After the drubbing of Cheadle Hulme, Didsbury faced a much sterner examination – away to Alderley Edge. Rumour has it that McCall and Turner were up late the night before plotting tactics and strategy, the like of which hasn’t been seen since the eve of Jardine’s 1932-33 tour to Australia. Their plan – a simple one – juggle the bowlers. On an early saturday morning under the eyes of the wizard, Didsbury’s opening pair of Thomas and Fin went out to bat. This was always going to be an exacting test for the youngsters, but they stuck to their task admirably. In strode Ethan and Edward who began to up the tempo, the latter hooking for four in front of his face to the square leg boundary, mirroring Roy Fredrick’s in Perth against the Australians . At the half way point Didsbury had made 227 against some excellent bowling from the home side. The two Harry’s had managed to move this along to 256 by the time they departed bringing in the final pair, Sam and Alfie. From this beachhead these two launched a ferocious assault on the home team’s bowlers smashing 40 off the last 10 overs and posting a competitive, though surmountable total of 295. As the mercury rose Alderley’s opening pair strode out to bat. The runs flowed freely with Alderley scoring at will, but Didsbury stuck to their task. As the next pair walked out with the run rate down to only 5 an over the wizard’s spell seemed to be working, however, with two Harry’s in the side, Didsbury had enough of their own magic to deploy. Ethan came on for a single over and with a flourish the runs vanished. In between Finn bowled 2 overs, picking up a wicket. Edward then came to the party and produced identical figures on debut. Ethan was brought back into the attack returning figures of 2-0-2-1. Suddenly Alderley had lost all impetus, dazed and confused in the heat of battle. Alfie, unfazed marshalled his troops like Napoleon at the Battle of Austerlitz, employing a predominantly 4-2 leg side field, unlike Alderley’s 3-3 and sensed blood. On came Didsbury’s second wizard – Harry Poole, leaking a paltry 4 runs from his 2 overs. The final pair walked out needing 31 from the last 4 overs – the game was afoot. Except it wasn’t. Sam the third of Didsbury’s left arm triumvirate produced a mercurial spell of 2-0-5-1. Ethan replaced the miserly Alfie behind the stumps, who had conceded only one bye, the latter joining the party with a wicket in his first over. Suddenly, Alderley needed boundaries – 23 off the last over. Not even Adele could turn tables this fast. Out went the field and out went the lights of Alderley. The home side was left dumbstruck, veni, vidi, vici. For Didsbury’s players the drive back up the A34 increasingly resembles victorious legions marching up the Appian Way into Rome. On the way home, McCall's voice was heard to crackle through the airwaves..."Beautiful, beautiful...".