The Men’s 1st XI hosted neighbours Barrow at Overdale Lane, winning the toss and asking the visitors to bat first. Matt Holland and youngster Tom Court opened the bowling with Holland making an early breakthrough in the third over. Court (0/23 from 10 overs) bowled excellently on his first team debut and was unlucky not to make it two wickets early on. Matt Howard (1/14) took the second wicket with the score on 19 before a 50-run partnership for the third wicket steadied things for Barrow. Aaron Court’s quick thinking got a run out to break the partnership before another Barrow fightback. The returning Holland (3/19) took the fourth and fifth wickets in quick succession to make it 100/5 before Australian Josh Westwood (3/23) bowled the next three batters. Matt Worsdale’s 2/33 closed out the Barrow innings with the score on 144.

Despite a shaky start which saw Oakmere 6/2, James Norton and Josh Westwood batted excellently to turn the game in Oakmere’s favour. An 88-run partnership was ended with the score on 94 as Norton was bowled for a well made 46. Westwood (39) remained but a clatter of wickets fell as Oakmere were all out for 120, 24 runs short of their target.

Romiley 2nd XI (240 all out) vs Oakmere Men’s 2nd XI (241/4) – Oakmere won by 6 wickets

A young Men’s 2nd XI started their campaign with a long journey to Romiley to start life in a new division following their dramatic final day promotion last season. Oakmere won the toss and elected to bowl, with Hamish Shovelton and Matt Giles testing the Romiley batsmen early. It was Shovelton that made the breakthrough, with Lewis Newall taking a composed catch on the boundary to make it 19/1. Giles (1/45) got in on the act next as two youngsters combined with Brandon Jones taking a solid catch. Some aggressive batting from Romiley was halted by Shovelton (2/41) as he bowled a peach of a delivery that swung just enough to kiss the off bail and make it 59/3. It was then the turn of 15-year-olds Corey Lewis and Brandon Jones, both on Men’s 2nd XI debut who both took their first second team wickets on debut. Corey (1/53) was first, bowling his victim to make it 95/4 before James Lewis took a stunning one handed grab at gully to give Brandon his first wicket. This was quickly followed up when he bowled a victim of his own to make it 110/6. The attack then turned to spin. Jasper Eaton bowled nicely and was unlucky not to pick up a wicket whilst Sean McDonnell made it 139/7 courtesy of a Shovelton catch. An impressive eighth wicket partnership for Romiley followed, with numbers 8 and 9 sharing 99 before McDonnell tempted the batter out of their crease for Dan Faulkner to get a stumping. McDonnell took two further wickets to finish with 4/27 as Romiley posted an imposing 240.

Hamish Shovelton and Dan Faulkner opened the batting for Oakmere, weathering an early storm from the Romiley opening bowlers whilst feeling bat on ball. Both batters at times rode their luck, but made the most of it with boundaries beginning to flow freely. The opening stand was worth 79 before Faulkner was the first to fall for 34. Shovelton hit a clean maximum over long on before falling soon after for a personal best 42. At 94/3, the home side’s tails were up but a counter-attacking 45 in 40 balls from Lewis Newall (including an enormous six over the neighbouring houses!) swung momentum back in Oakmere’s favour. James Lewis remained at the crease and was joined by another young debutant in Jack Pickering. Lewis took on the senior partner responsibility but Pickering looked confident and comfortable at the crease. The pair shared an unbroken partnership worth 80 runs to see Oakmere reach their target with 11 overs to spare with Lewis finishing on a classy 86 from 71 balls and Pickering an impressive 22 from 31 balls.

Oakmere Men’s 3rd XI (124 all out) vs Langley 2nd XI (180/4) – Langley won by 56 runs

It was a special day on Saturday as the Men’s 3rd XI played their first Saturday fixture at the home ground of Winsford Cricket Club, hosting Langley.

Going into the game with a young and inexperienced side, Oakmere won the toss and elected to field. Emily Faulkner (1/23) and Percy Bratherton opened the bowling for Oakmere and performed superbly well taking a wicket each. Dan Gilbert then joined the attack on his debut and performed like he had been doing it for the team for years. George Warburton (1/22) also bowled well to take a further wicket. Skipper Ian Bett came on to hold up an end whilst Percy returned to take a further deserved wicket and finish with figures of 2/32 from 10 overs as Langley closed on 180/4.

After losing an early wicket in the chase, the senior partnership of Roger Pickering (20) and Hamish Warburton saw the team through some testing opening bowling before both fell after their resistance. A cluster of wickets followed in the middle of the innings before Ian Bett (41) and Percy Bratherton (18) put a strong partnership together. Oakmere continued to battle away, but were eventually bowled out in the final over of the chase with the score on 124. A very credible effort from such a young and inexperienced side.