On a picture-perfect day at Manchester Road, Clifton CC 1st XI registered an excellent and hard-earned victory over Flixton C&SC 1st XI, showcasing discipline with the ball and flashes of grit with the bat in a game that had the crowd on edge as the finish line approached.
Having won the toss, Clifton opted to bat on a glorious surface, but once again their innings was defined by a patient start and a faltering middle order. Openers Matt Van Dyk (9) and Jack Stanley (33) got things moving, with Stanley grinding through 47 deliveries before falling to a sharp return catch from ex Clifton Pro, Gareth Cross. Current Pro, Sam Dorsey also dug in for 34 off 75 balls, anchoring the innings during a slow middle phase.
The middle order again struggled to convert, losing wickets in clusters. The only standout came from Ben Hamilton, whose composed 38 was crucial in pushing Clifton toward a competitive score. However, Clifton lost their final six wickets for just 57 runs, slumping to 165 all out in 43.5 overs. Beckford was the chief destroyer for Flixton, claiming 5-28 in a tight and probing spell.
With the bat, Flixton never quite settled. Clifton’s new-ball pairing of Danny Higham and Oliver Sleight kept things miserably tight early on. Higham’s 9 over spell yielded 2-19 and four maidens - pure control - while Sleight dried up runs from the other end and removed the dangerous Oakley to finish with 1-41.
The middle overs belonged to Ben Hamilton. Fresh from his key contribution with the bat, Hamilton ripped through Flixton’s lineup with a terrific spell of 5-27. His wickets came at key moments, ensuring that Flixton never quite broke free. Despite a brave 28 from Beckford and a few late boundaries from Cheetham, Flixton were gradually strangled out of the game.
Still, with wickets in hand and the score ticking closer to the target, the home crowd was visibly edgy as the chase reached 120-9. But Hamilton returned to have Phillips bowled, sealing a 29 run win for Clifton with 11.4 overs remaining.
It was a match that underlined Clifton’s bowling depth and discipline. While the batting continues to misfire in patches - particularly the middle order - the side’s resilience and team effort delivered a fine win.