End of July 2026 | Junior Cricket Round-Up
Under Nines
June and July were busy months for both Under 9s sides with the Reds and Blues in regular action on Sunday Mornings.
The Reds played 6 and won 4 with the Blues playing 5 and winning 1.
For the Reds, confident wins against Denton West and Ashton were the highlights of the last few weeks. At Ashton, early wickets and tight fielding restricted Ashton to 235. Mottram ran well in response to get level early on and then last pair James H and Ryan B put the bowlers to the sword to win comfortably. Against West, 217 played MCC’s 289 as Ryan hit 4 sixes, George C knocked the stumps over with his 1st delivery and Alexander took 2/6.
For the Blues, a dominant win at High Lane was the stand-out. Niamh stroked the ball through the covers with ease and both Grace and Erin took 2fer. A week later, there was another pleasing performance for the Blues despite Friends taking the win.
Arthur and Niamh bowled tidily and Mejeve's 6 was a big highlight as we lost by 30 to a strong side.
Jay C (17) and C Fletch (14) showed their big hitting credentials away to Shaw too, but we were out-gunned and lost by 20.
Under Elevens Hardball
After a strong April and May, the U11s were competitive throughout June and July but despite plenty of close games, found themselves winning just one of their six league fixtures. Royton are one of the strongest outfits around at U11s level and we were well beaten at home, despite Ryan’s 1/8 and Benedict smearing it around the park for 25.
That was followed by a win v Droylsden, sneaking home by 1 run. Droylsden out-scored us but our attack was in a wicket-taking mood with Oscar (2/7), Saul (2/10) and Megan (3/10) running riot as we took ten wickets. Droylsden battled well and took 7 wickets but Saul (12*), Megan (10*) and Benedict (15*) provided enough resistance to creep us ahead of DCC’s score. Benedict and Oscar staying calm to block out the last over and win the game.
At Woodhouses, both teams took 6 wickets but some early big hitting ultimately gave our hosts the edge. Having set WCC 264 to win courtesy of Megan 17* and Benedict 18, we felt well in the game. Their opening pair then racked up 45 to put us on the back-foot. A quite ludicrous Megan spell of 4/3 and Thea’s 2/9 dragged us right back into it but WCC had a wily Pair 4 who nudged and nurdled them back in front.
Droylsden got their revenge for the narrow defeat by coming to the MCG and winning by 17 runs. Lyra (1/9), Thea (1/5) and Saul (1/12) were disciplined with the ball but DCC used the gaps well to score 276 which proved 17 too many.
Rounding off July, was the first round of the Summer Cup. Arthur B and James H made their U11s league debuts, and we acquitted ourselves well but were on the wrong side of a 5 run deficit. Lyra (7*), Saul (6*) and Charlotte F all batted sensibly to provide Benedict (17*) and Megan (15*) with a launch pad for our eventual 272. With conditions very much suiting batting, we knew wickets would be tough to come by and despite some miserly bowling, only Benedict (1/6) snared a wicket and SCC hung on for the points.
With the U11s Softball League failing to take off, we’ve turned our attentions to U11s Hardball Sunday Games and Softball Friendlies to offer additional cricket. In the glare of the heatwave, we secured a pleasing softball victory away to Tintwistle. Ben W (16), George C (13) and Jake H (11) putting our hosts to the sword. A 30 run win secured with Ben W (1/16) the pick of the bowlers.
On the Sunday Hardball Games, it’s 2 wins from 3. Away at Shaw it was Ryan B (21) and Isaac H (15) who found the gaps nicely to help us score 105. With the ball, Erin, Ryan, George and James all took wickets as we won by 25.
In the return fixture at MCC, Shaw came out on top. Jake H (17) top-scored for MCC as he attacked the full ball beautifully. Elias W took a first hardball wicket and James damaged the top of off-stump but Shaw batted well and won by 40 in the end.
We’ve also had a Hardball trip to Ramsbottom where a 9 run victory came courtesy of
3fer for Alexander, 2fer for Erin and great running between the wickets from Lydia and Thea.
Under Thirteens
For the U13s, three wins from their last five including with all three victories achieved in the last over of the game. Stressful, but impressive to the team’s calmness under pressure.
Away to Thornham, Dan M (26) and William F (16) got us off to a quick start with the first wicket falling on 47. From there, Benedict scored a run a ball 30* with support from Max and T Fletch enabling us to set 115/7 from our 20 overs.
