CDS Controls Talbot Cup Round 1.
Cheadle vs Bignall End.
Bignall End won by 3 runs.
The Talbot Cup begins this weekend, and I’m off to the lovely Tean Road ground to watch two sides who are going well in their respective divisions.
Cheadle are flying high in Premier B as they look to return to the top division for the first time since 2024. Their victory over Hem Heath 2’s took them up to 2nd place in Premier B on Saturday. James Sellers has been at the forefront for them this season. He’s taken 26 wickets @ 14.73. William Dobbie has supported him well with 25 wickets @ 11.76 as they’ve looked strong with the ball in hand so far this summer. They’ve also got home advantage for this clash.
Bignall End are going well in Division 1 as they look to make an immediate return to Premier B following their relegation at the end of last season. Leo Francisco has accrued 410 runs with three 50s at an average of 58.57 as he’s been impressive with the bat. Liam Hassett has backed him up with 25 wickets @ 16.44 as he’s had a fine summer so far.
This match should be a good contest, as the two teams are in good form and will want to have a strong cup run to back up their league form.
Bignall End won the toss and elected to bat first in warm but breezy conditions. Ahsam Zaroof cut the second ball of the match to the point boundary before Will Dobbie trapped him LBW with the next delivery as Cheadle made the perfect start. Faizan Zaroof nicked Sam Akram through a vacant second slip and away to the third man boundary. He was then spectacularly caught one-handed by Dobbie at short cover as he looked to drive Akram to the cover fence from the next ball. His dismissal left Bignall End 17 in the 6th over.
Rohan Hesketh drove Ryan Elwell sweetly through the covers for his first boundary in the 7th over before he ran him to the third man fence as 8 runs came from the over. Akram claimed his second wicket when he trapped Hesketh LBW in the next over, when he tried to work a ball through the legside as the visitors fell to 34/3. Leo Francisco drove the first ball of the 10th over back past the bowler for his first boundary. George Harding drove powerfully past mid-on for another boundary to round out the powerplay with the score on 44/3.
Jack Winfield trapped Harding LBW in the next over as the visitors lost their 4th wicket with only 47 on the board. The home side were bowling very well and causing the Bignall End batsmen plenty of problems. Niall Hassett got off the mark when he nicked Winfield past the diving Matt Goodwin at slip when he attempted a big drive in the 13th over. Francisco survived a big appeal for LBW when he was trapped on the crease by Winfield in the 15th over. Another appeal was turned down when he attempted a big sweep from the final ball. Bignall End reached 56/4 at the first drinks break, and they have plenty of work to do if they’re going to post a competitive total.
Hassett chopped Winfield behind point for his second boundary in the 17th over. He smashed a Louie Welford full toss through the legside for another boundary in the next over. Francisco cut Winfield through point for back-to-back boundaries in the next over as he moved to 33*. A third boundary came from the over when he helped a log hop, past short third man. Bignall End had added 26 runs in 4 overs since the drinks break as the 5th wicket stand began to grow. Hassett slog swept Welford for the day’s first maximum in the 24th over before Francisco drove a full toss to the cover fence for his 5th boundary as the score moved to 111/4 at the end of the over.
Elwell returned to break the partnership when Francisco nicked through to keeper Ben Mellor for 47 in the 26th over. The 5th-wicket stand was worth 68 and was really starting to look dangerous, so it was an important wicket for the home side. Hassett pulled a short ball from Oliver Stokes behind square for his 4th boundary as he moved to 35*. Bignall End reached 132/5 after 30 overs, when drinks came on for the second time. They’d had the better of the last 15 overs and were on target for a score around the 200 mark.
A splendid extra cover drive from Hassett off Winfield brought him another boundary before the left-hander lifted him over mid-off to make it consecutive boundaries. A push into the offside from the final ball took him to a well-made 50 from 63 balls with six 4s and a six. Jacob Maskrey clipped Akram neatly through mid-wicket for a boundary in the 33rd over as the score moved to 159/5. Maskery and Hassett continued to accumulate, with good running between the wickets to move the visitors to 177/5 with 4 overs remaining.
Maskery drove Winfield through the covers for his second boundary in the 37th over. He was then caught on the long-on boundary by Goodwin in the next over for 22 off the bowling of Stokes as Bignall End lost their 6th wicket with 187 on the board. Hassett and Maskery added a very important 72 as the visitors continued to make their way towards 200. Hamid Ali flicked his first ball to the deep square leg fence to end the over. A towering six from Hassett in the penultimate over took Bignall End past the 200 mark. Asad Arif hit a Stokes full toss to the mid-wicket boundary in the final over before he scrambled a two into the legside and a single followed before Stokes finished with a dot as Bignall End closed on 213/7 from their 40 overs.
Hassett finished unbeaten on 81 from 94 balls with six 4s and two 6s as he held the visitors’ innings together and got his side up to a competitive total. Stokes finished with 2/24 from 4 overs, and Akram picked up 2/46 from his 8 overs as the Cheadle bowlers toiled well in the heat.
