Didsbury Bulls v Timperley CC

The penultimate game of the Bulls fixture list saw another blistering day dawn over Wythenshawe's kindly borrowed ground for a much laboured over fixture against Timperley CC.

Jamie and Harry strode out onto a damp sticky wicket and snail-paced outfield, which made scoring tricky. After seeing off the openers, Harry was first to go looking to drive to move the scoring on, but going to a contentious call. There was a definite nick – but was it bat, turf, pad, or maybe a passing bee, idly going about its business on its weekly shop at "Pollen R Us" before getting a "what the-?" swish of willow to the choppers? We will never know. But what is certain is that Harry was back in the hutch, and Skip was at the crease.

Jamie had looked solid but was caught shortly after, again looking, correctly, to push on the scoring. Dan followed suit, also well caught and Rehan quickly went the same way after just one trademark boundary. Suddenly the Bulls were stuck in the mud. The familiar pair of The Two Bens (TTB) looked to steady the ship, but Ben R did for Ben L with a run that was not his call. Liam sauntered in and confidently rejected a guard. The Artful Dodger went to a catch, bringing in Louis who, looking to valiantly hit out, went to a straight one, ushering in the reliable Will, who, as ever, went tidily about his business, alertly converting half runs into whole, until caught trying to press the total, for an invaluable 11. In came Olllie, who valiantly fell on his sword going for a run in a brave attempt to nudge the total past 80, leaving Liam undefeated on a team best 12 no . Bulls 77-9.

In reply, Timperly took advantage of a drying wicket and started quickly. Rehan was first to strike with a top-of-off beautie, followed by an lbw shout by Louis that gave the umpire no difficulty at all in raising the finger.

But, after 8 overs, Timperley were cruising at 43-2, and Didsbury needed a seriously tight fielding display in the remaining overs to chalk up a second win. And this, under the wily guidance of Skipper Dan Ward, is precisely what occurred.

First Harry took an excellent diving catch from a nifty ball from Ollie, then Ollie himself took a great catch at mid wicket off Louis' switched line of attack. Harry then took out a Timperley middle peg with a leg swinger and followed up with a routine catch from a cracker from Louis before then pinning a Timperey batsman lbw. Suddenly it was game on. Ben L was giving useful tips to Ben R, Milan was lively in the field, Jamie was alert at square leg and there was generally great camaraderie and support from the whole team. Timperley were wobbling and the Bulls knew it . Will astutely observed that the Timps number 10 was actually their last man, and the Bulls' scented blood with the oppo still 7 runs short. Harry's third ball was squirted short to leg and, in amongst the confusion of the run, Louis calmly arrowed in a throw to Harry at the wicket who gleefully whipped off the bails for a famous win, in which every single Bull had made a significant contribution.

This was the perfect example of why we all love cricket: a match played out in beautiful surroundings on a glorious morning between two well balanced teams of boys who were all fully imbued with the innate history and values of the game: play hard, play fair.

And, at the end of it all, thank you to the indefatigable Chris W, who ensured that, instead of a deflatingly scratched fixture, instead a brilliantly tense game of bat and ball defined this sepia painted July Saturday in the Summer of 2018.