rhythm was being disturbed by some of the more up tempo 70's hits! The Neston innings started in relative quiet with Mark Garrett (65 not out) looking in top form, the only wicket falling when a straight drive was deflected onto the bowlers stumps running out the luckless Russ Thompson. This brought Alan Reeve (46 not out) to the wicket and together with Mark Garrett the target of 150 was reached in only 26 overs, giving Neston a welcome victory by 9 wickets.

25 July 2004 - UNDER 15'S ARE CHESHIRE CHAMPIONS
The Under 15's gave an impressive performance to beat Heaton Mersey by 53 runs in the final of the Sun Life Cheshire Under 15 Cup at Grappenhall on Wednesday last week. Neston’s 144-2 compiled in 40 overs was dominated by a splendid innings of 81 not out by David Hurst, who has played for the North of England Under 14s this summer. On the evidence of this game, Neston have many excellent young players coming up through the ranks and they were supported by a large turn-out of club players and officials. The Under 15's now go on to meet Ormskirk in the Regional play off match this Sunday.

19 July 2004 - 2ND'S BEAT WEATHER AND PICK UP MAXIMUM POINTS
The dreadful weather conditions decimated most of the cricketing fixtures across Cheshire on Saturday with Neston's 1st, 3rd, and 4th XI's all falling foul of the wet conditions. Meanwhile, with their rivals at the top of the 2nd XI table out of action, Jim Marshall's 2nd XI seized the initiative and eventually reaped the rewards of a determined mopping up exercise by claiming maximum points from their home game against Didsbury. The visitors won the toss and decided to bat first but were soon in trouble as Pete Barber and Steve Carter made inroads into the top order. The introduction of Dave Collyer and Graeme Rickman into the attack brought more success for the fielding side as Didsbury quickly collapsed to an all out total of just 65. All that was required was a steady reply and it was the experienced Barber (35*) who led the way through to a 7 wicket win and 25 points that takes Neston to the top of the league.

On Sunday the search for a league and cup double gained momentum when Marshall's men beat Bramhall in their 2nd XI League Knockout quarter final. It was a bit of a struggle for Neston after slipping to 23 for 4, but fortunately John Fennah (49) led a great recovery to post a useful 162 off 45 overs. Neston needed an early breakthrough and it came courtesy of a spectacular piece of fielding from Greg Shillinglaw. His diving stop and pinpoint throw set the tone for a fielding and bowling performance that was just too much for the home side.


Action from Sunday's game at Bramhall.
Paul Stimson takes a catch at slip and Stevie Carter is hit for four.

19 July 2004 - BIG GAME FOR UNDER 15'S
The Under 15's will meet Heaton Mersey in the Cheshire Cup Final at Grappenhall CC on Wednesday 21 July 2004 - all support welcome. They're pictured below just before their semi-final victory against Elworth.

19 July 2004 - UNDER 11'S ARE CHAMPIONS
CONGRATULATIONS to the Under 11's who have won the Wirral and District Under 11's League under the expert leadership of Hyphen the Brave !!. The team won eight out of nine games to finish joint top with New Brighton who we beat in the first game giving us the moral high ground!

Top batsmen were Alex Hind who scored 165 and Tom Greenfield with 119 (players can only bat for 4 overs per game in pairs). Top bowlers were Ashley Davis (son of Turk) with 15 wickets conceding 33 runs, and Cameron Lea-Swain with 5 wickets conceding only 17 runs. We also had players who represented their County; Ashley Davis played for Cheshire Under 10's, Cameron Lea-Swain and Tom Greenfield both trialed for Cheshire and Alex Hind,Tom Greenfield and Ashley Davis represented the Wirral.



Under 11's Wirral Junior League Champions 2004
Standing (left to right): Graeme Lea-Swain (Coach), Jeremy Williams, Alex Hind, Stephen Roberts, Jack Rowlands, Mike Stewart
Sitting (left to right): Tom Greenfield, Daniel Meredith Greg Allister, Ashley Davies, Cameron Lea-Swain
Also played during the season: Daniel Robinson, Mike Thompson, Mathew Brooks, Antash

11 July 2004 - QUARTER FINAL KO VICTORY
Jack Gardner Cup - Quarter Final
Neston v Alsager
Toss - Alsager
Neston 215/8 - 45 overs - Fennah 60, Garrett 27, Reeve 33
Alsager 151 all out - 40.5 overs - Butcher 43, Garrett 3/24, Brown 2/22, B.Murphy 2/21
Neston won by 64 runs


Alsager visited Neston for the quarter final of the third XI cup on Sunday, on winning the toss they asked Neston to bat on the same wicket used by the first team the day before. Neston got off to a steady start with Fennah (60), making his second fifty of the weekend and Garrett (27) putting on over 70 for the first wicket. Alan Reeve (33) started to increase the tempo, but it was left to the middle order to score 61 in the last 7 overs and post a total of 215. Alsager started slowly with Doug Chadwick bowling his 9 overs for 19 runs and Mark Garrett taking 3/24 in his spell. Only Butcher (43) looked like getting the Alsager total close to the target and when he was out the innings subsided to 151 all out, giving Neston victory by 64 runs.

10 July 2004 - DROPPED CATCH PROVES COSTLY
Neston's 1st XI faced a stiff test on Saturday when 2003 league champions Bowdon, were visitors to Parkgate. Ben Thomas' side batted first and were indebted to Stan Clifford for a magnificent knock of 83 out of a total of 208 declared. Despite slumping to 100 for 5, Clifford held the innings together but was unable to find anyone to hang around with him. Cleverly denied the strike towards the end of the innings the affable Aussie was unfortunately unable to press on to three figures and more crucially the total finished 25 runs short of where it should have been.

After tea it was Neston's bowlers who came out with all guns blazing, reducing the visitors to a perilous 40 for 3. Bowdon's main chance of victory now laid with the experienced pair of Yates and Gray. Crucial moments come and go in cricket and none more so than the snick to slips that Yates offered early in his innings. Gareth Peers looked as if he'd taken it, but tragically the ball popped loose and Yates survived to share an unbeaten partnership with Gray that took their side all the way to a 7 wicket win. Skipper Thomas was in reflective mood after the game saying, "You can never be certain but if we'd got rid of Yates to make it 50 for 4 I think we would have gone on to win the game. As it is we've lost and remain next to bottom in the league. But, there's a group of four or five teams not far above us and if we can find a couple of wins from somewhere, the table could look a lot healthier" Scoresheet

The 2nd XI travelled to Bowdon hoping to exorcise the memory of last weeks disastrous defeat. After a delay for rain the home side won the toss and invited Neston to bat first. With the pitch playing low and slow runs were not easy to come by and only Jamie Hackett really came to terms with the conditions. After starting gingerly his 78 was the backbone of the innings which eventually closed on 172 off 45 overs. Bowdon's reply never once threatened to get close to the required total but two interruptions for rain and defensive batting left the Neston bowling battling for 10 wickets. In the end the home side's last pair hung on for the draw at 84 for 9. It was a good performance from Jim Marshall's troops with the enigmatic Paul Stimson the pick of the bowlers with 5 wickets.

