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The Clifton third team juggernaut rolled into the sleepy, picturesque village of Uppermill on Sunday and, for the second week in succession, posted over 250 runs in 100+ margins of victory. It was the former Saddleworth League club's second XI on the receiving end this time and once again it was a teenage centurion that did the damage.

Last week's ton-up terror Dan Jones had to take a back seat after lobbing up a 'catch me' in the second over, leaving Owen Hogben to show his pedigree, guiding him to a first senior 100 in partnerships of 66 with Ethan Kite (32 off 43 balls) and then with Chris Thorpe who rolled back the years with 70 in just 57 deliveries faced. Owen registered fifteen fours in his 106 not out that was achieved in 121 balls.

After Sam Winstanley racked up a rapid 18, the Clifton faithful were treated to a glimpse of the future, as young Fred Breidenbach, who only achieved the ripe old age of 12 in November, strode to the wicket and looked perfectly comfortable and every inch a senior cricketer as he scored 12no in seven balls as the final daunting total of 274-4 beamed out from the scorebox. 

Centurions Owen and Dan shared another feat in amassing 215 runs without including a single six in both innings. I once overheard future England captain John Crawley's dad telling him that "cricket is a game played along the ground" so the lads are in good company in that respect.

Fred wasn't done there, as he was later to contribute with the ball, but chief tormentor Owen wasn't done either as he followed through with 3-19 with the ball and a sharp, juggled catch off the bowling of Ollie Dunn at slip. All five bowlers captured at least one scalp as Ollie and Oscar grabbed a couple, but the biggest cheer went to Fred as be took the first of what will almost certainly be many career wickets, towards the end of the contest.

It was a day that neither Owen nor Fred, for different reasons, are likely to forget in a hurry as the 100% record remained intact and an eleven-point gap opened to second place, a gap which could become wider still after 2nd placed Werneth visit Manchester Road next week.

Clifton 2nd XI made the trip to picturesque Bradshaw on the final day of the heatwave. The story of the Second XI campaign has often been one of absences, with players regularly stepping up to help the First XI. This weekend was no different. With both the captain and vice-captain unavailable, while Owen and Jordy were away with the First XI v Royton, the question before a ball had even been bowled was simple: who was going to step up?

After losing the toss, stand-in skipper Elliot led his troops into the field on the hottest day of the year so far.

Opening the bowling, Tom Worthington set the tone superbly. His opening spell of seven overs included four maidens and two deserved wickets, while at the other end Sasiraj Pushparajah matched him with some excellent control and found a surprising amount of movement off the pitch. Lewis Keogh then built on that platform brilliantly. Producing a fine display of inswing bowling, he claimed a deserved three wickets and ensured Bradshaw never managed to build any momentum. Further tidy spells from Dan Jones and Sam Winstanley kept the pressure on, with Winstanley removing Bradshaw’s number eight.

With Clifton short of their usual spin options, Elliot turned to his part-time leg spin on a dry surface offering some turn. A caught and bowled with his very first delivery was followed by another wicket as he finished with figures of 2 for 18 to wrap up the innings and get the lads into some much-needed shade.

Oscar Thorpe and Ethan Kite made a composed start to the chase before Thorpe was unfortunate to be bowled by a delivery that did plenty off the surface. Dan Jones then joined Ethan at the crease, with the pair putting together an excellent partnership to put Clifton firmly in control. Ethan continued his fine recent form with a well-made 35 before eventually being dismissed.

From there, Jones took the game away from Bradshaw with a superb 50 from just 36 deliveries. While the strike rate catches the eye, the innings was built on composure and quality rather than brute force, as he manipulated the field, found the gaps with ease and made the chase look straightforward. It was an innings the younger Clifton players watching from the Bradshaw balcony could learn plenty from. Jones eventually fell after using his feet to the spinner and being stumped, but by then the result was all but secured. A short stay at the crease from Sam Winstanley edged Clifton closer before Lewis Keogh needed just one ball to finish the job, crashing it to the boundary.

Overall, it was another excellent afternoon for an extremely young Clifton side featuring no fewer than four Under 15 players. The old saying that “you’ll never win anything with kids” certainly doesn’t seem to apply at Clifton CC.

Results elsewhere also went Clifton’s way, with the Kingfishers climbing to the summit of the table just in time for back-to-back fixtures against the teams currently sitting second and third. Two huge games lie ahead.

Clifton’s impressive run of three consecutive victories came to an end on Saturday as they came up against a strong Royton side on what proved to be a very batter-friendly surface under glorious sunshine.

In conditions where winning the toss carried huge significance, Royton made full use of their advantage by electing to bat first on a flat deck, laying the platform for what was always likely to be a challenging chase.

To Clifton’s credit, there were plenty of positives in the field. The visitors were made to work hard for every partnership, with Clifton continuing to compete and show discipline throughout the innings. Gareth Cross was once again outstanding, producing a miserly spell of 2-50 from 13 overs, maintaining control and asking constant questions of the Royton batters. Ben Hamilton also made a strong impact, claiming 3-66, including a key middle-order burst that helped slow Royton’s momentum just as they threatened to accelerate.

Chasing 262 was always going to require a strong start, and unfortunately Clifton never quite managed to build the partnerships that have underpinned their recent success. There were glimpses of resistance, particularly from Parikh, who battled hard for 33, and Stanley, who showed admirable character to remain unbeaten on 22, continuing to fight despite wickets falling around him.

Royton’s attack found rhythm with the new ball and maintained relentless pressure. Perera (5-25) and Iqbal (4-44) bowled with accuracy and made scoring difficult, capitalising on scoreboard pressure throughout the innings.

While the final margin looks heavy, this result should not overshadow the excellent progress Clifton have made in recent weeks. One difficult afternoon does not define a side, particularly one that has shown the resilience, togetherness and quality this group has displayed during its recent winning run.

With the season now approaching the halfway point, Clifton remain in a strong position and can take confidence from the cricket they have played over the last month.

🔨 Rear Lounge Refurbishment COMPLETE !!

We are pleased to let members know that refurbishment of our rear lounge is complete, an exciting step forward in improving our club facilities for everyone.

The improvements include:
• A new feature wall
• A new trophy cabinet to properly showcase our history and achievements
• New seating to create a more comfortable, welcoming space

This is part of an ongoing project to continually enhance our club for members, players, families and visitors. As a volunteer-led club with strong community roots, every improvement is about creating a space we can all be proud of.

If you’re not yet part of our club, new members are always welcome. Please come and be part of something progressive, inclusive and growing.