STRETFORD Cricket Club's first and second teams kicked off the new season in winning fashion at the weekend.

The first team were away to Dukinfield in Greater Manchester Cricket League Division One and batted first.

The early overs were difficult and at 34-4 it was looking bad for Stretford.

West Indian Oral Rankine batted sensibly to pull the innings together, scoring 52 in the process.

He was well supported by Sean Chamberlain (23) and Brad Holmes (29 not out) as the innings finished on 173 all out with six overs to spare.

The Dukinfield innings began as badly as Stretford's with left-arm seamer Benji Evans picking up early wickets and bowling well with figures of 2-13, while Ahmad Muhammad bowled tidily with 2-39.

Captain Karl Taylor kept the innings in check with 1-37.

With Dukinfield's Sri Lankan in and a partnership of 43 the game was in danger of swinging away from Stretford.

But the extreme pace of Rankine saw him pick up 3-38 and Dukinfield were all out for 133 – a 40-run victory a great start for the first team.

Meanwhile, Failsworth Macedonia won the toss and batted against the seconds at Lesley Road.

New boys Sajid Imam (2-12) and Alex Bowman bowled well and the early scoring was slow.

After a couple of expensive overs, Mark Stamper entered the attack and slowly turned the screw as the innings closed on 125 all out, Stamper finishing with 6-18. 

The Stretford reply could not have started any worse as Nagdee was bowled second ball.

Then 14-year-old Alfie Stamper batted sensibly, scoring 24, but it was captain Ben Riddell who took the attack to Failsworth, with 53 not out who led the team home, and he was ably assisted by 16-year-old Joe Weems as the hosts won by six wickets.

On Sunday, a young Stretford first team played Wallasey from the Liverpool Competition Premier Division in the ECB National Knockout cup.

Batting first Wallasey struggled against excellent bowling from Evans (3-30) and Muhammad (3-21) but they recovered well and finished on 163-9.

Alex Grant (2-44), Taylor (1-24) and Brad Holmes (0-39) all bowled well.

Stretford's reply started well with 13-year-old George Bell scoring a patient 39 ably assisted by Adrian Holmes (32). Veteran Jason Stringer scored 23 but the Stretford batting dramatically collapsed from 135-5 to 162 all out, losing by just one run.        

On Saturday the first team are at home to Denton, while on Sunday the second team are at home to Greenfield thirds.

The Stretford Spitfires play Deane and Derby away in the cup on the same day.