GMCL round-up: Hadfield thrash Cheetham Hill

The sunshine made a welcome appearance in Week 2 of the 2026 cricket season. 

All games reached a conclusion in a mixed week for local teams. 

In Division 1 (4th tier) Hadfield were asked to field first at home to Cheetham Hill United, the team formerly known as United Stars. 

Captain Cameron Ball struck in the first over with a fortuitous LBW call. 

Galvanised by their collective trauma, the visitors raced to 50 in just the seventh over. 

Ball, however, broke the 68-run partnership in the 11th, taking two-in-two. 

Ticking along at 100-3, Jay Jones then turned the game on its head knocking back the off stump of opener Nabeel Tahir (40) with a rock. 

This was the first of seven wickets to fall for just 39 runs as the unflappable Jones (4-21) and the returning Ball (5-33) gave a masterclass in medium-pace bowling to the gathering throngs. 

The visitors closed on 138ao in just the 25th over. 

The second innings brought no respite for Cheetham Hill. Keen to make amends for last week’s dire collective effort, openers Liam Doyle and Richard Tranter barely put a front foot wrong in their 100-run opening stand. 

Doyle (48) succumbed with the finish line in sight but Richard (64*) saw his side home alongside brother Jonathan, giving Hadfield plenty of time to prepare for the Hadfield Darts Championship taking place later that evening. 

Robert Hinchliffe Premier League

Edgworth won the toss at Denton West and unsurprisingly elected to bat first. 

They struggled to 48-5 but eventually racked up 196-8 from their 50 overs thanks in large part to Luke Procter’s 83 at 4 and a crucial 46 not out from Sam Bancroft at 8. Jordan Williams took 4-59. 

In reply, West never got going in their 132ao, only three reaching double figures. Luke Procter confirmed his all-round prowess with 4-31.

Elsewhere, Brooksbottom (222-8) beat Egerton (76), Clifton (218-5) lost to Horwich RMI (221-3), Monton (133) beat Woodbank (118), Royton (92) lost to Prestwich (195) and Shaw (118) lost to Roe Green (233-9).

Premier 2

Mottram also failed to capitalise on a promising start away at Bradshaw. 

Asked to field, Mottram limited the hosts to 122-5 at halfway, only Holt and Knight with 40s. 

Unable to support Ryan Fitton’s 4-55, Mottram let Bradshaw get away from them in the final 20 overs and they ended with 260-9, Dickinson adding another 40+ score. 

In response, Mottram were never really up with the rate but did secure a losing bonus point. They ended on 208-8. 

Skipper Stefan Fielding scored 62 and new pro Deshan Dias added 27 before running himself out. 

Denton St Lawrence celebrated 50s from Connor McCheyne and Dylan Heginbotham as they set Heywood 229 to win. 

18yo Sam Staley took a maiden 5-for with 6-46. 

In an extraordinary second half, Andy Dawson (50) and Michael Witts (51*) were the only Heywood players to reach double figures as last season’s GMCL Championship winners were all out for just 146. Daniel Cranmer excelled with 5-27. 

Greenfield (v Astley & Tyldesley) Westhoughton (Heaton), Heyside (Walshaw) and Stand (Woodhouses) also won. 

Championship

Glossop put last week’s disappointment behind them with a bonus point win at home to Glodwick. 

The visitors found runs hard to come by, but a late flurry saw them reach 184-7. Matt Sonczak took 3 wickets. 

Asghar took 4-76 in the second innings but Lee Dale (72*), Sonczak (45) and Daniel Senior (48*) eased Glossop to a 6-wicket win despite three Glossop players getting ducks. 

Flowery Field, demoted two divisions in the off season for not adhering to GMCL rules, were thumped by ten wickets at home by Droylsden. 

Only Brendan Cain (62) offered resistance in the home side’s 131ao; pro Senash Fernando with 4-45. 

A dismissive 85 from just 53 balls from Mubz Hassan saw Droylsden home inside an hour.

Stayley, like Droylsden, claimed a thumping ten wicket win after toiling first in the heat. 

Casey Roche’s 6-62 helped skittle Edenfield for 117 before Liam Parkinson’s unbeaten half saw Stayley romp home. 

Another low scoring affair at Dukinfield saw visitors Saddleworth prevail by 32 runs. 

