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Match Report Sat 15 August: 1st XI vs Brooksbottom CC (Home)
Match Report Sun 16 August: 3rd XI vs Prestwich CC (Away)
In May these two sides posted 175-7 and 176-7 in favour of Elliot's unbeaten warriors and it was, if anything, an even closer nail biter on Sunday when, in pursuit of Prestwich's 177, the third's unbeaten run survived, just, with the winning runs coming of the penultimate ball of the match.
As usual, Prestwich provided stern opposition and an opening partnership of 73 suggested this match was going to be no different with the openers being particularly brutal with Ollie Dunn whose opening spell of three overs cost him 35 runs. At the other end Sasiraj had jumped straight into a good rhythm however, conceding just three, and so when Luke Jones took a good catch to break the partnership, there were 14 overs on the board.
The good catching continued, as it is nice to report, that nothing appeared to go down on the day, with a total of six being pouched, supplemented by two smart stumpings by young Fred. However, the real turning point was the introduction of Luke into the attack. Within the space of nine deliveries, he'd decimated the upper order as the score crumbled from 73-0 to 83-5. He finished his spell with 4-26 off eight and was replaced by Owen who did what he does, picking up 3-19 with Dan picking up the other two.
The reply started well with stand in opener Tom batting like he's been opening for decades. He presided over partnerships of 34 with Dan and 78 with Owen (44) before cruelly perishing just six short of a maiden half century.
The score reached 140 before the next wicket fell, with the only concern being that the overs were fast running out. A short period of panic followed as four wickets tumbled leaving the chase on 162-6 needing a further 16 runs off 14 balls.
With the assembled spectators biting their nails, Luke and Elliot edged toward the target. Even with the gift of four byes, the last over started with a deficit of five with the boundary that would seal matters proving elusive. A bye got proceedings under way, before Luke manufactured two twos off the fourth and fifth balls eliciting a huge sigh of relief all round after an excellent game of cricket had rounded off the weekend.
Match Report Sat 15 August: 2nd XI vs Stand CC (Away)
After a strong start to the season, the Clifton 2nd XI were subjected to their 6th defeat in the last 7 games, and are really starting to pay the price for missing key players.
From the team sheets in the first half of the season, the following players were missing this weekend: Steve McManus, Liam Dorsey, Dan Jones, Owen Hogben, Jordy Higham, Sas Pushparajah and Oscar Thorpe. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that the 2nd XI would be much, much stronger with just a few of them playing, never mind all 7.
But it does give an opportunity for others and a chance to gain experience at 2nd team level, but we might have to temper any expectations of promotion hopes as a result.
Elliot won the toss and made the decision to have a bowl, and it took until the 14th over with 71 on the board for the breakthrough to come, with Ethan Kite getting Rayson (41) caught in his first over.
Stand continued to tick the scorecard over, helped once again by the ridiculous amount of wides being bowled. I thought the 39 wides bowled at Woodbank would take some beating, but it was 38 here. It’s just nowhere near good enough if you want to be competitive at this level.
The only bowler to go at less than 5 an over was Lewis Keogh, and he also bowled the least amount of wides with 3, finishing with strong figures of 7-3-15-1, but he didn’t get much support from the rest. 53 extras in an innings just can’t happen, and stand in umpire Liam Dorsey must have had sore shoulders on Sunday morning.
So a chase of 235 required which looked almost impossible with this batting line up, where Ethan Kite was the lone raider with his knock of 59 to prevent a really embarrassing defeat.
This week’s opening partner was Elliot Hogben, who put on 8 before being caught, with Luke then coming in at 3 in his brother’s usual spot. A few nice flicks off the legs for boundaries were followed by snicking off for 10.
Of the rest, only Fred (13) managed to get into double figures when coming in at 8, with everyone else falling for single digit runs in a sorry total of 130 all out, made to look semi respectable with another excellent half century from Ethan.
In a damning stat, 5 of the 8 bowlers used bowled more wides than they scored runs in the chase.
This second team are limping to the end of the season now, where all focus at the club is quite rightly on the first team staying up, the 3s wrapping up the league title and the big Cup Final on Bank Holiday Monday.
Roll on next season….
GMCL U11 Champions of Champions Final
Clifton CC U11s v Royton CC U11s
Thursday 16th July 2026
Champions! 🏆
Clifton CC U11s were crowned GMCL Champions of Champions after producing a superb all-round team performance to overcome an excellent Royton CC side in a final that showcased everything that is great about junior cricket.
Played in fantastic spirit throughout, the match was a wonderful advert for the game, with both teams displaying outstanding skill, determination and sportsmanship from the first ball to the last. The standard on show was exceptional, and every player should be immensely proud of the part they played.
Royton began positively, with L. Jeffery leading the scoring with an impressive 24 and O. Hulme adding a lively 15, while H. Zeshan chipped in with 10 as they looked to build momentum. Clifton's bowlers, however, never allowed the innings to get away from them, applying pressure throughout with disciplined bowling and sharp fielding.
The wickets were shared around, highlighting the strength of Clifton's attack. Jensen Kettle was outstanding, claiming two wickets,while Stanley Pryce, Alby Robinson and Arabella Cross all picked up one apiece. Every bowler contributed, with Pryce particularly economical, conceding just seven runs from his two overs, while Oscar McManus and Jacob Vickers also kept the scoring under control.
