In a pleasing show of squad depth, Disley returned from previously unbeaten Barrow with 25pts despite being without a raft of 1stXI regulars. In truth, the margin of victory should have been much more wider than 4wkts, but the superb three-man attack of Jackson Stewart (4-26), Toby Carson (3-33) and Martin Blackbourn (2-32) were let down in the field and it left a nervy chase which was eventually settled by the calm heads of James Banner (41) and Dave Bridge (25*).

Conditions were similar to last year’s trip to East Chester as a hybrid 1st and 2ndXI arrived in picturesque Barrow (some later than others as they put the Barrow Chairman’s postcode in the sat nav and not the ground’s!) without Ross Arrowsmith, Simon Hare and Jake Reynolds amongst others. Disley had erred in electing to bat first here last year so were delighted when the home side elected to bat and got off to a wild start as they tried to impose themselves.

The second ball of the game was sent crashing over point for a maximum, but two balls later Jackson Stewart had adjusted his radar and rearranged Fernando’s stumps (8-1) in a brisk opening burst to which Toby Carson, exempt from wicket-keeping duties thanks to the presence of Dave Bridge, proved the perfect foil.

Finally free of ECB restrictions, Carson bowled 14 overs of controlled, intelligent swing which brought three wickets caught as the batsmen that Stewart was working over at the other end attempted to force the pace when the strike was rotated. There was also an early scalp for Martin Blackbourn thanks to a lunging one-handed catch from James Banner (55-5), but from a position of power Disley took their foot off the gas.

A partnership of 43 ensued, and, whilst Blackbourn was unlucky to see a variety of aerial mishits drop between converging fielders, it was aided and abetted by some ordinary Disley fielding. Thankfully some home truths in the huddle after the troublesome Hughes was LBW (98-6) to the returning Stewart did the trick though and the tail folded with little resistance – the final five wickets falling for just two runs.

Jackson Stewart (4-26) mopped up to take the wickets his new-ball burst deserved, but it was disappointing that Disley’s bowlers had to create 15+ chances to bowl the opposition out as the opportunity was there to be really ruthless. Instead Barow were gifted two batting points and a total that was at least something to defend. Disley knew they would have to be watchful of the wily Malcolm Barrow, but it proved easier said than done.

At 57-5 he had teased and tempted out four cheap wickets, all to ill-advised, overly aggressive shots, and it looked like the lessons from last year had not been learned. Thankfully though runs flowed relatively freely from the other end though, and James Banner revels in such contests where his unflappable nature can come to the fore.

He anchored the innings superbly, aided by Dave Bridge who upped the tempo at just the right time to finally forced Barrow (4-39) from the attack with three boundaries in an over to make victory inevitable. Their stand had reached 41 when Banner (41) was denied the chance to finish the job by a rough LBW decision (98-6) but Doctor Bridge did the honours with another four in the next over to take his tally to a sprightly 25*.

It was a hugely important win and one that sees Disley jump to third place in the table knowing that their best cricket should still be in front of them and a variety of players will return for selection in the coming weeks. The 1stXI must now make home advantage count with five of their next seven games being held at the DASC – starting with Sandbach next weekend.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

In a game that will go down in Disley folklore, the 2ndXI produced a remarkable run chase to defeat visitors Barrow by 8 wks – chasing down their first-innings 180-8 inside 20 overs. The forecast was for rain, and it rained sixes off the bat of debutant Rehan Yusuf who crashed an unbeaten 132* from just 68 deliveries. It was a knock that the players and supporters who were privileged enough to see it will never forget as the carnage saw him reach a century off just 47 deliveries.

With a wretched forecast, you would have got long odds on a game of cricket taking place on Jackson’s Edge on Saturday… never mind one with 360+ runs. Both teams would have to contend with the match ball quickly turning to a bar of soap and, having been inserted on a sticky wicket, visiting Barrow batted sensibly to accrue maximum batting points.