Neston 3rd XI v Upton 4th XI
Toss - Neston
Upton 197/5 - 50 overs (150 @ 45) - Charles 93, Bruce 38*, Hollyoak 2 for 52
Neston 168/8 - 50 overs (145 @ 45) - Thompson 33, Fennah 54*, B.Lloyd 4/68, Shaquat 3/33
Draw: Neston 8 points, Upton 12 points

Neston 3rds visited Upton 4th's on Saturday in weather more akin to April rather than high summer. Neston won the toss and asked Upton to bat on a very green wicket. Tight bowling at the outset by Noakes and Hollyoak failed to make inroads into the Upton batting. Charles (93) batted steadily throughout the innings and it was only with the intervention of skipper Bruce (38*) that the run rate increased. The score of 197 at halfway was a good effort on a slow wicket. The Neston reply got off to a good start, but like on so many times this season the wheels came off and after Thompson was removed for 33, the rest of the middle order decided they would rather watch the game from the shelter of the pavilion and it was left to John Fennah (54*) to steady the ship and with the help of Nick Carter and Laurence Lewis bring some respectability to the innings. The draw and low points total will not have helped either side in the battle at the top of the league.

Birkenhead Park 3rd XI v Neston 4th XI
Birkenhead Park won toss and elected to bat
Birkenhead Park 3rd XI 121 all out off 42.5 overs
Neston 4th XI 122 for 3 off 37.1 overs
Neston won by 7wkts
Neston (25)
Birkenhead (6)

Neston were able to get on top in the game early on. wickets started to fall regularly during the innings . Neston's bowlers A.Wilson(3-38), R.Yardley(4-44) and B.Murphy(2-19) never allowed the batsmen any room. The crucial moment was when Kaney(17) was run out after a mix-up, as he was starting to score freely. Only Matthews(28) troubled Neston as he added 30 vital runs for the last wicket with Barry(0*). Neston got off to a good start in reply. Birkenhead tried to slow the run rate with some accurate bowling Carlton (1-33), Price(1-18) and Quinn(1-17). Unfortunately for Birkenhead though, they never had enough runs. Neston were able to ease their way to the target. B.Murphy(32), L.Murphy(29), J.Brown(20*) and the skipper M.Potter(16*)hit the winning runs Scoresheet.

5 July 2004 - 1ST'S JUST FAIL TO CLAIM VICTORY
After a couple of poor performances in recent weeks, Neston's 1st XI regained some sort of form with a much improved performance at Widnes on Saturday. The turnaround was not enough to bring victory to Ben Thomas' side but the winning draw was a much needed confidence booster as the season reached it's halfway stage. And it was the skipper himself who led the way, sharing an excellent opening partnership with Phil Davis (76) after the home side had won the toss and invited Neston to bat first. Thomas (65) was first to fall with the score on 130 but with Davis looking dominant there seemed little could stop the visitors pressing on for a large score and maximum batting bonus points. Unfortunately, Simon Marshall's dismissal with the score on 169 for 1 was the start of a mini-collapse, which was soon to become a collapse of major proportions. Only Andy Woolley (13) of the remaining batsmen made double figures as Neston subsided to 196 all out.

The host's reply started dramatically with sixteen year old James McCoy crashing the bowling to all parts of the ground for a whirlwind half century that left Neston reeling. It was a great start for Widnes until Chris Finegan removed McCoy's off stump with the score on 70. Thereafter Neston regained control with Simon Marshall (6 for 75) bowling a great spell of leg spin to put his side back in the ascendency. Although Catterall and Dyson made attempts to keep Widnes up with the run chase the balance was always just tilted slightly towards Neston. Unfortunately it was not enough, and in the end, with the score on 183, the last pair were able to see out the final two overs to claim a draw. After the game Neston skipper Ben Thomas was upbeat about the performance, "It was a good game played in a positive manner by both sides and a draw was probably a fair result. Despite our batting collapse I think we played really well especially after a couple of disappointing performances. We're at the halfway stage now and at the moment we're in a relegation slot, but, if we continue to play like that I'm optimistic that we can climb to safety". Scoresheet

After five straight wins the 2nd XI came unstuck against Warrington after throwing away a seemingly invincible position. Chasing just 104 to win, victory looked a formality at 94 for 4 (Adam Bass 49) until, incredibly, the last six wickets capitulated for just 6 runs. A bewildered Jim Marshall could not believe his eyes as he watched his side miss out on the chance of going top of the league.

4 July 2004 - 4TH'S WIN THRILLER
Toss Neston III
Neston III - 181 all out - 48.2 overs (170@45) - Garrett 70, Strong 38, B.Murphy 3 for 36, Brown 5 for 47
Neston IV - 184 for 5 - 50.5 overs (145@45) - L.Murphy 54, N.Wilkes 27 ret hurt, Strong 4 for28
Neston IV won by 5 wickets
Neston III 11 points, Neston IV 25 points

The thirds and fourths met on Saturday with the fours winning by 5 wickets of the penultimate ball. The thirds decided to bat first and Mark Garrett continued his run of form scoring a good 70 with Mark Strong contributing 38 in a total of 181 all out in the 49th over. The fourth teams bowling honours go to John Brown who took 5 for 47 and Brian Murphy 3 for 36, the late arrival of one player allowing Paddy Brown acting as twelfth man and resplendent in his England shirt to make possibly the youngest appearance at age 7 in a league game. The fourths innings got off to a steady start with the only change of batsmen in the first 30 overs being caused by the retirement of Nathan Wilkes (27) with an injured knee. Lloyd Murphy (57) and skipper Mike Potter (21) edged the fourths closer to their target without ever really taking control and the introduction of Mark Strong (4 for 28) and Mark Garrett (1 for 23) started to exert some pressure on the middle order. It eventually fell to youngsters Sam McPherson (10) and Alastair Wilson (17) to knock off the runs, the winning hit, a six into the garden at long on, coming of the fifth ball of the last over.


Pete Chester's ten (?) men ready for the big game

1 July 2004 - 3 POINTS DEDUCTED
Until now the web site has made no mention of the 3 point penalty imposed upon the 1st XI for a slow over rate in the opening game of the season at Bowdon. The matter has been subject to an appeal from the club but that appeal has just been rejected. My understanding of the situation is that when a game finishes beyond a set time the League will investigate the reason behind the late finish and if a side or both sides have bowled their overs at an average of less than 17 overs per hour, then a point will be deducted for each over bowled in excess of that rate. On that basis then I think the facts show that both Neston and Bowdon did bowl slowly in that game. But, the annoying point from our point of view is that the League will not investigate at all unless the finish time is beyond the fixed time - this means that an opposition could bowl at a painfully slow 14 overs per hour but if Neston bowl at 20 overs per hour then the match will finish on time and there will be no investigation whatsoever (in recent seasons this happened many times). Against Bowdon, their opening bowler had a nightmare with no-balls being called something like 25 times in 5 overs. Straight away you can see that 4 additional 'overs' have to be bowled - no wonder the game finished '4 overs late'!. Without those extra 'overs' there wouldn't have been an investigation in the first place. Once you do look at the Neston bowling rate in detail, it was slow, but it was the first game of the season for a new skipper with two new fast bolwers. It's the first time in my recollection that we have failed to bowl at required rate yet despite our excellent past record we have been pounced upon by the League and, in my opinion, severely treated. If the League want to stamp down on slow over rates that's great, but I say do it properly. There are worse and more persistent offenders than Neston out there (we've baled them out in the past) - forget the match finish time, look at at each innings on its own and then penalise the persistent offenders. Unfortunately the three points will be more crucial to us this year than ever before - please can we have them back.

