Midcheshire Independent Issue 190

APRIL 2026 20 LOCAL RUGBY ROUND-UP LOCAL CRICKET ROUND-UP Independent LOCAL SPORT THE countdown is on to the start of Cheshire’s 2026 county cricket campaign. Cheshire will once again compete across three tournaments – with the same match formats as 2025. White ball competitions are split across the KO Trophy (50 overs) and T20s during the first part of the summer, with the red ball championship matches taking place from late July. The season gets underway on April 26, with Cheshire in KO Trophy Group One competing with Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Shropshire, and Cumbria. The top two in the group will progress to the quarter final stage. There are two long away trips in the championship with three-day games against Dorset and Cornwall, while the county will host Shropshire andWales NC. Worktowardsthestartoftheseasonisunderway with the county’s nets sessions up and running at Total Sport in Ashton-under-Lyne. Planning is well underway ahead of the first game in the 50-over Trophy at Peterborough – despite some of the players still overseas. MORE than 2,100 runners laced up their trainers for the annual HSW Solic- itors Nantwich 10K as the popular road race returned to the town in dry and mild spring conditions. T h e 6 . 2 - m i l e event, organised by RunThrough , saw competitors of all ages and abilities take on the closed-road course, start- ing and finishing close to Nantwich town square, with spectators lining the route to cheer them on. The wheelchair race was dominated by Joshua Landmann of Wesham Road Runners, who crossed the line in an impressive 27:54. Landmann is a member of the British Triathlon Paralympic World Class Programme and is aim- ing to qualify for the 2028 Paralympic Games. In the men’s race, Andrew Miles of Vale Royal AC claimed vic- tory in 32:33, while Sarah Brown secured the women’s title with a winning time of 36:35. All finishers received a specially designed com- memorative medal, a goody bag and an official chipped time. Full results are available on the Run- Through website. This year’s event sup- ported The Joshua Tree, a charity dedicated to supporting fami- lies affected by child- hood cancers. A dedicated team of volunteers from Nant- wich Running Club played a key role in ensuring the smooth running of the race, help- ing to deliver a safe and enjoyable experience for all involved. Play-off hopes dented Getting set for the season Record turnout for run Winning runners: Andrew Miles and Sarah Brown en-route to victory Photo credit: JonathanWhite By RHYS FULLERTON SPIRITED Sand- bach made Northern Division – Regional 2 North West league leaders North Rib- blesdale work hard for their win. The visitors ran out 37-22 winners but Sand- bach remain firmly in the play-off hunt with three league games to go The highly antici- pated top-of-the-table clash between first and second lived up to its billing. It was North Ribblesdale’s first ever visit to Bradwall Road, and they handed the Bach their first home loss of the season. Sandbach led at the end of the first half, but the Yorkshire out- fit came out stronger in the second half to see off a spirited home side and take the five points, cementing their position at the top of the table. The Bach dropped down to third, but remain firmly in the playoff hunt. George Cole returned to the home team after an injury, replacing Harry Leese. Cole was on the wing for his first appearance of 2026, with Matt Randle shift- ing to full-back. Meanwhile, Mac- clesfield’s push for a league play-off place suffered a setback on the road as they fell to a 36–14 defeat against Tynedale in difficult, gusty conditions. Despite moments of attacking promise and strong performances in the backline, Maccles- field were ultimately undone by Tynedale’s forward dominance and clinical finishing, particularly during a decisive first half. The result leaves Macclesfield facing a difficult path in the race for the National League 2 North play-offs, there were positives to take from the contest. Director of Rugby Matt Coleridge admit- ted frustration after the match but remained confident in the squad’s ability to respond in the closing weeks of the season. He told the club’s offi- cial website: “This level of rugby is unforgiv- ing – if you don’t take Spirited: Sandbach make league leaders work for win (Photo credit: Josh Randle) your chances, you risk falling behind on the scoreboard and that’s what happened.” Coleridge also pointed to discipline and defen- sive accuracy as key factors. “Our missed tackle and penalty count was too high which just gave them field position too easily, and they were more clinical. Fair play to Tynedale.” Attention now turns to the final five fixtures of the season, with the play-off challenge still mathematically possible. Coleridge said: “We haven’t quite found the mojo we had before Christmas yet. But there are five games left and it’s make or break now. “We have to find some- thing in ourselves in these last few games. I know it’s there within this squad – it’s just a case of clicking at the right time.”