This was done from the final ball of the first innings with Nick Bell contributing an unbeaten 53* from number three, a fine batting effort as the clouds enshrouded the surrounding hills. Teenager Ned Barlow got through the majority of the Rams’ overs, taking 2-57 with that man Rehan contributing a useful 3-24 – however, come the end of the game nobody would be talking about his bowling.

Striding out to open with the man responsible for recruiting him for his first competitive game in 5 years, Raza Karamat, Yusuf started relatively sedately before exploding with an array of forceful strokes down the ground. Barrow persevered with openers Hawksby (0-40) and Wise (0-88) but they, as most 2ndXI bowlers would have been against this type of batting, were out of their depth and the stats speak for themselves.

50 in thirty-five balls, 100 in forty-seven! 11 fours, 10 sixes, and he had contributed 115 to the opening stand of 143 when Raza was caught for a serene 20. It was two in two from the next ball to show that batting was not nearly as easy as Yusuf was making it look, but teenager James Travis deposited the hat-trick ball to the boundary and did the same with the following delivery as there was no let up.

Yusuf actually calmed in order to complete the job and it was Travis who accrued a pleasing cameo of 23* in 16 deliveries to dominate the unbeaten stand of 40 that took Disley to 20pts. The chase was done inside 20 overs with both sides a little shellshocked, Barrow ruing four drops of Yusuf that could have made things different but all would have taken some catching at 2ndXI level.

Next week should see a string of regulars return to the side having been called up for 1stXI duties, including skipper Stew Reynolds. It has been a mixed bag so far for the 2ndXI but there have been some great individual and team moments and they will hope for more consistent team selection in the coming weeks.

Sadly such selections aren’t likely to include Rehan Yusuf who combined his first game for Disley with what could well be his last game for Disley as he flew to Pakistan on Sunday. If that is it for his Rams career then what a way to go, thanks for brightening up a dark, dank day at the DASC, Rehan!

Play-Cricket Scorecard

When the showers ceded and the covers were finally pushed back to reveal a juicy greentop, it was inevitable that the Rams would be invited to bat once the coin fell in favour of the visitors. However, with the game reduced to 82 overs, they still got off to the accustomed positive start thanks to the in-form Jake Reynolds.

Joined by James Banner, the pair wasted no time in setting a positive tone for the Disley innings with Reynolds again playing the aggressor at every opportunity – his clean hitting piercing the infield with regularity. The score had raced to 42 before Jake’s onslaught was finally halted at 34 by a rare delivery evading his swashbuckling blade and, when Jackson Stewart followed soon after (53-2), it left Banner and Stew Reynolds the task of rebuilding the innings.

They guided the score into three figures with great powers of patience, Stew taking fourteen deliveries to get off the mark, but when Banner was removed for a fine 38 (6×4) a drying pitch proved difficult for incoming batsmen as the Rams went in search of a big finish. A platform of 107-2 yielded a final score of 131 all-out with Stew Reynolds joining the procession back to the pavilion with a workmanlike 32 runs to his name.

A stronger end to the innings would have put the 1stXI in complete control. Still, there was enough experience in the Disley ranks to know how to turn 131 into a winning score and they did so after the tea break with an energetic display in the field. There was an 11-over impasse before Disley got on the board, Jackson Stewart eventually finding the right length in foreign conditions (14-1), and this wicket then sparked a prolonged period of pressure in which Ross Arrowsmith and Simon Hare set about running through the middle order.

Some aggressive field placing reaped rewards for Arrowsmith as Ed O’Connor took a steepling catch before Stew Reynolds’ one-handed diving effort at short extra-cover put the hosts firmly in the box seat. All the while veteran Hare (3-13) was bowling with incredible nous from the Tennis Court end, his off-cutters defeating three batsmen to leave the stumps disturbed.

When Arrowsmith (4-29) then bowled the belligerent Mirza it was left to the returning Jackson Stewart (2-10) to wrap up the victory, the visitors sent back for just 56 to put the first-innings efforts of James Banner (38), Jake Reynolds (36) and Stewart Reynolds (32) into better context.