1 July 2004 - ECHO CONCEDED
Tonight's Liverpool Echo match at Skelmersdale had to be conceded because sadly we couldn't raise eleven players to travel. Admitedly, Skelmersdale on a Thursday evening for a six o'clock start is not an easy or inviting journey but it is a sad state of affairs when we are forced to call the game off. Particularly frustrating is that the next round, had we have won, would have been a mouth watering home tie against Wallasey. You may remember that last year we also conceded the 1st XI League Knockout game at Macclesfield for similar reasons - anyone would think that we were a small club with limited resources!!!

28 June 2004 - MISERY FOR THE 1ST'S
Neston's 1st XI remain rooted to the bottom of the Cheshire County Premier League after a dismal showing at Chester Boughton Hall on Saturday. The only consolation on a damp afternoon was that Ben Thomas' side managed to avoid defeat, with the skipper and Dave Collyer batting out the last 6 overs of the game to claim a draw.

After an hours delay waiting for the rain to stop, the hosts won the toss and elected to bat first. Chris Finegan started well for Neston, extracting pace and bounce from the wicket to claim two early victims. Unfortunately that was the only real challenge posed by the Neston attack as youngster Warren Goodwin (82) and Steve Ogilvy (47) took control to lead their side to a total of 204 for 4 declared. Neston's reply never got going and wickets fell at regular intervals. Chris Hackett (34) provided the only innings of significance but in the end it was left to the last pair to salvage a draw from a thoroughly disappointing day. Scoresheet

The 1st XI's poor form is in stark contrast to Jim Marshall's 2nd XI who were in action against Chester Boughton Hall at Parkgate. After a slow start to the season that saw Neston languishing at the foot of the table, five wins from the last five games have lifted the side to a much healthier second place. Veteran Dickie Thorn doesn't need much bowling nowadays, after his 3 wickets in just 2 overs last week he picked up 5 wickets in 3.4 overs on Saturday as the visitors collapsed to 132 all out. No such problems for the Neston batsmen with the in form Jamie Hackett leading the way home.

With rain having been falling for most of the morning, it was to everyone's surprise that the 3rd XI had an uninterrupted game that eventually finished in bright sunshine. Birkenhead Park won the toss and asked Neston to bat first. Mark Garrett (78) and Pete Chester (38) got the innings of to a good start with a partnership of 94. Good bowling and fielding kept the Neston innings in check, Williamson (4 for 41) taking wickets and wicket keeper Sullivan 3 catches and a stumping. The Neston innings closed on 180 after 43 overs. The Neston bowlers soon got on top of the Park batsmen with Martin Noakes ( 5 for 8), making his first appearance of the season following knee injury and Doug Chadwick (3 for 11) reducing the innings to 11 for 7 at one stage. Park eventually reached 37 giving Neston victory by 143 runs.

Back at Chester, Mike Potter's 4th XI appear to have hit the self destruct button. Following last weeks first defeat in 28 outings, Potter's men collapsed to their second consecutive reversal after throwing away a seemingly invincible position. Greg Shillinglaw appeared to have produced a match winning performance with 5 wickets and 44 runs that had the scoreboard showing just 7 to win with 4 wickets remaining and lots of overs in hand. But, it's a funny old game, and one by one the last few wickets fell for just one run to give Chester an unexpected victory.

The 1st XI were back in action on Sunday hoping to put aside their poor league form when Grappenhall visited Parkgate for a Cheshire Cup 2nd Round tie. Batting first Neston made 194 for 9 off their 45 overs with Chris Hackett leading the way with a superb 54. Chris Finegan and Dave Collyer made early inroads into the visitors reply and at 12 for 3 Ben Thomas' side were looking firm favourites. The greatest threat appeared to be from the weather but despite two heavy downpours the game was eventually completed with Grappenhall limping to 111 all out. In a welcome diversion from the battle against relegation Neston can now look forward to a home quarter final tie against either Chester or Timperley. Scoresheet

23 June 2004 - ECHO KO RAINED OFF
The scheduled 2nd round Echo KO match due to be played at Skelmersdale tonight was called off due to the bad weather

23 June 2004 - THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN
There's always two sides to a story so to be fair to Alderley Edge here's their match report of Saturday's game. It's taken from their web site.

This was an important match for Edge and one that they could not afford to lose. Neston are below them in the Cheshire Premier League and with the half-way point of the season in sight, neither side wanted to consider the consequences of defeat too closely on a cold day at the Wirral.

Neston’s defensive thought pattern was perhaps given away by the home side winning the toss and choosing to field first on a good-looking batting track. At 15-2 in the ninth over it looked like Neston had made a good decision. Steve O’Shaughnessy then joined Alan Day in a 122 run third wicket partnership. Ex-Lancashire player O’Shaughnessy was back to his best in a display of sublime timing that made batting look easy and it was a surprise when he was out for 85. Day stuck in there and found the going much more difficult but made an extremely useful 59.

The middle order run chase was then taken up by Australian Ben Hanley and wicket keeper Simon Elliott. They made 38 and 34 not out and cranked up the scoring rate so that Edge looked to be in a strong position at tea with 239-6 off 55 overs.

Unfortunately the half-time cuppa proved to be the highlight of the rest of the day. Neston stalwart Stan Clifford opened the innings with Phil Davies his partner. They put on over 100 for the first wicket with Clifford looking like he thought Neston had every chance of victory. However, when he was well caught at long off by Ben Hanley off the bowling of Mark Warnes for 64, the contest lost its way. Whether Edge’s tactics of fielders out in the deep from relatively early on or Neston’s determination not to lose was the root cause of the problem is perhaps debatable. Whatever the reason, the rest of the match developed into a disappointing stalemate. Neston finally closed at 172-3 off 55 overs at 8.00pm on a bitterly cold evening with the thought uppermost in the mind, was it worth all the effort involved?

Edge took 14 points having achieved maximum battling points, with Neston taking 8. With bottom club Poynton winning it was vital Alderley did not lose and Edge achieved that aim at least. Next weekend Edge are at home to Hyde in the Premier League, then have their big regional final in the National Club Cricket Championship at Ormskirk next Sunday.

Maybe the return fixture later this season will be a thrilling contest played by two positive sides.