Behind the bowling was an outstanding fielding display.Clifton's energy, athleticism and awareness in the field restricted Royton at every opportunity, creating three run-outs and limiting boundaries through excellent teamwork and communication.
Chasing the target, Clifton batted with confidence and intent. The innings was built on valuable contributions throughout the order,ensuring the scoreboard continued to tick over while keeping pressure on the Royton fielders.
Stanley Pryce top-scored with an excellent 18,playing with maturity beyond his years, while Oscar McManus struck a fluent unbeaten 16. Hunter McManus entertained spectators with an exciting 13 that included two towering sixes, and useful contributions from Jacob Vickers (8), Arabella Cross (7), Jensen Kettle (5) and Harry Bridge (1) ensured Clifton finished strongly to post a winning total of 277 against Royton's 260.
While every player played their part in a magnificent team performance, the Player of the Match award deservedly went to Arabella Cross. Arabella made an impact in every facet of the game, contributing with the ball, adding valuable runs and producing an outstanding display in the field. Her composure, energy and all-round cricketing ability epitomised Clifton's performance and made her a worthy recipient of the award.
This victory is the culmination of months of hard work from our coaches and a hugely talented group of young cricketers who continue to represent Clifton Cricket Club with distinction. Their commitment to improving,willingness to work for one another and love of the game shone through in a final of the highest quality.
Congratulations also go to Royton CC, who were excellent hosts and played a full part in a terrific final and demonstrated why they had reached the Champions of Champions showpiece.
A huge congratulations to our U11s – GMCL Champions of Champions 2026! An achievement to be incredibly proud of and one that will live long in the memories of everyone connected with Clifton Cricket Club. 🏆💙🧡
Further pictures from the evening available in our gallery here:
Girls Cricket Festival - Clifton u11 Dynamos
On a glorious, sun drenched afternoon at Egerton CC, 8 clubs took part in a superbly organised u11s Girls Cricket Festival; with Clifton CC taking part in an event like this for the very first time in our history.
In the Spring of 2026, our first Dynamos programme (coaching for girls ages 8 to 11) had only 5 girls signed up for the start of our girls cricket journey. Within a couple of months that had grown to 12 signed up Dynamos, and we’re still getting new girls coming to our 7pm - 8pm Friday night sessions every week, with each new girl instantly made to feel part of the group which is wonderful to see.
10 of those young Dynamos represented Clifton CC at the Egerton CC Festival on Sunday, doing themselves, their watching parents and grandparents and Clifton CC proud.
In our first game, the girls put on a brilliant performance to push a really strong Edgworth team all the way, coming up just short, before taking on the hosts, Egerton.
The game against Egerton ended in a tie after a thrilling finish to the game that went down to the last ball, but our girls saved the best to last when taking on Horwich in our third and final match of the afternoon.
A fantastic bowling performance restricted Horwich to 53/2 from their 12 overs, that set Clifton a target of 44 (5 runs are added to the start of the batting team’s total for every wicket they take when bowling) to win our first ever match.
It was neck and neck throughout the chase, but when we lost a wicket with 4 balls to go leaving us needing 9 runs off the last 3 balls, it looked an impossible task.
A quick single then a frantically run two meant it was 6 needed off the last ball to win the game. So up stepped Evie to smash the ball into all the wildly celebrating parents and grandparents for 6. An incredible finish to a fantastic day.
I’m sure on Friday night that we’ll be getting asked over and over again when the next Festival is, so I better get us signed up to do it all again in a few weeks time…..
The smiles on the girl's faces throughout the whole afternoon told in an instant just how much they enjoyed it, so a thank you from us to all of their parents and grandparents for bringing them along to Clifton to start their cricketing life with our wonderful club.
Girls cricket at Clifton is looking very promising indeed!
Paul & Megan
Club Rules Update
We’ve recently completed a full review and update of the Club Rules.
The updates focus on improving clarity, removing outdated provisions, and ensuring the Rules properly reflect how the Club operates today. We have also strengthened certain areas of governance to make roles and responsibilities clearer and to support the Club’s long-term stability.
There are no changes to the spirit or values of the Club; this is about making sure our foundations are clear, consistent and fit for the future.
The updated Rules are now available to view here:
CLUB RULES
Thank you for your continued support of our club.
Match Ball Sponsorship 2026
🏏 MATCH BALL SPONSORSHIP– NOW LIVE AT CLIFTON CRICKET CLUB 🏏
The season is nearly here… now we need your support 💛
Our Match Ball Sponsorship for the 2026 season is officially up and running, and it’s a brilliant way to personally back the club or promote your business (or simply supporting your team!).
💥 Senior Matches – £30
✔ Great value
✔ Deals available when you sponsor multiple games
✔ And yes… there could be cake involved 🍰😉
🌟 Junior Matches – Just£20
✔ An absolute bargain and a fantastic way to support the future of Clifton Cricket Club.
When you sponsor a match ball you are helping us:
• Support all senior & junior cricket
• Maintain our facilities
• Invest in the next generation
• Keep cricket thriving in our community
It is simple, affordable, and makes a real difference. If you have been thinking about getting involved, now’s the time.
Whether it’s one game or a few fixtures across the season, we would love to hear from you.
📩 Drop us a message - cliftonccmembership@gmail.com
📞 Speak to a committee member
Let's fill the fixture list and make it a season to remember.
Support your club. Back your team. Sponsor a match ball. 💛
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