Meller Braggins Cheshire League results:

First Division:

Alvanley 242-7 Prestbury 127, Ashton on Mersey 110 Northwich 155-8 dec, Birkenhead Park 111-6 Weaverham 235-8 dec, Davenham 154-9 dec. Oakmere 83, Runcorn 158 Ashley 158-9, Trafford MV 120 Hale Barns 109.

Fixtures for Saturday (1.30 pm)

Ashley v Davenham, Hale Barns v Ashton on Mersey, Northwich v Alvanley, Oakmere v Trafford MV, Prestbury v Birkenhead Park, Weaverham v Runcorn.

Red Insure T20 latest

LAST season’s defeated finalists Didsbury have joined Stockport in the second round of the RedInsure T20 for the Fred Graham Trophy. Didsbury beat Heaton Mersey to qualify for a home tie against Marple.

STOCKPORT GEORGIANS v STOCKPORT (won toss) played on Sunday, April 17.

Stockport 122-8 (20 overs: G. Barber 48, A. Hope 25); Stockport Georgians 86 (18 overs: J. Leggett 29, M.

Green 3-27. Stockport won by 36 runs DIDSBURY v HEATON MERSEY, played on Thursday, April 21.

Heaton Mersey 90-9 (17 overs: J. Fawcett 3-15); Didsbury 91-0 (12.2 overs: Gregory 53no, G. Dixon 31no). Didsbury won by 10 wickets. .

CHEADLE v MACCLESFIELD is to be played on Sunday (1pm).

Second round games to be played by Sunday, May 15: Didsbury v Marple, Toft v Urmston, Bramhall v Brooklands, Bowdon v Timperley, Cheadle or Macclesfield v Alderley Edge, Stockport v Hyde, Poynton v Cheadle Hulme, Bollington v Bredbury St. Mark’s, Mobberley v Nantwich, Malpas v Sale, Congleton v Oulton Park, Middlewich v Grappenhall, Oxton v Irby, Tattenhall v Neston, Widnes v Chester Boughton Hall (holders), Warrington v Upton.

Third round games must be played by June 26th and quarter-finals by July 17th with the semi-finals and finals on Sunday, July 31st at Warrington.

Although clubs have until mid-May to play their second round games, they are urged to make arrangements without delay. When agreed, the dates should be notified to Competition co ordinator Jon Hacking tel. 01244 814 110 or by e- mail at jhacking@gmail.com

In Brief

* NANTWICH’s Australian Overseas player Glen Batticciotto was given League sanction to act as stand-in professional for Nelson in the Lancashire League on Sunday. Following a new rule introduced in 2010, players are free to play in other leagues as long as permission is first sought.

* ALDERLEY EDGE batsman Richard Wilkinson joint top-scored with 56 runs when MCC lost to Scotland by six wickets at Lord’s on Thursday, April 21st. Ex-Gloucestershire and England batsman Mark Alleyne also scored 56.

* PLAYERS moving into the League or switching clubs within the League need formal transfers, principally to check that they have no disciplinary or financial commitments to their former clubs. The appropriate transfer forms are available from the Competition secretary.

* NUMBERS and names must not appear on the back of players’ shirts at all levels of adult cricket. This edict does not apply to junior cricket.

* CLUBS wishing to vary scheduled starting times or alter fixtures should obtain the agreement of their opponents on the day and notify the League via the respective Results secretaries: 1st XI and Over40s cricket - Mike Talbot-Butler; 2nd XI cricket - Ian Sharrock; ALL 3rd, 4th, 5th XI cricket - Peter Lawson.

* MOBBERLEY have agreed a 20 years lease of a plot of National Trust land at the church end of their ground to store their nets, which will also provide additional car-parking space. .

* FOLLOWING the ever-increasing price of petrol, the Management committee have agreed increases in umpires’ expenses to the following: Premier League up from £36 to £38; First and Second Division £33 to £35; T20 games £20 to £25. Cheshire Cup and Shield expenses will rise from £30 to £32 * CONTRARY to advice in Winter Newsletters, Neil Fairbrother will not be playing for Grappenhall on their return to the ECB Premier League. Neil has decided to spend his summer watching others.

* PAUL BEDFORD, head of ECB recreational cricket, a regular Newsletter reader, mails to say he is pleased to read that four County League clubs – Chester Boughton Hall, Heaton Mersey, Malpas and Poynton – will be using electronic scoring this season. He also congratulates Darrin Clark and Gary Dixon on their London Marathon fund- raising efforts.

National Club championship

FIRST round games in the ECB National Club championship have to be completed by Sunday, May 8th.