21 June 2004 - MIXED FORTUNES
Neston Cricket Club suffered mixed fortunes at the weekend, recording 3 wins, two defeats and a draw. On Saturday the 1st XI were involved in one of the most tedious draws ever seen at Parkgate. Visitors, Alderley Edge, were invited to bat first and despite the early loss of two wickets they recovered well to rack up an impressive 239 for 6 declared (Stan Clifford 3 for 63). Neston's reply looked promising as openers Clifford and Davis (47) shared a century partnership before Clifford fell to Warnes for an excellent 64. With 135 required from the last 20 overs Ben Thomas' side were facing an uphill battle but victory was still very much in the skipper's mind. Sadly, the visitors had other ideas and with 10 batting bonus points safely in the bag there was never any consideration other than avoiding defeat. With five or six men permanently posted on the boundary edge the run rate slowly climbed. The large crowd (boosted by the presence of many of the clubs past players attending a reunion lunch) watched bewildered and then bored at the lack of adventure shown by the visitors. The Neston innings finished on a frustrating 172 for 3, the past players were left to reflect on how things were different in their day, and the current players were left wondering if next year when Alderley Edge come to town they might just be better of at a reunion lunch themselves. After the game ex-skipper Dave Collyer was philosophical about the afternoon, "They've gone away with a useful haul of points and will claim that Neston won the toss and could have batted first. But, if the roles were reversed I know we would have ensured that the game was kept alive throughout and we would have risked losing in an attempt to gain a win. When they had six on the boundary we would have had none. How they choose to play the game is up to them, it's just a pity that what could have been a great match ended in such an anti-climax." Scoresheet

No such problems for Jim Marshall's 2nd XI, who made it four wins on the trot at Alderley Edge. Jamie Hackett had a great day, picking up 3 wickets and scoring 44 runs as Neston cruised to an early victory. Dickie Thorn also claimed 3 victims as the home side were dismissed for 122 before Hackett and Elliot Berstock (66*) calmly guided Neston to a 7 wicket victory.

Unbelievably, Mike Potter's 4th XI suffered their first defeat since the skipper took up the reins in April 2003. The shell shocked Potter saw his side struggle against Timperley at Parkgate and was left to reflect upon the end of an amazing 28 game unbeaten run.

On Sunday the 2nd XI reaped revenge for last seasons semi-final defeat at the hands of Toft when they beat the same opposition in the League Knockout. Jamie Hackett and Ben Edwards picked up four wickets apiece as the visitors were bowled out for 125. Just as they had done 24 hours earlier it was Hackett and Elliot Berstock who made short work of the chase to take Neston through to the next round with 7 wickets and 10 overs to spare.

21 June 2004 - 3RD XI LEAGUE DEFEAT AND CUP WIN
Toss Neston
Neston 211 for 9, 50 overs (180 @ 45) - Hollingsbee 33, King 47, Richardson 35, Malik 3 for 51
Cheadle Hulme 213 for 5, 44.3 overs - A.Stewart 39, Hambleton 62 not out, Malik 68, Chadwick 3 for 42

Neston 3's visited Cheadle Hulme and on winning the toss decided to bat first on what turned out to be quite a lively wicket. Opening bowler Newton soon had the Neston batsmen in trouble and the slip cordon were getting regular practice. Once again it was left to the Neston middle order to build the innings and Hollingsbee (33) and King (47) started to get some runs on the board, a final flourish from Tom Richardson (35) took the score to what seemed a respectable 211 at half way. Cheadle captain Stewart (39) soon put things into perspective and put the Neston openers to the sword. When he was removed Malik (68) came to the crease and continued the onslaught with Hambleton (62 not out). Chadwick (3 for 42) made some inroads, but the Neston score was reached in the 45th over with relative ease giving Neston their first taste of defeat this year.

Jack Gardner Cup - Round 3
v New Brighton Home
Toss New Brighton
Neston 234 for 7 - 45 overs - B.Murphy 90, Reeve 42
New Brighton 190 for 8 - 45 overs - Johnstone 78, Brown 5 for 62


Neston entertained New Brighton in the thrid XI cup on Sunday, with the ground very wet after quite a lot of rain, New Brighton asked Neston to bat first. Brian Murphy (90) playing against one of his former clubs and Alan Reeve (42) built a good start and solid hitting down the order got the total to 234 after 45 overs. The New Brighton reply never really got going, only Johnstone (78) got above 20. The mounting run rate gave Johnie Brown (5 for 62) the opportunity to test his full repetoir and his fifth wicket was achieved of the last ball of the innings with the score on 190, giving Neston victory by 44 runs.

16 June 2004 - ECHO KO REARRANGED
The Echo KO match at Skelmersdale will not be played this week - it looks like next Thursday instead (24 June).

15 June 2004 - 3RD'S SETTLE FOR DRAW
The thirds travelled to Warrington with a weakened batting line up, due to a number of injuries and family functions. On winning the toss, Neston asked Warrington to bat first on a grassy looking wicket. Mark Garrett keeping wicket for the first time took an ealy catch, but wickets were hard to come by after that. All the bowlers took a share of the wickets with Strong (3 for 20) getting the lions share, with Warrington being bowled out for 199 in the 49th over. The Neston reply never really got out of first gear and although the first three batsmenn got a start none were able to take control of some accurate bowling. Chief contributors to a low score were Alan Reeve (25), Russ Thompson (21) and debutant A.Moore (20), who impressed with a very mature innings. The innings eventually closed with the score on 138 for 7 and the result a rather dissappointing draw.

14 June 2004 - 1ST'S CRASH TO HEAVY DEFEAT
Neston's 1st XI match at Oulton Park on Saturday was one that needs to be consigned to the 'best forgotten about' drawer. The day started badly for Ben Thomas' side when Chris Hackett was forced to withdraw from the side because of illness. From that point onwards not much went Neston's way. They lost the toss and were asked to bat first against a strong bowling line-up that featured two of the bowlers that would be leading the attack for Cheshire on the following day. Phil Davis, Stan Clifford, Alex Tyler and the skipper himself all departed before the score had reached 20. In the face of such adversity Adam Bass and fourteen year old David Hurst (the late replacement for Hackett) showed great determination to stem the fall of wickets for an hour before Bass was bowled by Eaton for 16. Hurst battled on repelling the aggressive bowling and verbal battering with skill and composure rarely seen in one so young. His innings of 18 lasted an hour and a half and was the only real bright spot of an otherwise gloomy day for the visitors. Peter Barber's (28) good run of form continued but was prematurely brought to an end when he took an ill-judged second run and failed to beat the fielders throw. A second run out after a mix-up between Jarrod Bird (17) and Chris Finegan saw Bird trooping miserably back to the pavilion leaving Finegan (15*) to eek out a few extra runs before he ran out of partners with the score on a very disappointing 117.

Oulton Park started the day as league leaders and they were not in any mood to mess up what appeared to be a simple run chase. In fact Aussie, Liam Buchannan, wanted to get it over and done with very quickly and threw the bat from the moment he arrived at the crease. Neston desperately needed to get rid of him before it was too late and it looked as if they had when Finegan drew him into a false shot that presented Stan Clifford with a comfortable chance at mid-on. With only 117 to defend it was perhaps clutching at straws to say that the catch would have made a difference to the result but it became an academic argument as the normally reliable Clifford inexplicably spilled the chance. Thereafter it was boundaries all the way for Buchannan until Dave Collyer had him caught in the deep for a rapid 86 made from just 66 balls. Clifford picked up the consolation wicket of Berry but it was all over in just 21 overs as the home side cruised to their target with eight wickets in hand. Scoresheet

The 2nd XI made it three wins on the run with victory over Toft at Parkgate. Jamie Hackett (76) returned to form to lead Neston to a declaration of 223. Dan Thomas and Steve Egerton also made useful contributions. After tea Toft's faltering reply seemed to signal a battle for the draw but the reintroduction of the slow bowlers was enough encouragement to keep the run chase alive. Jim Marshall's wily tactics paid dividends in the end with Dickie Thorn picking up four wickets to eventually dismiss the visitors for 196. The win keeps the 2nd XI's rapid rise up the table going - last season's champions were languishing rock bottom just four weeks ago but now it's a more familiar position challenging near the top.

