After winning the toss and choosing to field first Didsbury went on the hunt for early wickets with Mead and Wells getting the ball to swing around. Three early wickets fell to catches behind the wicket as the opening bowlers continued to impress. Stoneman and Bellamy then settled in for the middle overs as Didsbury put the squeeze on with regular wickets falling throughout the innings. Didsbury fielded well throughout bar a few tough dropped chances, notably Warren leaping full length one handed across the square incurring a serious laceration of his back. S Qasim did his best impression of a defensive midfielder snapping into tackles as he tackled the bowl into the boundary rope twice during the middle overs. The innings finished on 178-9, a score which Didsbury thought was perhaps a little below par. Wells, Mead and Bellamy all took two wickets with Mead also effecting two run outs. Stoneman took the other wicket to fall bowling Cheadle’s number four round his legs.

Burns and Reid opened up for Didsbury and put on a show for the former’s fan club situated at long off. Burns responded to his fans by launching the opening bowler miles over his head in an over which he hit for 22. Burns was caught by the wicket keeper standing up when Burns was on 36 and looking set for a big score. This brought to the crease, A.Qasim who took up from where Burns had left. Reid and Qasim looked comfortable throughout and both went onto score fifties as they knocked off the runs with 12 overs to spare. Despite calls from the boundary for Reid to open his shoulders he continued to bat with resilience and style settling for a red inked 55 not out. Qasim finished on 68 not out including several sixes as he took the Cheadle attack apart.

Overall it was a good performance from Didsbury who play at home to Macclesfield next week and will be looking to build on a reasonable start to the season.

Written by Tom Warren