On a wet day that began feeling like 7pts all round, the application of this makeshift Disley side was impressive throughout in securing 25pts. The intensity in the field ensured Trafford MV were never allowed to settle in difficult conditions as the Rams inflicted the visitors first defeat of the season and also made it two wins out of two at home in 2013 after only registering one win at DASC last season.

Next week Andrew Clarke returns to lead the side as they visit promotion hopefuls Barrow in what promises to be the biggest test of Disley’s credentials to date. Whilst 70pts and 4th place represents a promising start, the 1stXI have much to prove having played the four sides currently occupying 9-12th in the Division 3 table

Play-Cricket Scorecard

Whilst the 1stXI lost the toss and were invited to bat, it appeared to be business as usual with Jake Reynolds continuing where he left off last week – crashing 15 runs from the third over of the game. However, when he edged behind for a rapid 30 (34-3) he had already seen Andrew Clarke and Xan Wood depart for single figure scores and Disley were in need of partnerships.

Sadly, none would arrive.

Only Jackson Stewart, mixing obdurate leaves and some fine drives, made a significant impact from the middle order as he dug in to occupy 55 deliveries. However, when he was dismissed looking to up the tempo (83-7), one of three wickets for Danny Develing, Disley were staring down the barrel and only a remarkable recovery from the tail saved some face.

Youngsters Carson (28), Clark (25) and Potter (4*) made a mockery of the top-order’s efforts as the 1stXI recovered to such an extent that they actually wrestled back some momentum heading to the tea interval. The only frustration was the failure by a single run to pick up two more batting points, but the Rams at least had something to bowl at if they could take their chances in the field.

They instantly created such a chance when a brilliant piece of ground fielding had David Lewis stranded in the middle of the wicket, but a wayward throw to the ‘keeper exploded off the fringe of the astroturf to leave the Rams wondering what might have been as Lewis took the game away in frustrating style.

Whilst Disley’s bowlers consistently found the extremities of his bat, Lewis eschewed orthodoxy to send the ball skewing to the boundary and the wicket of his partner Rolin Johnson, plumb infront to Stewart (20-1), was scant reward for the 1stXI’s new-ball efforts.

A stand of 88 runs then ensued for the second wicket as seven bowlers were utilized to attempt to conjure an unlikely collapse, but incoming captain Nick Jones (48*) was the perfect foil for Lewis who also survived a chance finally going to hand as he raced to a match-winning half-century. He was finally removed on 60, a maiden 1stXI wicket for 16 year-old Henry Clark who added tidy figures of 1-16 to his first-innings 25.

Henry was one of few players who could hold their heads high after this game as just 5pts were taken back down the M56 – an inexcusable return with Division 3 looking very tight in 2013, the value of batting bonus points underlined by the 1stXI falling behind a Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge side who have lost twice but accrued 23pts in defeat this season.

Whilst players could point to extenuating circumstances this week, a reaction will be required when a talented Trafford MV side arrive on Jackson’s Edge looking for a first win of 2013 after three frustrating draws.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

Knowing the visitor’s had successfully chased 140+ in the opening 2twoweeks of the season, skipper Stew Reynolds can’t have been happy to lose yet another toss and be put in on a hard but greenish-looking track.

Aston’s ploy reaped immediate dividends as both Disley openers were sent back without troubling the scorer, and when they were joined by promising young duo Dyson & Boardman (33-4) a serious rebuilding job was required.

As seems to be the new ‘norm’ for the fledgling 2ndXI, the character needed for recovery was not too far away; Raza Karamat joining Neil Johnston and setting about wrestling momentum back off the visitors. The pair combined blistering attack with patient defence with Johnston in particular taking a liking to anything loose, unleashing a series of immaculate drives all around the ground.

When he was finally out for a splendid 82 (77b, 10×4, 2×6) the Rams recovery looked well on the road to maximum batting points (127-5). Karamat’s vigil was ended soon after for a fine 30 leaving Alwyn Mulryne, Jake Lloyd & Ben Houston to keep the scoreboard ticking, the 2s finally all-out for 173.