9 June 2004 - THIS WEEKS OPPONENTS
Saturday sees the 1st XI visit the small but nice ground at Oulton Park. And who can forget last season's win by Neston in the corresponding fixture?. Neston were set an imposing 262 but DC made a magnificent unbeaten 126 (with Stan Clifford acting as his batsman) and the Hackett twins each made half centuries as we won by 6 wickets. Let's hope for the same again on Saturday (except that lazy antipodean can do his own running this time !).

7 June 2004 - STILL NO WIN FOR 1ST'S
It was seventh time lucky for Neston's 1st XI on Saturday as they finally registered their first league win of the season against Poynton at Parkgate. It was not before time for Ben Thomas' side who have looked better than their bottom of the table position suggested. The victory owed much to an improved performance from Jarrod Bird who finally came to terms with the English conditions to return excellent figures of 3 for 39. The fielding performance was also worthy of mention with Adam Bass in particular leading the way with three stupendous catches. With a possible five overs still available to them it was quite a surprise when Poynton declared their innings at 177 for 5 - a sporting declaration that was well within the reach of the Neston batting line-up.

Despite the early loss of Andy Woolley, Neston's reply started well with Stan Clifford looking particularly dominating. At the other end the skipper progressed steadily to 21 but with the score on 66 he lost a little bit of patience and paid the price with his wicket. Simon Marshall (9) and Chris Hackett (13) briefly threatened but both perished whilst trying to force the score along. In reality there was no need to hurry with the majestic Clifford belying his years and physical condition to crash the ball to all parts of the ground. Whilst Clifford remained there was only one outcome possible and even when Bass (0) was trapped LBW to leave the score on 132 for 5 there was no need to panic, especially with the experienced Peter Barber strolling to the crease. But Neston rarely do things the easy way and seven runs later panic stations was being sounded when Barber called Clifford for a suicidal single. In his youth the Aussie may have just got into the frame but those days are long gone and a direct hit saw him stranded mid-pitch, twenty runs short of his century. For the first time since tea the visitors thought they were in with a real chance. Unfortunately for them Barber (19*) is far too composed to let recent events bother him and with Jarrod Bird (19*) capping a great match the two calmly saw Neston home by four wickets with two overs to spare. Scoresheet

After the game both Aussie's were pleased to have recorded the first win of the season. Bird was also happy with his own performance "I've struggled a bit so far but today everything came together well and I feel that this could be the start of things to come. Getting a few runs at the end when the pressure was on capped a great day". Despite his calamitous run out, Parkgate's resident Aussie, Stan Clifford, had consoling words for Peter Barber "I'm not certain Pete realises just how old and slow I am nowadays. I suppose he did me a favour - it's not very often I bat for so long without getting injured so the pavilion was probably the best place for me at that time. The important thing is that it didn't make any difference to the result". The win lifts Ben Thomas' side off the bottom of the table and puts them in good heart for Saturday's visit to league leaders Oulton Park.

Smiles were also back on the faces of the 2nd XI who, like the 1st XI, registered their first league win of the campaign at Upton. Set an imposing 238 to chase in 50 overs Jim Marshall's team were deeply indebted to a wonderful partnership between 17 year old Alex Tyler and 15 year old David Hurst. Tyler struck 60 off just 40 deliveries whilst Hurst showed maturity way beyond his years to register an unbeaten 80. Between them the pair paced the run chase to perfection and it was Hurst who fittingly saw his side home with five balls to spare.

The 4th XI's game at Upton was an exciting, high scoring draw, with Lawrence Lewis rescuing his side from the brink of disaster after an early order collapse. The talented youngster hit 75 as Neston recovered to a creditable 210. Upton's reply was steady and promising but eventually petered out to 190 for 9.

The 3rd XI's game against Chester started early due to the wedding of Dougie Chadwick's daughter, Clare, and the ensuing reception in the evening. It was rumoured that Dougie looking at his watch as he arrived at the church commented that we should have bowled about 8 overs by now and he would have been warming up for his spell! Neston did in fact win the toss and asked Chester to bat first in overcast conditions. Chester's openers got off to a good start and with the score on 30 after 10 overs there was little sign of the domination that the bowlers were going to exert for the rest of the match. With debutant Neil Hollyoak (2 for 33) coming into the attack wickets started to fall, but it was leading wicket taker Robin Gwyn (6 for 36) who gave the batsmen most problems. Only Chester captain Ramsay (26) offered any resistance and after Gwyn bowled him the innings was eventually closed at 107 after 45 overs. After tea the Chester opening bowler Mallows (5 for 15) ripped into the Neston batting, removing four of the first five batsmen and leaving the Neston innings in tatters at 38 for 6. It was left to Neston skipper Peter Chester (45 not out) and Paul King (21) to repair the damage and edge Neston towards the Chester score. Neston reached the Chester score in the 40th over, giving victory by 3 wickets and plenty of time to get to the reception.

31 May 2004 - STILL NO WIN FOR 1ST'S
It's six league games without a win for Neston's 1st XI after Saturday's five wicket home defeat against Hyde. Again it wasn't a disastrous performance but in the end Ben Thomas' side just lacked the extra penetration that could have turned a close game in their favour. Hyde won the toss and elected to bowl, and for once the Neston openers struggled as the ball moved about on a pitch dampened by overnight rain. Thomas was first to go, bowled by Young for one and then, with only 15 on the board, Phil Davis chanced a risky second run and was adjudged not to have made it by the Umpire. Andy Woolley (20) and Stan Clifford (32) led a patient recovery until Clifford found himself in two minds over where to hit a long hop from Berry and succeeded only in pulling it straight to mid-wicket for an easy catch. Woolley had just started to open his shoulders when he too fell to a catch off Berry and Neston were back in trouble at 74 for 4. Fortunately Chris Hackett (40) and Adam Bass (51*) responded well to the mini crisis and slowly but surely dragged the innings back in Neston's favour. Hackett was eventually bowled with the score on 129 but Bass took up the reins and batted superbly to reach his half century. With sensible support from the experienced Peter Barber (24*) the score reached 186 for 5 after 55 overs, at which point the skipper called a halt with a positive declaration.

Hyde's reply started well until Stan Clifford removed Murphy and Pilkington and Jarrod Bird had Makin trapped LBW to leave the visitors struggling on 63 for 3. Clifford dismissed the experienced Fitzimmons before three figures were on the board and when Dave Collyer bowled Ashley, Hyde were still 67 runs shy of their target and the game had probably swung Neston's way. Only Singh really stood in the way of a first win but sadly his cameo innings of big hitting and chance taking resulted in a quick fire 42 not out that finally put paid to Neston's hopes. Scoresheet

The 2nd XI had a busy but fruitful weekend, recording a first league win of the season at Hyde on Saturday and then progressing to the second round of their league knock out by beating Didsbury on Sunday.The match at Hyde was a low scoring thriller with the home side struggling in the damp conditions to reach 123 all out. Spin twins Graeme Rickman (4 wickets) and Paul Stimson (3 wickets) were the main tormentors. Neston found the conditions equally testing and were soon reeling at 17 for 4. Alex Tyler (40) showed his class for the second week running but found few willing partners. Rickman (21) chipped in with vital runs but at the fall of the eighth wicket Neston were still 40 runs short and looking down the barrel of defeat. The youthful Stimson and experienced Graham Lea-Swain had other ideas sharing a 32 run partnership before Stimson was run out. Lea-Swain remained calm and collected and bided his time. After Dickie Thorn had confidently played back a maiden Lea-Swain crashed the winning boundary to give Jim Marshall's side a long awaited victory by the narrowest of margins.