The MCC bowling attack didn’t blow Thornham away but they made it difficult to score and just as TCC were building momentum, we’d find a way to make a breakthrough. Dan M, Benedict H and Alec all took one apiece before George K lured the dangerman into a false shot to leave MCC in charge. The tail went hard and found a few big hits but Leo M stepped up in the death overs to take 2/16 and leave our hosts 3 short.
Narrow defeats to Woodhouses and DSL followed, but contained encouraging signs as a plethora of different faces stepped up to contribute. Away at Woodhouses, we fell 5 short in a tight chase but Max C (18), Leo M (12) and Brodie all batted nicely.
At home to DSL it was Benedict (30), Haris (14) and Iris (1/7) who had DSL panicking before a monster innings from their #6 took the game away from us.
Then, two adrenaline inducing wins. Micklehurst won the toss, chose to bat and then did an excellent job of finding the gaps to score 126. We plugged away with the ball but only William and Max took wickets as 3 batters retired 30*.
Faced by a tough target, raucous Micklehurst support and red hot conditions, the U13s timed their chase to perfection. Daniel M led from the front with a 30* that encompassed two vital partnerships of 30+. The first saw Brodie nudging the ball into the gaps to allow Dan to accelerate. The second saw Dan take the supporting role as Max (23) took charge.
When Dan had retired and Max had been dismissed by a beauty, enter Alec and Iris. Alec’s unbeaten 19* came from 11 balls and included a 6 onto the bank that will live long in the memory. Either side of those lusty blows, they ran magnificently seizing on every half-error to crank up the pressure on the home side. A win secured with an Al smash over mid-wicket with 3 balls to spare.
The final game of July for the 13s was the first in the Summer Cup, played in The Hundred format. Batting first, Max (16) and Thomas F adapted well to the reduced format and got us to 30 at a run a ball before a 3fer for Glossop’s first change bowler threatened to derail our innings. William F (31*) and Dan M (16* off 14) wrestled back the initiative with a perfect mix of boundary hitting and aggressive running. 101 scored from our 100 balls.
Thomas F’s diving catch off the bowling of Dan M had GCC 3-1 and after a mini recovery to 36, Dan M went right through two members of the middle order. Dollie (1/20) removed their dangerous left-hander but their remaining opener looked threatening throughout his 32*.
Oliver, George and Fergus bowled tidily but Glossop rebuilt well and were well placed at 75-4. Having looked sharp in his first spell, William was unplayable in his second. 3/8 taken from his 10 balls turned the score into 77-7. Ever reliable Leo took 1/7 to get Mottram 1 wicket away with Glossop needing 9 runs from 10 balls. Thomas Fletcher remained unflustered and with his first ball had the #10 caught to spark jubilation for the second week in a row.
Under Fifteens
For the U15s, 3 wins from 7 as they continue to go from strength to strength as a team unit, in particular with the bat.
June saw them finish off their Regional League with defeat to DSL. Patrick (41*) and Isaac (18) did a job to put on 50 for the first wicket before DSL tightened up and restricted us to 101. Lucy took 2fer to curtail DSL’s momentum with the bat temporarily but they attacked well and won with 5 overs to spare.
From there though, things looked up and the Performance League started with an away win at Werneth. The hosts were bowled out for a below-par 59 thanks to a supreme effort from the MCC bowling unit. William, Patrick, Dan, Lucy and T Fletch all sharing the wickets as we blew the home side away. Dan M (12*) and Taylor (6*) keeping calm to take us home by 7 wickets.
Middleton were too strong a week later, their 161/3 always looking a tough ask. LGB (2/21) and Alex (1/21) the only wicket takers as Middleton went after it from ball one. The batting unit did well to use our full 20 overs but we were 50 short.
Two defeats to Glossop, who we seemed to play every 8 minutes, followed before the final game of the Performance League saw Werneth visit the MCG.
Unlike the away game, Werneth set off like a steam train and took full advantage of a rapid MCC outfield to score 146. Dan M (3/33) putting in a proper shift with the ball to stop it being even more. With the run rate steep from ball one, we had no choice to try and give it some Timpson. Patrick (42* off 19) did exactly that, seeing us go at 10 an over for the first five and give Werneth something to think about.
