After suffering back-to-back defeats, Didsbury 2As have officially kickstarted their season with an impressive win against top of the league side, Macclesfield.

The side bettered the home team in all facets of the game, and made it back in time to watch the 2s win.

It didn’t start well. By the 11am meet time, only two Dids players had arrived. We’d make a killing if we did fines. The 2As players that were there by quarter past decided to have a hit and a bowl in the nets while Macclesfield warmed up together.

Green pitch, overcast conditions, 30 yard boundary one side.. surely bat first? Good job Rehmani didn’t listen to me, won the toss for the second week in a row, and decided to have a bowl. Only problem was we didn’t have 11 players at this point and no warm up. Shabih finally joined us after 11:30, with headphones in still. Let’s hope he bats well later..

Really poor start from the lads and I was thinking the worst here.

Rehmani and Aaron Grimbaldeston with the new ball, same as last week. The ball was swinging and carrying nicely to the keeper. Rehmani swinging it away and Aaron swinging it in, both with lots of control early on. Having beamed Bowden’s opener first up last week, Aaron clearly got all of that out of his system, bowling with great rhythm and pace. Back of a length, cramps the opener up with his natural movement, and bowled for the first wicket. He very quickly follows that up by clean bowling Beckley, the division’s top run-scorer last year. Aaron’s opening spell really set the tone for the whole innings.

Having watched that at the other end, trademark Rehmani decides to bowl like he did in the 2023/24 season, taking three quick wickets, all done by his in-swing, either bowled or LBW, and Shish gets his first in a (borrowed) Didsbury shirt, with the score just on 30 (six down if you’re not following). Cloud 9 for the team that had just turned up 45 minutes beforehand.

Rehmani needed persuading to stay on, and I’m glad he did, because he continued to threaten both batsmen, taking two more quick wickets. Macclesfield were reeling at 42-7, Rehmani has his first 5-fer of the season, and hopefully one of many! Didsbury fielded much better, when needed. There were a few difficult chances put down during this passage of play, and we could have bowled them out by now.

Sunil gets in the action, bowls their number 11 in his first over, and gives one hell of a send-off with the team bowled out for just 89. Some decent striking at the end almost got Macclesfield to a total to defend, but this was 100 behind par on that pitch. Rehmani finished with 6-32 off his 13 overs, but special mention to Aaron for that opening spell, finishing with 2-9 off eight overs with six maidens! And Shish had a fantastic debut, with 1-16 off nine overs. Having watched him bowl filthy medo’s in the nets earlier, I’m really glad he’s a spinner.

90 to win at half time. The club was clearly shocked as they hadn’t even put the pizzas in the oven. We decided to turn around quickly to try and get the job done. Tom Beresford and Shabih Shah opening again, as they did against Marple on Week One. I think it took me 10 overs to get off the mark that game, and extras out-scored the pair of us in our 30 odd opening stand back then. Very different this week, with Beresford getting 10 from the first over. The opening pair took 60 off the first 10 overs this time around without the need of extras help this time. Shabih channeling his T20 finals day performance, taking apart the seamers with the short leg-side boundary.

The game was basically done by the time Shabby was stumped, but the wicket gave Macclesfield a lift. Rob Goldstone (20*) joined Beresford (33*) and got the lion-share of the remaining runs, ending the game with a cover drive for four.

Much needed win, and all done before 4pm. This takes Didsbury up to eight, above Sale. Lindow next week, who sit at the top of the league as the only unbeaten side still in the division. They hit a measly 412 against Grappenhall on Saturday, to back up their 286 the weekend before. Good luck playing like that at Mere..

Great all-round performance. Outclassed the oppo in all three disciplines of the game, and the fantastic tea prepared by Macclesfield tasted even better with a pint. Roll-on next week!

Dids MOTM - has to be Rehmani for bowling like he should be doing every week, getting six genuine dismissals and being unplayable. Aaron was a very close second, but I’d like to be selected next week, so the skipper gets it this week.