After such a disastrous start, the 2ndXI tucked into tea content with their afternoon’s work, and a total on the board that had not been surpassed by a chasing side at the DASC in recent memory. The first innings had, however, shown that batting got easier as the ball lost its hardness, and early inroads into the visitor’s experienced top order would prove the key to the outcome of the game.

Raza Karamat and the returning Paul Allen shared new-ball duties and both found considerable seam movement and bounce as they sought the breakthrough. However, Aston openers Holman and youngster Davies largely kept them at bay. A couple of sharp chances went begging as the pair blunted the Disley attack for the first 10 overs, but Allen eventually got the Rams on the board with his third massive appeal of another testing over. Raza wasn’t far behind him, trapping wily keeper-bat Mainwaring plumb in front to put the home side back on top.

Former first-teamer Taylor now joined the stubborn Holman and set about his work in efficient fashion, punishing anything loose to the fence and working well off his legs. Raza was giving left-hander Holman a torrid time at the other end though, and, after persuading skipper Reynolds to bring yet another man into the Gully region, he finally got his man – the ball seaming away and inducing the leading edge which was safely pouched by Clark.

Disley knew they were close to opening the floodgates but with the ball now 20 overs old, the strike bowlers tiring, and two experienced players at the crease, they weren’t quite ahead of the game.

With Adam Burgess unavailable due to illness, Reynolds persevered with seam until the 27th over, and, with no further inroads made, the scoring rate got Aston well ahead of the game. The late introduction of Ian Pannett seemed ill-timed and, with two set batsmen and no scoreboard pressure, Aston were able to milk his off-spin without taking any undue risks. Mottershead was finally removed by the returning Allen but there was to be no final twist this week, as the visitors continued their impressive early season form for yet another 20 point victory, Taylor finishing unbeaten on 82*.

While there were positives to take from this defeat, the 2ndXI were taught a lesson by an experienced side. The games don’t get any easier either, with a trip to high flying Langley this weekend – the only side in all 6 Divisions with a 100% record.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

A cavalier run chase brought a quick end to proceedings at the DASC as the 1stXI completed a dominant win over The Groves to make it two wins from two in TACSCCL Division 3. Jake Reynolds cracked an ebullient, boundary-laden 77* to lead the charge, carrying The Rams to victory inside 17 overs. Earlier, Jackson Stewart (5-12) introduced himself as a viable option with ball as well as bat, tearing through the visitors top and middle order with a vivacious spell of seam bowling to help send The Groves back for 119.

Sticking with the mantra that had served them well on the opening weekend, Disley again elected to chase but saw The Groves progress steadily to 35-1 either side of a short stoppage as a hailstorm engulfed the ground. At this point Jackson Stewart was invited to warm himself up with a first spell for the 1stXI, and from here things got interesting.

From what should have been the final ball of his first over, he produced an unplayable leg-cutter to clip Flanagan’s off-stump (35-2) but when no call of ‘over’ arrived he duly cleaned up opposing captain Caulfield (35-3) from the very next delivery. It sent the young Aussie well on his way to a first five-for in Disley colours, and the same fate befell Evans (56-4) with The Groves eventually losing all of their top 6 bowled.

Martin Blackbourn’s spin bewitched Devoy to such an extent that he shouldered arms to a delivery that turned sharply to disturb his stumps (58-5) but it was Stewart who really had his tail up, bursting through the defence of limpit Brimble (60-6) before rapping Tidman on the pads (61-7) to secure a maiden 5-wicket haul shortly before his enforced removal from the attack.

The Groves’ relief was palpable, and they counter-attacked with a half-century stand for the eighth wicket which was dominated by the impressive Garrett (37*). Veterans Arrowsmith and Hare returned to restore order though, dismissing The Groves for 119 which looked well under par – Jackson Stewart (7-2-12-5) providing the rapier incision to complement a frugal attack which was aided by some excellent fielding by Simon Hunter and newcomer Tony Grant.

A ruthless reply then ensued after the tea break to cap a dominant Disley display.

