HAWK GREEN v HEATON MERSEY HAWK GREEN v NORTH OF PAUL

Hawk Green entertained local rivals Heaton Mersey and on winning the toss skipper Jack Needham asked Heaton Mersey to take first knock. Mersey opened their innings with Louis Mundin and Ans Rashid Mohammad against the opening attack of Jack Needham and Dylan Heginbotham on what proved to be an excellent batting track and it was Needham who struck first when he bowled Mohammad round his legs for 8, 17 - 1, next to the crease was Damian Stringer. Mundin was at this time looking very comfortable at the crease and punishing any loose balls but with the score on 65 he was caught behind by Ben Littler off the bowling of Logan Jeffs for 37, Jordan Barnett joined Stringer and the pair took the score to 98 when Barnett fell to the bowling of Jordan Henderson for 10, 98 - 3, this soon became 98 - 4 when Josh Ainscough fell second ball bowled Henderson.Meanwhile Stringer was batting very steadily and with Ben Haspell added an invaluable 42 runs before Stringer fell to Henderson caught Heginbotham for 63, 140 - 5, incoming batsman Dom Gandy immediately started to inject some much needed urgency into the proceedings and with Haspell took the score to 194 when Haspell fell bowled Heginbotham for 28; the innings finally closed on 211 - 7 after their allotted overs with Gandy on a fine 42 n.o. The Greens response was led by Josh Hampson and Sam Messih and it was the former who was the aggressor from ball one until with the total on 30 he was very unfortunate to be adjudged LBW for 23, next to the crease was Jordan Henderson and from ball one he took the attack to Heaton Mersey and no bowler was spared during this onslaught. He struck 10 x 4s and 5 maximums in his 58 ball 84 before he was bowled by Haspell with the score on 181 - 2, Messih fell shortly after for a watchful 72, 192 - 3, skipper Needham with a very bright 22 n.o. closed the proceedings as the Green won by 7 wickets. The Green are away to Winnington Park next Saturday wickets pitched 1 - 00pm.

On Sunday the Green hosted Northop Hall, from North Wales, in round 3 of the National Village Knockout and it was the visitors who took first use of the wicket and Matthew Dunning and Jac Kennedy opened against the Greens usual attack of Jack Needham and Dylan Heginbotham. Heginbotham claimed the first scalp when he bowled Dunning, 0 - 1, and then had Jack Billington caught by Jason Downey for 21 , 24 - 2, next to fall was Kennedy LBW to Needham for 3, 32 - 3. Jamie Hodgson and Mike Williamson started to hit the ball cleanly and took the score to 80 when skipper Needham introduced spinners Jordan Henderson and Mark Richards into the attack. The pair put a stranglehold on the run rate frustrating the batsmen and Henderson was first to strike when he bowled Williamson for 13, 83 - 4, and shortly after Richards bowled Hodgson for 42, 87 - 5. Richards claimed 2 further wickets and with George Ridings claiming 2, Needham came back to take the final wicket to leave Northop on 109 all out, pick of the Greens bowlers, Richards 3 - 9, Heginbotham 2 - 26, Needham 2 - 7, Ridings 2 - 13 and Henderson 1 - 12. The Hawk Green reply was led by Josh Hampson and Sam Messih with the former in particularly good nick, Messih was first to fall for 27 followed very quickly by Ben Littler and shortly after Logan Jeffs was dismissed leaving Hampson and Dylan Heginbotham to complete the victory by 7 wickets. Hampson completed a well deserved unbeaten 64 and was never troubled by the bowlers, Hawk Green will now meet local rivals Mottram in the Regional Final on Sunday 9th June at Mottram wickets pitched 1-00 pm.