DESPITE getting off to an absolutely perfect start, Wilmslow Cricket Club’s first XI could not get themselves back on the winning track on Saturday.

Skipper Lloyd Sykes won the toss and having put the visitors into bat, Ollie Warner took a wicket with his very first ball of the match.

Tom Rowe picked up the second wicket shortly afterwards, but a big third-wicket partnership set the hosts on course for a big total.

Wilmslow plugged away despite losing Jegadeeshwaran Narayanan just three balls into his spell, with Jayam Patel claiming three wickets after taking over from him.

Warner also ended up with three wickets and Jake Woodhouse restricted the runs, with Ashley closing on 197-8 after their 40 overs.

Unfortunately, however, the Squirrels could not start their run chase in the same explosive manner as they began their bowling performance.

They found runs hard to come by and after losing a few quick wickets, they found themselves on the back foot.

Narayanan top-scored with 22 but was one of only four players to reach double figures as Wilmslow were dismissed for 100 to fall to a 97-run defeat and make it back-to-back losses.

The seconds hosted their Ashley counterparts at the Rectory Field but ran into similar batting struggles after being put in by their visitors having lost the toss.

Openers Simon Oakley and Jamie Cairns got Wilmslow off to a solid start but the former’s score of 26 ended up being the hosts’ highest.

They were dismissed for 113, but the bowlers fought back after Ashley too had started their innings well.

Wilmslow shared the wickets around as the visitors faltered before eventually closing out a two-wicket victory.

Meanwhile, bad weather put paid to the Sunday XI’s first game of the season against Urmston.

Attention now turns to Saturday as the firsts welcome Cheadle Hulme to the Rectory Field while the seconds make the trip to Timperley.

Both matches get underway at 12.30pm.