New opening partners Andrew Clarke (37) and Jake Reynolds (77*) flew out of the blocks, latching onto anything loose and sending the new ball to all corners of the DASC. No bowler was spared and Reynolds was in a particularly brutal mood as he unfurled a series of impressive drives and pulls to take the game right away from the visitors

The opening stand had reached 82 in just 12 overs when the Disley captain was pinned by Garratt but Reynolds continued unabated and arrived at a rapid half-century as he took the spin of Aldcroft for 27 runs in just 2 overs – the highlight an effortless punched maximum into the net area at long-on. He fittingly added the winning runs to take his tally to a sparkling 77* (10×4, 2×6, 56b) and show the value of the Club’s recent investment in new covers and a heavy roller which helped to overcome the inclement weather and provide a surface on which the Disley batsmen could express themselves.

Another 20pts helped the 1stXI to 4th place in the embryonic Division 3 table ahead of their longest away trip of the season, a Bank Holiday weekend trek to Wirral which will be played in unusual circumstances. Due to remedial work on their square, the home side will play on a synthetic wicket during 2013 and Disley will have to quickly adapt if they with to retain their 100% record.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

Disley 2ndXI maintained their impressive start to the new season with a hard fought draw against an experienced Groves side on Saturday. With the forecast heavy rain and hail arriving on cue, losing an important toss put the visiting Rams on the back foot for most of the game but the manner in which they stuck to the task delighted skipper Stew Reynolds.

Having elected to bat, The Groves openers set about seeing off the new-ball pairing of Henry Clark and Raza Karamat in circumspect fashion. Both bowlers were finding considerable bounce and carry and only some good fortune avoided an early clatter of wickets, Clark (2-28) eventually ending the vigil in the 11th over (21-1). This brought dangerman Hickey to the crease and he had made an ominous looking start before the heavens opened for the first lengthy delay of the game.

With seam bowling options limited due to a number of absentees, left-arm spinner Burgess was into the attack in the 12th over and upon the restart he seemed sure to have sent Hickey packing after some extremely sharp work by new ‘keeper Sivanka Senarath. However, the stumping was turned down to cries of dismay and frustration from the fielding side and it was looking an expensive piece of misfortune as The Groves batsman cracked a number of boundaries during a ragged period of play.

This was finally halted by another rain delay but what The Rams would gain in composure was most certainly countered by having to bowl two spinners with only a cherry-red bar of soap for company.

Burgess (3-60) tempted Hickey from his crease once more to eventually send him packing following yet more impressive work by Sivanka, with young opener Middleton following suit shortly after. This brought the experienced duo of Jones/Green to the crease and they set about increasing the run-rate rapidly, the ball disappearing over the fence with regularity as conditions got the better of Disley.

At one stage a score well in excess of 200 appeared on the cards in a chase that would be restricted to 41 overs but the new-found dogged determination in this young Rams side wrestled back control to restrict The Groves to 180-8.

The chase was always going to be a tall order on a track that had remained uncovered throughout the heavy rain and after Disley lost both openers fairly cheaply (21-2) thoughts seemed to shift to damage limitation.

However, Chairman Ian Ashkettle and rising star Alex Dyson combined solid defence with brutal attack in adding a chanceless 65 runs for the third wicket before Dyson (41) was bowled by a ball that swung and seamed a very long way to catch the top of his off stump – His dismissal triggering a wobble to 99-6 in which the home side smelt blood, bringing back opener Piercy to join the impressive Hickey.

The inexperienced pair of Sivanka & young Jake Lloyd survived and prospered though, bullying the bowling to all parts of the ground to not only see out the draw but ensure two batting bonus points were secured at 127-6. Lloyd’s knock was one of real promise, his 19* coming off only 16 balls and including four sweetly struck boundaries, the highlight a sumptuous drive through mid-on. Sivanka’s watchful 18* capping a fine individual display following his four dismissals earlier in the piece, adding further proof of his increasing value to this new side.

It may have only meant a haul of 8pts from the game, but the attitude and application of everyone involved ensured The Groves were restricted to just 15pts from a game they must surely have felt was there’s for the taking. The Rams were often down, but never once looked out against an experienced side who finished nine places and over 160pts better off than Disley last season.