Sunday's match wasn't so dramatic with Neston scoring 195 in their 45 overs with the main contributions coming from two of the clubs younger shining stars, Alex Tyler (58) and David Hurst (40). Didsbury's reply was kept under check throughout and eventually finished on 163 all out with wickets spread evenly amongst the bowlers.

The 3rd XI travelled to in form Chester who had won their last two games. Neston decided to bat first on a dry wicket that had been covered and got off to a good start. However three of the first four batsmen got themselves out having reached double figures and the innings soon looked shakey at 48 for 4. Chester (27) and King (22) then started a recovery and increased the scoring rate, before both were out leaving the score on 114 for 6. Youngsters Laurence Lewis (41*) and Nick Carter (37) then batted extremely well, scoring at a good rate, eventually allowing a declaration after 49 overs on 201 for 8. In reply, the Chester openers played a number of ambitious shots but never got on top of the bowling, Chadwick (3 for 41) and Gwyn (2 for 48) removed the early Chester batsmen before Evans (42) and McIvor (35) started to get on top of the bowling, Evans landing a number of 6's that scattered onlookers watching from the pavilion balcony. With the required run rate now below 3, inexperience told and both batsmen were removed, allowing Carter (3 for 16) to get into the tail before Lewis (2 for 38) removed the last man, giving Neston victory by 35 runs. An excellent game that both sides had a chance of winning and one in which the younger players on both sides played very prominent parts.
Toss Neston
Neston 201 for 8 49 overs (177@45) (Lewis 41*, N.Carter 37, P.Chester 27, McIver 3 for 47)
Chester 166 all out 42.5 overs ( Evans 42, McIver 35, Chadwick 3/41, Carter 3/16, Lewis 2/38, Gwyn 2/48)
Neston win by 35 runs
Neston 24 points, Chester 8 points

Mike Potter's 4th XI had the better of a high scoring draw against Warrington at Parkgate. Highlights of the game were Tom Hollingsbee's magnificent 91 out of a total of 210 declared, and Bob Yardley's 4 wickets as the visitors reply finished on 180 for 8.

26 May 2004 - TWENTYTWENTY CRICKET IS HUGE SUCCESS
Ben Thomas leads the Neston Blues to victory and lifts the sponsors trophy. Click the photo to see more details and find out exactly what Turk was doing

25 May 2004 - SKIPPER'S TON IN VAIN
Neston skipper Ben Thomas struck his maiden 1st XI century at Nantwich on Saturday but unfortunately it was not enough to register his sides first league win of the season. The day had started badly for Thomas with both of Neston's Aussie imports, Jarrod Bird and Stan Clifford, failing late fitness tests. Consequently, after losing the toss, Neston found themselves in the field on a gloriously sunny day without two of their three strike bowlers. Chris Finegan and makeshift new ball partner Dave Collyer provided early control over the Nantwich openers but there were few signs of wickets falling. After the slow start both Hampshire and Murphy gradually picked up the tempo and took the score to 121. At that point the introduction of Peter Barber into the attack paid dividends for the visitors. Barber, who was one of the two late replacements in the side held a sharp return catch off Murphy and soon after had Hampshire snapped up by Andy Roberts behind the stumps. Nantwich's desire to up the run rate towards the end of the innings was fairly well kept in check by the accuracy of Barber and wickets continued to fall. The reintroduction of Collyer into the attack also brought success and eventually the home side were restricted to 207 for 9 declared in 55 overs with Barber returning the impressive figures of 6 for 58 and Collyer taking 3 for 46.

After tea Phil Davis and Ben Thomas started well and comfortably took the score to 90 without loss. It was a great platform from which to launch the attack on the Nantwich score. Even after Davis had departed for 31 the momentum continued with Thomas starting to open his shoulders to go to a very impressive fifty. With Andy Woolley the pair progressed the score to 146 and the first victory of the season looked tantalisingly close. The captain's second fifty came in quick time and included a huge six out of the ground. Sadly for Thomas (101) his magnificent knock came to an end just after losing Woolley and Neston were slightly wobbling at 162 for 3. With Cheshire star Barrington Browne bowling deadly accurately from one end the Neston middle order found run scoring very difficult. Hackett, Finegan, Bass and Barber all perished in quick succession and sadly for the skipper he was forced to call an end to the run chase and settle for the draw at 174 for 7. Scoresheet

The 2nd XI are also five games into the season without a win after their latest setback against Nantwich at Parkgate. It was a fairly dismal performance from the champions with only Alex Tyler (40) shining with the bat. After being dismissed for just 120 Jim Marshall's side fell to a heavy 5 wicket defeat.

No such problems for Mike Potter's 4th XI who won again to keep the pressure on at the right end of the 3rd XI table.

On Sunday the 1st XI were back in action for their Cheshire Cup tie against Rode Park & Lawton. Neston won the toss and elected to bat and once again were given a good start by the Davis and Thomas opening partnership. Thomas reached 20 before offering a catch and Davis made 37 before he too found himself back in the pavilion. Having been promoted up the order Andy Roberts contributed 9 but then Andy Woolley and Chris Hackett shared a hugely entertaining 117 run partnership that lifted the score to 212. It was a blistering attack on the visitors bowling, first from Hackett (73 off 63 balls) and then even more so from Woolley whose 72* came off just 55 deliveries. By the end of the 45 overs the score had reached an impressive 240.

Rode Park started slowly with Finegan and Collyer again keeping the run rate down. It never really looked as if the visitors would seriously challenge the target until Chadwick turned the innings on its head with a brilliant century that just about kept his sides hopes alive. With useful support from the middle order it was only when Chadwick was eventually dismissed that Neston could really believe that the game was theirs. The visitors finished on a commendable 213 all out. Scoresheet

24 May 2004 - THIRD'S DRAW WITH UPTON
Second in the table Upton III's visited early leaders Neston III's on Saturday, stand in skipper and former Neston groudsman, Les Atwell, won the toss and had no hesitation in asking Neston to bat first. Despite the early loss of Thompson, Neston got off to a good start with Fennah (57) and Lea-Swain (25) keeping the scoreboard moving. After the loss of Lea-Swain, Chester (67) came to the wicket and shared a productive partnership with Fennah which saw batting points being accumulated at a rapid rate. A flurry of wickets from left armer Smith (3 for 33) saw a declaration after 49 overs on 222 for 8. Upton got off to a slow start with Gwyn (2 for 23) taking an early wicket. Williams (49) and Crawford (81) then shared a big stand, but tight bowling and sharp fielding, kept the run rate down. With the required rate rising to over 6, wickets started to fall and Chadwick (4 for 46) removed most of the Upton middle order. The Upton reply eventually closed on 182 for 7 and a result that maintains both sides unbeaten record.
Toss Upton
Neston 222 for 8 - 49 overs (203 @ 45) - Fennah 57, Chester 67, Smith 3 for 33
Upton 182 for 7 - 51 overs (169 @ 45) - Williams 49, Crawford 81, Chadwick 4 for 46, Gwyn 2 for 23
Draw Neston 16 points, Upton 10 points

22 May 2004 - THE WINNER OF THE 2004 POLL IS ............
NESTON !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This seasons "who will win the league" poll has now closed and the results are shown below. It was an amazingly close run thing with Bowdon seemingly having it sewn up until a dramatic late flurry of voting for the boys from Parkgate just edged them ahead in the last few minutes before the closing deadline.
Coincidentally Neston won last years poll in similar fashion (n.b. the investigation into vote rigging subsequently found no evidenc of wrong doing !). This years turnout of 107 was better than last year.

