NEW MILLS 76 all out & HIGH LANE 65 all out.
In 1995 I was part of the victorious Whaley Bridge XI that beat Birch Vale in a memorable topsy turvy Bissenden Final at New Mills.It was a splendid contest between two mutually respectful teams and the following midweek, I attended a 2-1 defeat for Manchester City at Highfield Road with three of the Birch players.
City were ultimately relegated under Alan Ball so the odds on my next Bissenden appearance at New Mills arriving 26 years later in the role of match umpire, with Manchester City facing a Champions League Final, were almost as remote as the odds on Tom Boardman hitting two massive 6's, or wicket keeper Scott Mills taking two stumpings, or even more bizarre, New Mills boasting a better run rate with 1.9 per over compared with High Lane's 1.85 after 20 Overs of the 2nd Innings
This was actually a crucial landmark, because after fears of bowl outs and the dreaded toss-of-a-coin, it meant that regardless of how the threatening dark clouds ultimately behaved, we were now guaranteed some kind of result
This was a weird, incident-packed cup match, epitomised in the First Over when Scott Mills misjudged the pace of a slow long hop (that almost bounced twice), and paddled the ball straight to Michael McCarthy, who promptly dropped a relative dolly at short cover
The game could only get better, but after Tyler Eislett had bowled Malc Strong, and Millsy had given a grateful McCarthy, a second bite of the cherry, the general sense was reminiscent of the pre Covid days when the interval might arrive before the tea ladies
New Mills never really recovered and were teetering at 51-8 before Boardman unexpectedly exploded for the first time in his life, with a lofty on-drive that bounced off the roof of the white house next to the ground entrance, and then an even bigger premeditated hoik over deep midwicket
The final score of 76 was hardly imposing yet looking at the home bowling options, allied to a slow unpredictable wicket, and a fragile High Lane middle order, the game was undeniably far from over
Ollie Kilner bowled Tyler with a late inswinging ball-of-the-day, and with a heady cocktail of LBW appeals, wildly applauded dives by the crowd favourite Callum Kelly at Cover Point, and a sulking dismissed batsman refusing to remove his pads behind the bowlers arm, it would be an understatement to suggest that you could cut the atmosphere with a knife.
For some reason I'd always assumed that "Chinny" was called Chinniah, but the penny finally dropped that he was actually called Birchenall, and just like Woodley's Danny Kay, I'd actually gone to school with his dad.
Chinny also didn't lack in confidence, and in tandem with Malc Strong it was refreshing to hear original banter that wasn't just incessant chest- thumping garbage that you associate with certain individuals from certain teams
The game was still in the balance, but High Lane needed Cheetham and James McCarthy to stay together, and the writing was on the wall when both players departed, with 20 runs still required and Sam Kilner threatening to take a wicket with every delivery
Boardman took the last wicket with yet another LBW, and New Mills emerged victorious in a low scoring thriller
The Quarter Final awaits for an underrated bowling team, but a harsh lesson for High Lane to never take your foot off the gas