Next week’s Bank Holiday fixture sees the 2ndXI welcome Aston to the DASC, and, with the return of a number of key men, competition for places is guaranteed to be hot as they seek to maintain the unbeaten start to 2013.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

An opening stand of 59 runs between Andrew Clarke (73*) and Jake Reynolds (22) proved the difference between Disley and Alderley Park on the opening day of the TACSCCL as the 1stXI claimed a 5-wicket win worth 20pts. Earlier, exceptionally tight bowling had kept the hosts to an under-par 121-9, Ross Arrowsmith (4-40) bowling 19 overs without being hit for a single boundary.

After last week’s cold, wet friendly at High Lane it was great to be out in the sunshine and, presented with a hard, green wicket at Astra Zeneca, skipper Andrew Clarke had no hesitation in electing to have a bowl with the experienced new-ball pair of Arrowsmith and Hare back at his disposal.

They soon set the tone, Hare bowling a perfect length and finding seam movement throughout an exceptional opening spell of 7-4-10-0. Arrowsmith took advantage by bowling Sardeshpande for a duck (3-1) and trapping home skipper Prime LBW (23-2) as the home side struggled to impose themselves on a miserly Disley attack.

Only Anand Ramamurthi (47) managed to provide any sort of counter-attack, but when he was bowled by Martin Blackbourn any threat of a big finish was gone. The leg-spinner had earlier tempted both McKeever and Rahi from the crease to provide stand-in ‘keeper Toby Carson with two stumpings and was now on a hat-trick thanks to an early catch of the season contender from Dave Potter.

A top edge from Fitch appeared to be dropping into no-mans land between the converging Disley fielders but, running backwards from square leg, Potter launched himself into a full-length dive to produce the game’s champagne moment. Debutant Neil Johnston also showed good hands to pouch a fierce cut from Pal as the innings petered out to 121-9 – Arrowsmith (4-40) and Blackbourn (4-42) getting through the majority of the overs.

Following a half-century opening stand in last week’s friendly, opening partners Andrew Clarke and Jake Reynolds again got the Rams reply off to a flying start, breaking the back of the chase. It wasn’t without fortune, both saw edges dropped early on, but they were rewarded for their positive approach as anything loose was duly dispatched.

The introduction of spin calmed the run-rate and delivered a breakthrough when leg-spinner Zafar tempted Reynolds to play across the line and offer a simple leading edge to mid-off (59-1), but the damage was done. Disappointingly, Disley didn’t romp home from this position of power, but 20pts was inevitable.

Clarke continued to an opening-day half-century that was unconvincing at times but he made sure the opposition paid the ultimate price for missing him early in his innings. Useful stands of 20 and 27 were constructed with Jackson Stewart and Alex Dyson respectively, but some rusty April batting gifted the hosts a few cheap wickets when the 1stXI could have been more ruthless.

Even the captain endeavoured to give his wicket away with victory in sight, but instead his attempt to clear mid-on burst through the fielder and reached the boundary to complete an encouraging start to the season, Clarke remaining on the pitch for every over of the game to deliver 73* not out (8×4, 4×6, 108b).

So the 1stXI have something to build on in the knowledge that they will welcome back some key players in the coming weeks. Next up they are scheduled to make their DASC bow against The Groves, a team they haven’t met since 2011 after both of last year’s encounters were rained off.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

The new-look Disley 2ndXI got the TACSCCL Division C season off to the best possible start on a glorious opening day at the DASC as they delivered 25pts against the visitors from Alderley Park. The off-season recruitment campaign bore immediate dividends as Raza Karamat (5-11) and Paul Allen (5-7) shared all ten wickets on their debuts to send the visitors back for 62 – well short of Disley’s first-innings 129ao.

The day didn’t start well for new skipper Stew Reynolds however, losing a toss that meant he would be without his first choice wicketkeeper for the majority of the visitor’s innings. Having been asked to bat, the Disley openers set about their task in impressive fashion against an Alderley Park side that ensured patience would be the key to success throughout the day.