Winners of the County League in 2004 will be..

Votes
Alderley Edge 1
Bowdon 28
Chester Boughton Hall 8
Didsbury 4
Hyde 1
Macclesfield 4
Nantwich 4
Neston 29
Oulton Park 3
Oxton 17
Poynton 2
Widnes 6
107 votes total
If you have any suggestions for a new poll please feel free to put them on the Forum.

20 May 2004 - FIRST WIN OF THE SEASON
The first's won their first game of the season tonight with a comprehensive win over Widnes in the Echo KO match at Parkgate. The visitors batted first but struggled against an opening slow bowling partnership of Paul Stimson (1 for 9) and Dave Collyer (2 for 13). Chris Finegan and Jarrod Bird kept things tight for the rest of the innings, backed up by some good fielding, and Widnes finished on 82 off 20 overs. Neston's reply was calm and collected with most of the hard work done by Andy Woolley and Chris Hackett. In the end it was a comfortable 7 wicket win with two overs to spare. Neston travel to Skelmersdale in the nest round.

17 May 2004 - 1ST'S IN LAST OVER DRAMA - AGAIN !!!!!
For the fourth consecutive game, Neston's 1st XI were involved in a dramatic and tight last over finish at Oxton on Saturday. But once again they just fell agonisingly short of their first victory of the season. It couldn't have been any tighter, with all four possible outcomes equally likely when the Oxton skipper Neil Cross stepped up to bowl the last delivery of the game. Oxton had earlier posted a below par total of 159 all out with Chris Finegan the star of the show for Neston. Following his move from Bootle, Finegan has made a big impact in Ben Thomas' side, bringing a buzz of professionalism and a sting to the bowling attack. The tall opening bowler flew through the Oxton top order, taking the first five wickets to leave the league leaders in disarray at 75 for 5. The home side needed something special to halt the slide but nobody was expecting the cunning introduction of the swarm of bees that casually drifted across the ground and sent the Neston fielders diving for cover. Following the unscheduled interruption Doggett (37), Huston (26) and the wily O'Brien (26) mounted a patient recovery operation for the home side but two wickets for Aussie Jarrod Bird and a brace for Graeme Rickman eventually brought the innings to a close in the 54 over.

Just as with the acquisition of Chris Finegan, the reemergence of Phil Davis as a class opening bat is another real positive for the Neston side. The ageing Davis led the Neston response with an air of dominance and composure befitting his reputation as a legend in local cricketing circles. Despite losing skipper Ben Thomas for a bright and breezy 17, Davis led from the front as he calmly guided his side towards victory. Unfortunately no-one was able to stay with him for any length of time and slowly but surely the wickets tumbled until Davis was himself run out for a superb 67 with the score on 135 for 6. When Bird (16) departed with only one more run on the board it looked as if Neston may be conspiring to lose a game which had been there for the taking. Fortunately the experienced Finegan was at the crease and with some good running from wicket keeper Andy Roberts the score edged up ever closer to the required target. When Roberts was bowled off the last ball of the penultimate over Neston still required 7 to win. Oxton skipper Neil Cross took responsibility to bowl the last over and Finegan and Dave Collyer took singles off balls one and two. A scrambled two and another single left two required off two balls. With the fielders in, Collyer struck the fifth ball well but unfortunately too close to Cross who took a sharp return catch to keep his sides hopes alive. Now, at 158 for 9, Neston required two to win, Oxton required one wicket, and the draw or a tie were also in the melting pot. Graeme Rickman was the man in the hot spot - he swung hard but edged the ball into his pads, a mad scramble ensued with Finegan racing safely home. But Rickman was struggling to reach the bowlers end and an underarm throw from the fielder looked good enough to beat his desperate dive. Fortunately, a fumble by the skipper was enough to allow the single and the scores had finished level. Technically the match was drawn but Neston were more than pleased to then realise that they were the beneficiaries of a strange ruling that awards the side batting second a total of 18 points for a scores level draw !

After catching his breath skipper Ben Thomas was fairly content with the outcome, "We probably should have won that one but we're not in any way despondent. We've picked up 18 points instead of the 20 that were available for a win so it's not a disaster. We're still making progress, I thought Chris (Finegan) and Phil (Davis) were outstanding today and with everyone else pulling together and also with Stan Clifford and Simon Marshall to come into the side we can continue to build for the rest of the season." Scoresheet

Jim Marshall's 2nd XI are also without a victory this season following their defeat at home to Oxton. The senior pros took centre stage for Neston with the ageless Dickie Thorn taking 6 wickets and the ageing Paul Stimson three, as the visitors posted 168 before tea. After the interval the Peter Pan of Parkgate, Pete Barber, started Neston off well with 35 but found no great support from the younger members of the squad. It was left to Cheshire Over 50's star Jim Marshall to take up the reins and his wonderful 75 looked as if it would just be enough. Unfortunately he fell to a catch in the deep and a dozen off the last over proved too many and Neston were beaten.

Mike Potter's 4th XI also had their share of 'senior moments' as they cruised to a 65 run victory against Oxton 3rd's. Nathan Wilkes (45) and Greg Brooker (35) could be considered younger members of the senior pros club but they were outshone by the fully paid up member, Derek Hollingsbee, whose magnificent 56 was his first half century for the club. Co-founder Bob Yardley couldn't resist adding to the trend for the day with a late cameo innings of 35. Youngsters Alex Yardley (3-35) and Pete Carter (4-39) did take some of the strain off the oldies with some fine bowling but it was probably fitting on the day for the 'experienced' Johnny Brown and Brian Murphy to mop up the tail. Scoresheet

Meanwhile, Peter Chester's 3rd XI maintained their impressive start to the season with a victory at Timperley that keeps them top of the table. With summer returning, but the remnants of a wet week leaving the ground at Timperley looking very green, Neston won the toss and asked the home side to bat first on what looked a low and slow wicket with a slower outfield. Timperley started steadily but struggled to accelerate the run rate, it was left to youngster Page (70) to hold the innings together with second top scorer, wides, chipping in regularly throughout the innings. Wickets were shared between all the bowlers and the innings closed at halfway with 169 on the board. Neston's innings got off to a good start thanks mainly to the mainstay of their innings, Extras, which eventually top scored with 67. Openers Mark Garrett (29) and John Fennah (41) took the chase beyond halfway before both were removed. Victory was eventually sealed in the 42nd over bringing a third victory and 20 points to Neston. The match total of 95 extras possibly being some sort of record!