Once Patrick was retired, Taylor W took over and batted with supreme control to score a run a ball 41* and take the game deep. Alongside him Isaac (13) and William (12*) ensured Werneth never got any peace, and with 3 overs left Taylor found a gap to win it and ran bat aloft to receive acclaim from his team mates.
July’s last U15s game saw Droylsden visit The MCG and the 15s secured an 8 wicket win. The visitors were progressing serenely until Jack H bowled the opener to have them 27-1. They rebuilt to 60 and were looking to accelerate when Alec changed the game inside 3 overs. His vicious inswing was too hot to handle, he took a hat-trick and removed the remaining opener to reduce DCC to 61-5. They finished on 86.
Dan M’s 41* from 36 was the backbone of our chase as we got home with 10 balls to spare. Appropriately enough Alec smashed the winning shot for 4, sealing the points.
Under Eighteens
It’s been a disjointed campaign for the 18s with England World Cup fixtures, opponents conceding and the weather conspiring to mean only 2 more games were played in June and July. Both ended in defeat. Against Woodley Lucas F took 2/27 with Oliver C, Thomas F and Thomas H all bagging 1 wicket apiece as WCC scored 140. Stan saw us start well with a breezy 13 off 9 but from there wickets fell regularly as we reached 50.
Two weeks later, we were all out for 27 at Greenfield against a hostile attack. Lucas took 3/4 but GCC had plenty to spare when they reached our target. The Summer Cup should hopefully mean we can end on a positive note for 2026.
Girls Hardball
A pleasing conclusion to the Girls Hardball League campaign, with 2 wins from the final 4 league games meaning we sit 4th of 10 in the final standings. A cup semi-final awaits the side in August too. The two losses came to experienced and impressive sides from Brooklands and Cheadle Hulme.
Against BCC, Iris (1/11) and Thea (1/22) the only wicket takers as the visitors raced to 329. Lyra scampered her way to a tidy 13* and Megan also got 13* playing nicely in Pair 4 but 273 was well short.
Cheadle scored 268 even with Megan (2/6) again in metronomic form and Charlotte D difficult to get away for 1/10. We batted with patience but lacked the hitting power needed to score 70 against a tidy attack.
The two wins though came from delightful performances. We beat Prestbury at home in a nervy encounter. Batting first, we were very disciplined losing only two wickets. Erin and Lydia batted tidily in the middle order with LGB’s 10* off 11 taking us to 251. With the ball, Iris’ 2/7 set the tone before Megan (2/2) and Dollie (3/14) blew a hole in Prestbury’s chase.
In the final league game v Lindow, Mottram lost only 1 wicket as we set an imposing 301 from our 16 overs. A sturdy opening salvo from Dollie and Charlotte D was built on nicely by Pairs 2 and 3 with Lydia playing some beautiful shots through the offside. Megan and LGB added 30 for the last wicket. Lindow’s opener smoked it to all parts but our bowling was tight and Lindow were always slightly below the required rate. Forced to go for it in Pair 4 they fell victim to Megan (lovely caught and bowled) and LGB (3fer) who ensured us of victory.
The team also won in the Hardball Cup Quarters v Georgians. Maisie’s strong run with the ball continued with 2/14 and Erin took 2/6. Thea, Erin, Maisie and Lyra all batted without losing a wicket in Pairs 2 and 3, enabling Megan and Iris to guide us to victory stress free at the end. Away to Sale on 4th August in the semi-final.
Girls Softball Team
The Girls Softball Team won 3 of their last 4 to sit provisionally joint 2nd in the final standings.
Against Hayfield in early June our batting never got going as the league leaders won by 46. Maisie’s 2/7 looked to have kept us in it, but with the bat only Iris (14) was able to fire and they were comfortable winners.
From there though, we kicked on nicely. A 40 run win v Georgians was built on the wicket taking prowess of Erin (2/11), Thea (2/10) and Evelyn (1/4). With Georgians also bowling nicely things got twitchy for a while but Megan (34*) and Evelyn put on 50 in Pair 4 to ease us home. Heaton Mersey were defeated by 60, Maisie once again in superb bowling form taking 4/10, Charlotte D chipping in with 2/15 and Charlotte F scoring 15* opening up.
The final softball league action saw the team win by 49 away at Marple. Dollie (1/14) took a stunner of a catch off her own bowling, Erin took 2/16 and Maisie 2/18. Chasing 243, we lost only 3 wickets with Charlotte F (15*) and Iris M (28) extinguishing Marple’s hopes of defending their score.