Ali Khan cut Hesketh over point before clipping him past short fine leg as he scored back-to-back boundaries in the 2nd over. Elwell nicked Hamid Ali through the vacant second slip and away to the third man boundary as Cheadle moved to 18/0 after 3 overs. A lovely chip through mid-wicket brought Khan his 3rd boundary in the 4th over when Hesketh strayed onto his pads. Elwell aimed a big drive at Ali in the next over but could only edge between the slip and short third man for his second boundary. He clipped Ali over mid-wicket for the second boundary of the over. A fine lofted extra cover drive rounded out an expensive over as Cheadle raced to 36/0 after 5 overs.
Khan cut Arif through the covers for his 4th boundary in the 7th over as the score continued to rattle along. A flick through mid-wicket brought Elwell his 5th boundary in the next over as the score moved to 57/0, as the visitors’ bowling attack was struggling for control in the powerplay. Elwell square drove another boundary in the 9th over as he moved to 30*. A fine cut stroke in the next over brought him his 7th boundary and moved the score to 69/0. Cheadle ended the powerplay on 74/0 as their strong start continued.
A pull to the fine leg fence took Elwell to 41* before he crunched a drive through the covers once again for his 2nd boundary of the over. A cut past point took him to a well-deserved 50 in the 13th over. It had come from 44 balls with ten firmly struck boundaries. Elwell continued his boundary hitting when he cut Ahsam Zaroof to the cover fence for his 11th boundary. A fine extra cover drive followed in the next over as he moved to 63*. Cheadle raced to 107/0 at the first drinks break.
Khan drove Zaroof through the covers as he moved to 39* in the 18th over. Cheadle now required just 90 for victory with 22 overs remaining. Another splendid drive through the covers from Elwell followed in the next over as Cheadle continued to cruise to victory. Elwell’s fine innings was ended on 73 when he nicked through to keeper Francisco off the bowling of Zaroof in the 22nd over to leave Cheadle 136/1. Elwell struck 13 fours in his run-a-ball knock.
Harry Bonehill drove the final ball of the over to the cover boundary as he got off the mark in style. He was caught at cover in the next over when he got a leading edge off Harding as he looked to work the ball into the legside. A fine sweep off Zaroof took Khan to his 50 in the 24th over. It had come in 58 balls, and it contained five 4s. Khan struck Harding for back-to-back boundaries in the 27th over when he first drove a full ball through the covers before pulling a short ball through mid-wicket. Goodwin then drove Zaroof over extra cover to move the score to 161/2 before he was well caught by Maskery at mid-off to give Zaroof his second wicket.
Liam Hassett trapped Jon Evans LBW in the 30th over to leave Cheadle 163/4 as drinks came onto the field for the second. Khan was unbeaten on 63, and he will hold the key if the home side want to win this match. If he’s still there at the end of the match, they’ll win. Cheadle have now lost 3 wickets for 27 after the dismissal of Elwell. They only require one more substantial partnership to get them over the line in this match. Bignall End know though, if they can remove Khan, they’ll be in with a great chance of an unlikely victory.
Dobbie chipped Ali to Niall Hassett at cover as Cheadle fell to 164/5 in the 31st over. Bignall End continued to squeeze well as only 4 runs came from 2 overs before Khan struck Ali through the covers for a boundary to start the 35th over. Cheadle required 36 from the final 30 balls for victory, with Khan well set on 74*. A late cut from Khan ran away to the third man fence in the 36th over to move the score to 183/5. A single and a bye followed to leave the home side needing 27 from 24 balls.
Welford was well caught by Maskery at mid-wicket off Ali in the next over to leave Cheadle needing 26 from 22 balls with 4 wickets in hand. A gift from Ali then followed when he bowled five wides before conceding two singles to end the over. The home side now wanted 19 from the final 18 balls. Hassett started the 38th over with 3 dot balls before a Khan back cut ran away to the third man boundary. A single followed from the next ball before Hassett finished the over with a dot ball. Cheadle now required 14 from the last 2 overs.
Ali started with a dot ball before Khan lifted him down the ground for a straight 6 from the next ball. A dot ball then followed before Khan nudged a single into the leg side to leave Mellor facing the final two deliveries of the over. He attempted a reverse sweep from the first but couldn’t make any contact before he hit the second straight back to Ali for another dot. Cheadle now required 7 from the final 6 balls.
Liam Hassett bowled Khan for 93 with the first ball of the over as he attempted to work the ball into the leg side. The new batsman, Akram, got a single to short third man from the next ball to leave 6 needed from 4 balls. Hassett then bowled another dot before Mellor got a single with a drive to extra cover. Akram then scampered a two into the leg side to leave 3 needed from 1 ball. Drama then unfolded as Bignall Ends first innings score was adjusted from 212 to 213. This adjustment was correct as they had, in fact, closed the first innings on 213/7, but the first innings total read 212 all the way through the Cheadle innings. A lengthy discussion between the captains and umpires then followed with regard to the adjustment of the total. The target stayed at 214, and Akram was then stumped off the final ball by Francisco to give Bignall End victory by just 3 runs and complete a remarkable turnaround in this match.
Cheadle were absolutely dominating this game. They were cruising at 136/0 before Elwell was dismissed. They then lost 8/74 as the Bignall End bowlers fought back brilliantly. Hassett was tremendous at the death and finished with figures of 3/23. Zaroof picked up 2/39, and Ali chipped in with 2/43 as they helped to pull off a remarkable victory.
I’m not sure how to comment on the score adjustment at the end of the match, but between the umpires and the scorers, it probably should have been picked up before the final ball of the innings.
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