The 1st XI's season really hots up this week with a busy schedule of matches starting on Thursday 20 May when Widnes come to Parkgate for a Liverpool Echo knockout game (6.00pm start). On Saturday Ben Thomas takes his side to Nantwich and then leads them out on Sunday for a Cheshire Cup game at home to Rode Park (1.30pm). Next Wednesday (26 May) pyjama cricket comes to Parkgate when the Neston Blues take on New Brighton Reds in a SB&P Accountants sponsored TwentyTwenty game featuring coloured clothing and orange balls. The match starts at 6.30pm, admission is free and for the anticipated large crowd there will be hot food available, a bouncy castle, and 'happy hour' at the bar for the duration of the game.

9 May 2004 - 1ST'S BEAT WEATHER BUT LOSE MATCH
Neston's 1st XI suffered their third consecutive defeat on Saturday in a rain affected game at Parkgate. It was a disappointing outcome for skipper Ben Thomas who must be wondering if it really was worthwhile making the effort to beat the wet conditions. Indeed it has become an all too familiar scenario in recent years with Neston players and groundstaff mopping up in the persistent drizzle in the hope that some sort of game would eventually be possible, to then actually lose the match and end up with less points than if they'd all gone down the pub!. The many detractors from the east of the county who have often whinged about the 'unfair advantage that Neston have in playing in a sub-tropical climate on the Wirral' should firstly realise that the club makes exceptional efforts to always make the ground playable rather than take the easy and cheap option of calling the game off at the earliest possible opportunity; and secondly, history shows that Neston's record in such games is sadly abysmal.

But back to the cricket, which became a 72 over game starting shortly after 3.30pm. Macclesfield (who to be fair were also very keen to play in not very nice conditions) won the toss and elected to bowl first. Neston's veteran opening partnership of Phil Davis and Stan Clifford started positively before Clifford fell to a sharp catch at gulley. Andy Woolley showed signs off his early season good form but was unluckily bowled via his boot with the score on 37. When Davis and Chris Hackett shared a third wicket partnership of 49 in quick time it was looking very rosy for the home side until Hackett (23) became the first of a procession back to the pavilion. From 86 for 2 wickets tumbled with alarming regularity as Davis (39), Bass (3), Thomas (4), Finegan (0) and Roberts (0) all perished in quick succession leaving the innings precariously placed at 98 for 8. Graeme Rickman (5), Jarrod Bird (10*) and Dave Collyer (8) managed to edge the score up to a defendable 130 before Collyer was bowled in the last over of Neston's permitted allocation of 39.

Neston needed a good start with the ball but were immediately on the back foot as visiting skipper, Ackerley, adopted a pinch hitting role and rode his luck to take the score quickly to 42. Chris Finegan made the first breakthrough, dismissing Morrison and then shortly afterwards Chris Hackett got into the act again with the important wicket of Ackerley. The visitors continued to adopt a positive approach with Hillaby, McTaggert and Hughes all taking the aerial route to either find gaps in the field or to benefit from some hapless fielding with a number of 'catches' going to ground. Despite their ill fortune, Hackett (4 for 41) and Finegan (2 for 47) battled away to force the game into the last over. It was another tight finish for Neston but as in the previous two weeks they came away empty handed as Cutbill struck the winning runs for the visitors with just two balls remaining.

Neston skipper Ben Thomas was naturally disappointed with the result saying "We've kept the groundsman on and spent time and effort to get this game played but in the end we've not done ourselves justice. It's difficult to get a result when you bat first in such a shortened game but we gave it a good go in difficult conditions. Although we've lost all three games so far they've all been close affairs that could have gone either way. Generally I feel that we're playing reasonably well, we're not getting hammered and I'm very confident that we will turn things around." The captain's optimism was not lost on the experienced Stan Clifford who vowed to battle on through thick and thin in support of his skipper, "There are some new faces at the club this year and it's obviously going to take a few games for things to settle down. We've all got a role to play and personally I'm very keen to make a significant contribution with both bat and ball. At my age it's not easy, but on Saturday I was pleasantly surprised not to be feeling too many aches and pains after such a damp and cold afternoon." Scoresheet

Whilst the 1st XI were at least beating the weather the 2nd, 3rd and 4th XI's were all washed out without a ball being bowled. This Saturday Thomas takes his side to local rivals Oxton who have had a contrasting start to the season and sit proudly at the top of the table. The 4th's also travel to Townfield Lane whilst the Oxton 2nd XI travel to Parkgate to do battle with Jim Marshall's troops. Pete Chester's 3rd XI have taken an early lead at the top of their league which they will be looking to maintain with a positive result at Irby.

4 May 2004 - NESTON 1ST XI 2004
Now here's a good looking bunch ! A fine mix of youth, experience and the downright old.
Back row l-r: Adam Bass, Andy Woolley, Chris Finegan, Jamie Hacket, Jarrod Bird, Phil Davis
Front row l-r:Andy Roberts, Dave Collyer, Stan Clifford, Ben Thomas (captain), Chris Hackett, Myra Isterling (scorer)
1st XI 2004

2 May 2004 - 3RD'S/4TH'S THROUGH IN CUP
Jack Gardner Cup
Neston III v Cheadle Hume
Cheadle 129 for 9 - 45 overs
Neston 133 for 4
Neston won by 6 wickets

2 May 2004 - 1ST'S LOSE ANOTHER CLOSE ONE
Didsbury have unearthed a match-winner in Australian all-rounder Tom Maher. After his 7-27 return on debut against Oxton last week, the Cairns player smacked a magnificent 109 not out to steer Didsbury to a two wickets win in anoirher tight finish at Neston. Stan Clifford (62) and Chris Hackett (41) batted well in Neston’s 218-4, but apart from Chris Finnegan (4-84) the Neston attacked lacked bite after tea when Didsbury eased home at 222-8 with seven balls remaining. Scoresheet

2 May 2004 - 3RD'S BEAT PARK (report by Pete Chester)
In lovely early summer conditions, Park won the toss and asked Neston to bat first. Long boundaries on one side soon tested the fitness of the Neston openers as 3 all run 4's were recorded! Park kept control of things with some tight bowling and energetic fielding. A resolute innings from Garrett (41) and support from Lea-Swain (35) saw the score reach 133 at 45 overs. Some good hitting from youngsters Nick Carter and Laurence Lewis saw the addition of a further 34 runs in the last 5 overs, which in the end was the difference between the two sides. Neston needed early wickets and the Park batsmen duly obliged, excellent bowling by Gwyn (4/34) and Carter (3/41) reduced the visitors to 30 for 7 before 10 overs had been bowled. An excellent catch by Paul King in the gully being the highlight. The sublime was then followed by the ridiculous as catches were dropped all over the field and Park gradually rebuilt their innings with Carlton (43) and Farlem (33). Once Carlton had been removed by another King catch Neston regained control and eventually bowled Park out for 131 winning by 36 runs.
Neston 167 all out - 50 overs (133 @ 45 overs)
Garrett 41, Lea Swain 35, Bailey 4/59, Carlton 3/39
Birkenhead Park 131 all out - 40.2 overs
Carlton 43, Farlem 33, Gwyn 4/34, N.Carter 3/41
Neston won by 36 runs
Neston 22 points, Birkenhead Park 12 points (not sure if the bowling bonus counts?)

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