The visitors had Elliott Lawrence’s 43* at nine to thank for their under-par 132ao. 

It was enough to claim victory, however, as Dukinfield capitulated from 33-0 to just 100ao. 

The greatest striker that never was – Romario Greaves – took 4-36. 

Division 1

Elsewhere in Division 1, only Friarmere can match Hadfield’s two wins from two. 

They had 50s from Singh, Azam and Khan guide them to 216-6 before they bowled out Golborne for 131; Khan with 3-25 to seal the MotM award. 

Division 2

Woodley batted first away at Ashton but could only muster 129ao, two people reaching 20s as the wickets were shared. 

It proved more than enough though as Jamie Kay (4-36) and William Driver (4-23) pie-bowled Woodley to a 38-run victory. 

Woodley are one of four teams with two victories. 

Divisions 3-6

In the game of the day, Edgworth 2nd XI batted first at home to Denton West 2nd XI in Division 3 and racked up 160ao despite Andy O’Brien’s 6-49. 

West’s top 3 scored just 1 run between them, but they rebounded to 102-4 before capitulating to 160ao to leave the game tied. Jake Whittaker took 5-38. 

Asam Khan’s 57 helped Werneth 2nd XI to 177 at home to Oldham. 

The visitors in reply could only muster 148 as three Khans combined to take 8 wickets. 

In Division 4, Stalybridge (171) edged Friends (160) by just 11 runs. Mike Whitworth (87) was the key man for Stalybridge with Rob Mallett also chipping in with 4-12. 

DSL 2nd XI lost away at Unsworth by six wickets. 

Alex Taylor’s 4-20 restricted DSL to just 127. 

Chris Jones’s 46 helped Unsworth to a bonus point win. Walshaw 2nd XI (144-4) beat Ashton Ladysmith (141) by six wickets. 

Max Brierley and Jon Stackhouse’s unbeaten 64 run partnership saw the home side to victory. 

Westhoughton 2nd XI (195) overcame a spirited Denton (165) despite the efforts of Jamie Garde. James Burrow (43) top scored for Westhoughton as the runs were shared about. 

Garde then set about the Westhoughton attack but received no support. 

He was agonisingly run out on 99 as the next highest score was just 13. 

In Division 5E, Droylsden 2nd XI (248-6) thumped Flowery Field (60) thanks to Dan Fish (61) and Josh Turner (57*); Simon Woods toiled for his 3-50. 

Abul Kashem’s 4-12 was the second innings highlight as only one Flowery player reached double figures. 

Saddleworth piled on 224-9 thanks to Steve Taylor (50) and Chris Brazewell (49). 

Dukinfield, however, continued last season’s excellent form to prevail by three wickets; Shahdab Iqbal Raza (67) and Steve Coulding (56*) did the damage. 

Sam Dyson was again in the wickets as his 4-42 helped restrict Woodley 2nd XI to 122. 

Glossop 2nds then had Olly Boothroyd’s half century to thank for the bonus point win. 

In Division 6E, Hadfield 2nd XI had a day to forget at SW Manchester. Nathan Jackson had his own ‘Nasser Hussain Brisbane 2002’ moment and elected to field first after winning the toss and with three bowlers out. 

The home side, nonplussed,  took advantage. 

Awais Kayani (90), Harman Sidhu (50) and Usman Ahmed (111* from 69) did the damage as SW closed on 376-6. 

Jack Clegg took career best figures of 2-120. 

Hadfield were never in the hunt and came up 251 runs short. 

Denton 2nd XI (98) lost comfortably at home to Ashton 2nd XI (102-2); Aaron Hurd (5-42), Elliot Blewitt (4-30) and Anis Ikram (63) all played well. Mottram 2nd XI nearly fell foul to another bizarre call to bowl first but eventually prevailed by 3 wickets at home to Failsworth Macedonia. 

James Palin’s 70 helped the visitors to 240-8; James Starr with a crucial 4-28. 

50s from Collinson and Habib got Mottram on their way before Mike Scott and Alice Dyson saw them home by 3 wickets. 

Woodhouses 2nd XI (119) beat Stalybridge 2nd XI (118) by 5 wickets, despite Stuart Barnes’s 62 for the visitors.