Finding the boundary with regularity, they had moved serenely to 33 off 11 overs before losing Reynolds (19) to Suresh. Tom Motley (34) continued his progress ably supported by Raza Karamat (15), Motley clattering the season’s first maximum over long-on before holing out trying to repeat the feat.

Karamat would quickly follow him back to the hutch (68-3) but the rest of the top 7 continued in much the same vein, peppering the fence and propelling the hosts into three figures when promising youngster Jake Lloyd was caught chasing a (very) wide one (120-6).

That signalled a classic April collapse that saw Alderley Park bring themselves right into the match. The last 5 wickets fell for just 9 runs, leaving the visitors a target of 130 for victory in 51 overs.

APCC’s reply started in tentative fashion, rising star Henry Clark sharing the new ball with debutant Karamat who patiently bowled the kind of probing lines that will have delighted the new skipper. The reward wasn’t too far away, Karamat trapping Hopcroft plumb in front to open his Disley account. This brought Ramesh to the crease and the only wild period of an otherwise controlled performance.

Having chucked his massive bat at every ball faced, finding the boundary in some of most unorthodox ways imaginable, it would be safe to say his boredom threshold must be significantly shorter than his surname, Rayarothmamangalavan. It was only a matter of time before he got it wrong though, and when a thick edge behind was superbly pouched by stand-in keeper Sivanka (41-2) the Alderley Park challenge trudged off with him.

Karamat had really found his groove and struck with regularity, returning an impressive 5-11 off 10 overs. He was joined by fellow debutant, tall left-arm seamer Paul Allen, from the clock end. Not to be outdone, Allen took to the Disley track immediately with the ball seaming and swinging its way through a fragile Alderley Park middle order.

Indeed, the only resistance would come at the death as last wicket pair Lewis & Madeley frustrated the hosts for 15 overs before Allen finally got his man and a debut five-for of his own (5-7), the visitor’s dismissed for just 62.

The new-look second string will have more challenging games moving through the season but the comprehensive fashion of this victory can only breed confidence for the weeks ahead. A fine team performance was capped off by some sterling individual efforts and early evidence of the winter recruitment drive bearing fruit.

Next up is a long trip to Ellesmere Port to face The Groves who also got their season off to an impressive start as they skittled newcomers Sandbach for 66.

Play-Cricket Scorecard

With a scrambled two from the final ball of their pre-season friendly at Derbyshire & Cheshire League neighbours High Lane, a mixed 1st and 2ndXI Disley side dodged the weather and claimed a deserved victory to complete a valuable workout ahead of the 2013 TACSCCL campaign.

Nine bowlers got through some work on a typically chilly April afternoon where Ed Clark (3-8) and Dave Potter (1-13) were particularly impressive in the absence of established 1stXI bowlers Ross Arrowsmith, Simon Hare, Xan Wood and James Banner.

Only one home batsman made it into double figures, but it was an impressive 76* that carried High Lane to 130-6 from their 35 overs.

The Ram’s reply began with a solid opening stand of 56 with Jake Reynolds (33) the dominant partner as he hit the season’s first maximum straight into the Disley dressing room. He fell looking to repeat the dose though and spinner Hazard also accounted for Clarke (74-2), but Stew Reynolds and Jackson Stewart continued untroubled.

The pair both opened their boundary accounts with immaculate drives in consecutive overs and it was particularly pleasing to see the young Australian look so controlled on the kind of wicket he wont have seen too often at Northern Districts.

When he feathered the strong-armed Tyler Eiselt (2-44) behind Disley were 115-3 with five overs left and a manic finish to the game was the only period of the afternoon not controlled by the visitors. With six runs needed from the final over, High Lane affected two run outs to put the result in doubt, but some superb running from Dave Potter secured the win.

Our thanks to High Lane for hosting this fixture and we wish them the best of luck in the upcoming season. Disley are due to begin competitive action with a double header against Alderley Park next weekend.

Play-Cricket Scorecard