Cricket at the Flacca at last

Sunday 26th July 2020.... a date that would go down in the history books.

The first home game of the season, Liverpool completing another victory in the Premier League, Stuart Broad running riot at Old Trafford with the Dukes ball, but the biggest sporting story of the day would come from a small Cheshire village called Tattenhall.

There have been many great cricket captains over the year. Brearley, Hussain, Vaughan, Strauss, Cook. Today was the day another superstar was born.

John Frederick Cheshire.

His first game as captain of Tattenhall 1st XI would see the visit of Halkyn to the Flacca in the first game of this year's National Village Cup.

The maths was simple, 7 wins would take us to the pinnacle of any club cricketer's career, a date at Lords. 8 wins would see us lift the trophy.

Cheshire's reign got off to a tough start, losing the toss and Tattenhall being invited to make use of a superb looking track.

First ball. Sha-boom.

Ben Cooke smashed the ball straight down to the third man boundary. Electric start, continue at this rate and we would post a respectable 960 in our allotted 40 overs.

Cue the fight back from Halkyn. The openers found their grooves bowling nagging lengths, Cooke departing for 8 with the score on 15.

Sadler then joined the Cricket Club chairman, Jon Beddow, at the crease and slowly but surely began rebuilding. Plenty of singles, patience, neither really being able to find the middle of the bat, but plenty of grit. Beddow fell the ball after reaching his 50, and Sadler soon after for 62.

130 on the board. 7 overs left.

What Ethan Evans lacks in fashion sense he makes up for in talent. Striding out to the crease and effortlessly middling the ball from the start. Evans (17) along with some good striking from Max Harper (29no) ensured Tattenhall posted 178-5.

In response, Sam Stratton let the ball do the talking. 7 overs, 9 runs, 3 wickets and not bowling a single beamer. Hitting a consistent line and length the Halkyn batters struggled to get him and Dan Verity (1-20) off the square.

Dan may have had one relationship end that day but this new opening partnership with Stratton was a thing of beauty.

The skipper brought himself on picking up 1-17 along with his spin twin Dobson, the elder (1-9).

100-6, 10 overs to go. Time for a hero to step up.

Sadler bowled with accuracy, style and plenty of turn. He was rewarded with a first career hat trick, leaving Evans to pick up the final wicket and Tattenhall now only 6 wins from Lords.

Cruelly Dan found out after the game his new bowling relationship with Stratton has to come to a premature end with Sam leaving for work down in Surrey this week. Two break ups in the day and some nasty blisters on his feet but four wickets over the weekend.

Well done captain Cheshire on the win, let's take this momentum into next week's double header