Didsbury arrived at Heaton Mersey on the back of two closely-fought wins and 11 points behind third in the league. The home team fielded a weakened side to prop-up their 1s, while Didsbury were bolstered by Seb Byrne and Matthew Stevenson dropping down from the 2s.

Dids also welcomed young Lancs prospect Nikash Hinduja back into the 2As and, Will Neal, who was on 2As debut and having played top level cricket in Nottinghamshire.

The lads (minus Shishir) arrived on time to get a warm-up in. Lots of new faces, which meant lots of surprised faces when Sunil took the team through his customary guided “stretches”. Rehmani won the toss (again) and decided to bat. The deck was rock hard but not flat. You could tell it’s been played on quite a few times already this year. Sky sources told me after the game that it was rated 5 (1 being the highest rating, and 5 being the lowest rating) last Sunday when the 4s played on it. As the opening bat for the 2As who takes first ball, I’d of appreciated that information sooner.

Tom Beresford and Shabih Shah opening up again for Dids, and the pair took the score to 20-0 off 6 overs without too many issues. At least, that’s what the Heaton Mersey scorer had down on Play Cricket, but we later found out that he was missing runs on a regular occurrence. That’s your fault, Rosie.

Having told the lads that we need someone to stick in and bat through, Beresford chases a wide one and gets caught at slip off Heasley. Shabih shortly followed, going one better than Beresford, by coming down the wicket to try and whack it over cow corner, edging Healey to gully, with the score now 33-2 off 10 overs.

The pitch had life in it. Some balls were jumping up off a length, others shooting low, but the biggest example of it playing up was the amount of turn and bounce Heaton Mersey’s left-arm off-spinner, Stringer, was getting when he joined the attack. In his first over, he quickly removes Stevo, who gloved it to slip. He then removes Sunil, Nikash and Shish in consecutive overs, the latter two without troubling the scorecard.

This was all happening with Archie Elder, who came in at three, at the other end on 24*, and batting on a different deck clearly. He was joined by Seb with Dids in a spot of bother, with the score at 62-6 off 24 overs. Plenty of time to bat and they went about their work brilliantly. After a nervy first couple of overs, the onus was quickly put back onto Heaton Mersey. Arch and Seb rotated the strike well, were solid in defence, and punished the bad balls. Didsbury’s 100 came up in the 35th over and, at this point, the target was 150, which we thought was just about par.

The partnership continued to build and the opposition started to tire. Archie brought up his maiden Didsbury 50 in the 40th over, which we needed to update the scorer on who had missed another two runs that over. Shish was on babysitting duty from over 30 onwards. Seb brought up his half century a few overs later, Didsbury’s 150 the very next ball, and then the 100 partnership the following over. It was an incredible partnership and made in pretty good time, going at about five an over.

While the score was only on 166 when Seb (56) was bowled, it did feel like that was too many runs for Heaton Mersey to chase. The last four wickets were lost for just nine runs as Didsbury’s lower order tried to get the score closer to 200, but ended up on 175 AO. Despite this, Didsbury were the happier side at half time and the opposition players made it known on many occasions in the first innings that they weren’t looking forward to batting on that deck.

Didsbury opened the bowling with newcomer Will and skipper Rehmani. Two slips, gully, and short cover. It didn’t take long for the first inroad, as Will claimed his maiden 2As wicket, bowling Shafiq with the score on just six. The next 10 overs were frustrating. Frequent plays and misses, and the ball going past the slips. Heaton Mersey was also batting well, rotating the strike as often as possible, taking the score to 50-1 in the 14th over. The momentum was with the home team and nerves started to creep in for the Dids players.

A change was needed so Rehmani brought on both Seb and OG Jnr. This shifted the momentum immediately.

Seb did what he has been doing all year for the 2s, hitting his natural length and attacking the batters. He claimed the wicket of Heaton Mersey’s captain, Shafiq, in his first over, and quickly dismissed opener, Bashir, reducing them to 54-3.

Owen then took two wickets in two balls, having opened up with a tight first four overs. Dids knew that, having fielded a weakened side, they were wicket or two wickets away from getting through HM. At drinks, the score was 74-5. Shish was asked to come on for Seb, so spin at both ends.

It took him four balls to claim his first, with an excellent catch at short-leg with the helmet on, followed by a flurry of great catches in close by Didsbury. Shish took a one-hander in slips and Stevo with a sharp chance at short midwicket. OG, who picked up five wickets away to Heaton Mersey last year for the 2As does so again, with two wickets in two balls again at the end (on a hat-trick the first ball he’s back after a week of revision and exams).

Having been in two difficult spots, both with bat and ball in this game, Dids managed to win comfortably in the end and go fourth, leap-frogging Heaton Mersey and Macclesfield. It has been a much better start to the season than last year and, now with the next three games being against the bottom three, the 2As are in a commanding position to challenge Lindow, who lost their first game this weekend to Bowden.

Big performances from Archie, Seb, and OG, and a good recovery from Shish for my fantasy points.

Onto Alvanley next week at Mere!

Picture: Archie Elder brings up his maiden Didsbury 50, celebrating with Seb Byrne during their century seventh wicket partnership.