Buffaloes v Sale u13s

The Solstice has passed, the summer heatwave subsided and, it would appear, the nights are drawing in… so it was warming to watch the Buffaloes lighten up the gloom with a controlled and clinical victory masterminded by James's astute captaincy.

Didsbury won the toss and elected to bat, James selflessly putting himself lower down the order to give others the chance to have their day in the sun.

The opening pair of Basil and Chris immediately faced a barrage of fast hostile deliveries from Sale's accomplished opening bowler, who had Chris and Harry back in the hutch in the first over, with both lads' middle stumps smashed. In fact, had Harry not been wearing a box for the delivery before his dismissal, this would have been quite literally the case.

Michael came in at 1-2 and was immediately poleaxed by the same bowler in the third over. After a bit of treatment and the adoption of a spare thigh pad, he bravely dusted himself down and set about stopping the rot.

Basil and Michael duly stabilised the innings with a crucial partnership of 33 lasting 9 overs, with Michael stoically occupying the crease and making a vital contribution of 7 before being unluckily caught at cover as he started to kick on, and Basil nonchalantly pushing and pulling his way to yet another 30 not out.

With the platform having been set by Basil and Michael, James came in recognising the need for Didsbury to now press hard if they were going to set Sale a decent target. He duly thumped his way to a wonderful unbeaten 30 from just 14 balls, including 5 fours and a dismissive six.

At the other end, Finn was also cutting loose, scoring a rapid 15 with 3 lovely boundaries before being incredibly unluckily - but brilliantly - run out by the Sale wicket keeper, who hit the stumps with a backward throw whilst off his feet.

Joab was unluckily bowled without scoring, bringing Noah to the wicket with 3 overs left. He played solidly for 2 not out alongside Rehan, getting Didsbury to 117-5 at the close of their innings – a very good fightback indeed.

Half time brought the arrival of the cavalry in the form of Malcom appearing on the horizon with auxiliary refreshments, as James and Basil set about Sale's opening pair. They turned out to be two tough nuts to crack, putting on an impressive opening stand of 54 after 9 until Rehan broke the deadlock with a plumb LBW at the end of a tight second over at first change.

Mid innings, Sale were bang on target at 58-1 but Rehan and Zain were bowling tightly and slowly but surely Sale's run rate was being checked. This was in no small part due also to Finn's excellent work behind the stumps and good, tight work in the field, particularly by Chris, Harry, Noah and Finn P, the latter two each executing great stops on the rope to save what turned out to be a crucial 6 runs between them.

Didsbury were turning the screw - Zain bowled a beauty to remove middle peg and Rehan lit up the bails just one run later. Between them, Zain and Rehan bowled overs 12 to 14 for just 5 runs.

Chris and Finn P then came into the fray and bowled neatly but, as Sale looked to re-assert themselves, they committed the cardinal sin of running on a mis-field, Basil duly atoning for a rare handling error with a killer throw to Finn who whipped off the bails to leave Sale struggling at 80-4.

Again Sale pushed back and looked to be clawing their way back into the game until an alert piece of keeping by Finn saw the 5th wicket fall, stumped.

With 2 overs remaining, Sale required a gettable 16 but back came the big guns and Basil and James pinned Sale down to just 9 off those 2 overs, leaving them 6 short of a tie and 7 away from victory on 110-6. Particular mention should also go again to Finn in those 2 overs for pouching most of James and Basil's howitzers in fading light and executing a final run out from James' accurate throw.

And so now to the Derby on Tuesday and, let's hope, a veritable duel in the sun.