1 day Ago
Timperley Cricket Club batsman Jamie Matthews is heading Down Under to further his cricketing education. The 21-year-old former Wellington School sixth former, who went to university in Liverpool, has been doing a part-time gardening job to help fund his six-month Aussie trip. He’s been signed by South Perth Cricket Club - and will be immediately looking for a job when he lands after his 19-hour flight next week.
Timperley firsts skipper Ed Galley said: “He’ll massively enjoy the experience and it will be great for us, as it will only improve his cricketing skills when he returns.” It was low key end of the season for the firsts - not least for Matthews, who scored seven and was hit for six from his one ball at the end as Neston easily triumphed in front of a bumper crowd at the Stockport Road ground. Galley was pleased, however, the team finished their campaign in a more than respectable eighth place - and most importantly securing another season at the pinnacle of Cheshire cricket.
Neston, who desperately needed to win to secure safety, had to chase down Timperley’s 186. Galley said: “The lads grafted to a more than competitive score, courtesy mainly from Jonathan Fletcher, who made a very well-earned 58. “In response, we unfortunately couldn’t keep hold of our chances and were unlucky for long periods not to take more wickets as Neston eventually cruised to their target.
“All in all, the season should be viewed as a successful one for the team having stayed up in our first year back in the Prem. “This season has provided valuable experience, especially for the youngsters playing at this high level for the first time. “Next year we’ll look to build on this and, hopefully, show further improvement as a side which we’re certainly capable of.
“A special mention goes to Jonathan Fowler, who finished as the third leading wicket-taker in the league with 44 scalps.” Meanwhile, second-team skipper, Shahnawaz Khan, was all smiles despite a poor batting display of 71 all out in their shock defeat at Alvanley. Khan said: “After securing our promotion last week, we did not allow this result to cause us too much stress.
I want to express my sincere appreciation to everyone for the fantastic journey we have had this season. “Leading such an exceptional group of seniors and teenage players has been an absolute pleasure, and every single one of us should be extremely proud of both the spirit in which we played our cricket and our performances. I thoroughly relished this season, and it’s incredibly inspiring to witness the progress of the young lads as they mature, both as individuals and as cricketers.
“Players such as Dylan Parekh, Jamie Spencer, Jaskaran Cheema, Aryan Dash, Rohan Parmar, Muhammad Haris and Murtaza Khan make me immensely proud.”.