Draw, Group 2: Alfreton v Wickersley Village; Hanging Heaton v East Bierley; Reversley v Chesterfield; New Farnley v Townville; Bamford Fieldhouse v Treeton; Wollaton v HYDE; Doncaster Town v Papplewick & Linby; Mansfield Colliery Mills v Elsecar.

Group 6: Heaton v CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL; Farnworth Social Circle v Blackpool; Prestwich v Chorley; Blackrod v Wallasey; Kearsley v Colwyn Bay; Rode Green v New Brighton; Kendal v Egerton; Darwen v NESTON Group 7: Fordhouses v Leek; Audley v GRAPPENHALL; Wombourne v Himley; ALDERLEY EDGE v Lullington Park (umpirers T. Burnett & J. Lofthouse); NANTWICH v BOWDON (umpires B. Burns & S. Walton); Walsall v Walmley; Smethwick v Hucknall; BOLLINGTON v Moddershall (umpires P. Prince & C. Smith).

Cheshire open at Neston

WITH Marple’s Andrew Hall in charge, Cheshire take on Cumberland at Neston on Sunday, May 1st in their opening Minor Counties Knock out Cup game (11 a.m.).

Development squad in action

THE Cheshire Development squad are in early action against Lancashire 2nd XI at Toft on Wednesday, April 27th, and at St. George’s Oval, Westhoughton on (Wedding Day) Friday, April 29th (both 11.30 a.m.).

Both squads are entirely composed of players from the County League. At Toft: Jonny Kettle wicket-keeper and captain, Alex Matthews (Nantwich), Nick Anderson, Greg Dixon (Didsbury), Dan Cranmer (Hyde), Ross Dixon (Oxton), Dan Halkon (Sale), Ollie Law, Jordan Clark (Chester); Khalid Sawas, Ian Tait (Macclesfield), AN Other.

At Westhoughton: Adam Worrall wicket-keeper and captain (Alderley Edge), Nick Anderson, Jonny Fawcett (Didsbury), Mark Bennett (Heaton Mersey), Danny Berry, Danny Cranmer (Hyde), Lee Dixon (Oxton), Danny Halkon (Sale), James Hawley (Neston), Luke McCoy (Grappenhall), Calum Rowe (Bollington), Adam Syddall (Urmston).

Team manager is Steve Amison and coach Chris Murphy.

Over Fifties’ friendlies

CHESHIRE Over Fifties open with two friendly matches, at Parkfield Liscard on Wednesday, May 4 and Notts at Cuckney on Wednesday, May 11.

National 50 Plus Championship games begin against Yorkshire at Grappenhall on Wednesday, May 25 Team manger is again Paul Freedman, while the new captain is ex-Oulton Park player Andy McIlroy.

Sixties to meet Aussies

HIGHLIGHT of Cheshire Over 60s programme will be a match at Chester Boughton Hall on Tuesday, August 16 against Australia Over 60s.

Winners of the National Over 60s championship in 2010, Cheshire begin their defence of the trophy against Derbyshire at Marple on Tuesday, May 10. Captain and manager of the Cheshire team is again Andy Hurworth.

Thirty Overseas players now registered

A TOTAL of 30 OVERSEAS players had been cleared to play in the League up to April 24th.

Further applications can be accepted up to Friday each week for players required to play on a Saturday. The limit date for registering an Overseas player is May 31st.

ALDERLEY EDGE: Jason Roodt, South African all-rounder. Plays for Old Parks in Gautang provincial cricket and for Frome in West of England premier league in 2010 scored 342 runs at 31 and took 11 wickets at 36.

BOLLINGTON: Tom Groth, Australian wicket-keeper-batsman. Plays in NSW Country districts.

BOWDON: Brett Forsyth, Australian batsman. Plays for Victoria 2nd XI and Prahran in Melbourne premier grade.

BRAMHALL: Sean O’Neill, Australian batsman. Plays for Thomson in Geelong grade cricket.

BREDBURY ST. MARK’s. Peter Zybrands, Australia batsman, continues for further season. Has lived in UK for almost two years, having married and settled here.

BROOKLSANDS: Mazahir Rangwala, Indian fast bowler. Plays good standard club cricket for Paramount, Combined CC, Islam Gymkhana, Blue Hreaven, Nationals.

CHEADLE: Fletcher Stewart, Australian all-rounder (from May 17th).. Plays for Fitzroy Doncaster in Victoria premier League.

CHEADLE HULME: Liam Scammell, Australian all-rounder, 21. Plays for Lavington Panthers in top NSW Albury Wodonga grade and is ex-Australian Capital Territories U17 and U19.

CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL: Daron Cruikshank, Trinidad all-rounder for whom he has played first-class cricket. Played at Christleton in 2007-8, Chester in 2009 and St. Helens Recs. in 2010. Figured in Melbourne grade cricket last winter.

CONGLETON: Desmond O’Sullivan, Australian all-rounder. Plays in Victoria premier grade with St. Kilda.

DIDSBURY: Australian batsman. Plays first grade for Northern Suburbs, Brisbane. Was in Queensland Under 19s XI in 2009.

HYDE: Corey Rutgers, Australian batsman. Plays for Club Ocean Ridge in Perth first grade.

MALPAS: Nalaka Eranda, Sri Lankan all-rounder. Plays for Nugedoda, one of country’s premier clubs, captain in 2010.

MARPLE: Dominic Michael, Australian all-rounder. Was leading run-scorer with 411 for Northern Suburbs in top Brisbane grade in 2010-11, scoring 758 runs previous season when he won Peter Burge Medal. Was Division 2 Player of Year with Marple in 2009 with 1,000 runs and 26 wickets.

MIDDLEWICH: Darryn Busch, Australian batsman. Plays for Cragieburn in Victoria Turf Association. Ex-Chelford and Aston (Meller Braggins CL). .

MOBBERLEY: Mark Lehman. Australia fast bowler. Queensland first grade and SE Queensland Country XI.

NANTWICH: Glen Batticciotto, Australian batsman. Played for Nantwich in 2009, scoring 640 runs in 10 innings including three centuries, returning home to take up firstclass contract with Queensland; last first class appearance February, 2010. Has also played for Australia under 19s and currently in top Brisbane grade.

NESTON: Luke Pavlinovich. Australian batsman. Plays in Perth second grade for Swan Athletic with brother Luke, who appeared for Neston in 2009.

OXTON: Gayan Fernando, Sri Lankan all-rounder. Former professional in Sri Lankan cricket and for Wath in South Yorks League.

POYNTON: Rhys Burke, Australian all-rounder. Plays for Geelong in Victoria CA first grade. Returning for second season UPTON: Armand Strydom. South African all-rounder. Plays for Merafong City in North-West Gauteng premier League URMSTON: Jay Dyball, Australian all-rounder. Plays for Hawksbury in Sydney first grade; ex-Australia Under 15s and NSW Under 19s.

SALE: Andrew Michael. Australian all-rounder. Captains Northern Surburbs in Brisbane first grade. Played for Ashtead in Surrey championship in 2010. Brother of Marple’s Dominic Michael STOCKPORT: Rodney Charles, Indian all-rounder. Plays for Collage CC in Delhi premier provincial cricket.

STOCKPORT GEORGIANS: Paul Wilson, Australian bowler. Plays for East Ivanhoe in Melbourne grade cricket.

TATTENHALL: Mark Hyslop. New Zealand all-rounder. Plays for Petone in North Island senior grade. Has played in Cornwall and Derbyshire leagues.

TIMPERLEY: Connor Neynens, New Zealand all-rounder, aged 17. Plays for Nelson in Central Districts and is in current NZ Under 19s squad TOFT: Aaron Sayers, Australian all-rounder. Played for South Australia 2nd XI in 2007. Senior grade player for Clifton Alliance.

WARRINGTON: Andrew Martel. Australian off-spinner, aged 23. Plays for South Brisbane in senior grade; ex- Queensland youth squad. Available from weeks 2 to 21.

WIDNES: Narender Singh Negri. Indian all-rounder. Has played provincial cricket for Delhi and Haryana. Also for Wavertree in Merseyside Competition. Level 2 UK coach.

OVERSEAS EXEMPT (more than two years and less than four years’ UK residence):

Bollington: Muhammed Jahangir; Bramhall: Andrew Robertson; Bredbury St. Mark’s: Peter Zybrands; Brooklands: Malkin Singh; Christleton: Iftikhar Naseer; Malpas: Maneesha Nissanka; Neston: Jack Smith; Timperley: Mustafa Bashir; Upton: Andrew Cruice.

England Legends at Grappenhall

GRAPPENHALL are preparing for the largest crowd in their history on Bank Holiday Tuesday, August 30th when they will host an England Legends XI in a T20 match .

Big names lined up to appear are Freddie Flintoff, Michael Vaughan, Michael Atherton, Graham Hick, Ronnie Iranni, with Wasim Akram and Muttiah Muralitheran strenghening a Grappenhall XI.

Tickets go on sale on Tuesday, April 26th at the rate of £20 for admission to special stands and £15 for the ground (£10 for under 16s).These can be bought over the bar or by writing to or e-mailing the club.

Secretary Paul Tyerman says further information can be obtained by contacting info@grappers.com