With thanks to Tom Evans @ Merseyside Cricket Online (merseysidecricket.com can be supported @ https://buymeacoffee.com/tomevanscricket). This week, we present the Liverpool & District results & round up along with a review of Liverpool District Cricket events.
Reports, reaction & round-up: 12th & 13th July
Game of the weekend: Cockbain cock-a-hoop as Formby end six-year trophy wait on thrilling finals day
Formby are the Love Lane Liverpool Competition’s T20 champions after a finals day which had almost everything – twists, surprises, collapses and thrilling conclusions in glorious sunshine.
Formby celebrate winning the 2025 T20 cup Back l-r Andy Grice (coach), Archie Davies, Ollie Sutton, Jack Carney, Junaid Farooq, Lucas Kennedy, Larry Edward, George Burrows, Kim Miles (scorer) Front l-r Alex Powell, Ian Cockbain (captain), Michael Booth, Tom Billington, Ryan Kennedy
The only thing it lacked was a final to match the drama of the semis, but Ian Cockbain’s side could not care less as they cavorted on the outfield at Northern’s Moor Park.
Just 90 minutes earlier, the outcome seemed unlikely as Rainford’s bowlers completed an excellent day’s work by restricting Formby to 134, the lowest of the day’s five innings at the time.
But Cockbain had seen enough to know how to play this. All day, the six-over power play was the only time when the batters had the upper hand; this time, Formby’s seamers ensured they didn’t even have that.
A fired-up Ollie Sutton’s first over yielded just four runs, none off the bat, and the key wicket of Nihal Desai, who had batted beautifully in the semi.
Junaid Farooq then castled Jimmy Davies with his second ball, and had captain John Dotters held at mid-off with the last ball of the power play – 36/3, and a mountain to climb.
Then it was over to the spinners, in particular St Lucian Larry Edward. He drew one sweep too many from Will Threlkeld in his first over, then bowled Jason Login in his second – celebrating with a dance of relief, having dropped the dangerman early on.
After 12 overs Rainford were 62/5 and falling behind the rate. Paul Farrar slogged Archie Davies for six off the second ball of the 13th, but fell two balls later – it was the last boundary of the day.
The ending came quickly – from 92/7, Edward had Liam Gaskell stumped then trimmed Andy Davies’ bails with the next ball, and Farooq returned to have Tom Spilsbury athletically held by Jack Carney, with Rainford 41 runs shy.
It was hard on Rainford’s bowlers, who had done everything right all day, claiming 19 wickets in 38 overs. Dotters struck early, having Cockbain held by a diving Gaskell, before Tom Billington and Lucas Kennedy rebuilt with a stand of 71.
But once they fell, nobody else managed to really get going – only Billington, Kennedy and Carney managed to hit a boundary in the whole innings.
Carney and Edward were run out, and Andy Davies and Desai claimed two wickets each as the lower order stuttered – in the end, it turned out they had more than enough.
Cockbain was delighted to have ended his side’s six-year wait for a trophy, as well as earning his own first title as captain.
He said: “We’ve spoken about trying to take that final extra step and today we managed to do that.
“Our total was probably slightly under par but we bowled very, very well.
“A big part of power play cricket is taking wickets, and we thought our best option was pace.
“Ollie is bowling very quickly and we were hoping to blast a few out, and that’s what we did.
“Then we knew when the ball got soft that taking pace off would make it hard to score, and we managed to squeeze them and make them take risks.”
Formby now progress to the area final in early August, hoping to follow in the footsteps of last year’s national champions Northern.
Cockbain added: “This is uncharted territory for us but if we play well on the day then we can beat most teams.”
If they’re looking for an omen, Northern almost didn’t make it past Wallasey in the semis at this stage last year. It was the same for Formby, who needed a scrambled single off the last ball to make the final.
Fittingly, for this weekend in July, it was the barest of all margins – they tied on 139 and Formby had lost five wickets to Wallasey’s six, with the Wirral side ahead on the second tiebreaker of power play runs.
Wallasey were left to rue a last-ball runout and their lower order’s failure to capitalise on a strong start given by captain Greg Beaver; Formby were grateful to Cockbain, whose unbeaten 74 was the highest score of the day and included that crucial single.
“It was a bit tighter than I would have liked,” said Cockbain. “The ball went soft and they bowled really well and made it difficult for us at the end.”
In the second semi, Desai made 71 against Ormskirk before becoming one of four victims of Tom Brown.
Rainford posted the day’s highest total, 152, but Calum Turner gave Ormskirk a flyer with 55 and, at 130/5 in the 15th over, they looked to be coasting home.
But even with regular opener George Politis coming in at eight, they had lost too many wickets. Dotters removed Brown then unleashed Dom Hayes, who claimed three of the last four in a high-quality burst which stunned the defending league champions.
ECB Premier Division
Ormskirk left it late to maintain their lead at the top of the Comp with a 41-run win over Newton-le-Willows.
Tom Brown took the crucial wicket with the first ball of the last over, after 44 balls of resistance from Dom Chambers and Patrick Connolly.
The off-spinner finished with 6/39; earlier, slow left-armer Jack Morley claimed 6/70 after Calum Turner’s 58 as the defending champions made 222.
Northern scored a convincing 84-run win over Firwood Bootle, with 14-year-old Shivy Gautam making 59 and Louis Bhabra 57 at the top of the order.
Tom Sephton and Dan Wilson took four wickets each as Bootle chased 260 – tailenders Jhangir Liaqat and captain Shaneil Patel each made their personal bests of 52 and 44* to lift the score from 87/8 to 168/8 before the end.
Colwyn Bay came desperately close to a big chase at Wallasey, falling eight runs short of the hosts’ total of 263/4. Sagar Trivedi, newly arrived from Bootle, made 74 from 41 balls after Zack Gidlow’s 56, but Ejaaz Alavi took 5/103 and left Matt Russell stranded on 30* when the last wicket fell.
Earlier, Connor Windell made a new high score of 77 and captain Greg Beaver 62 for the Wirral side.
Birkenhead Park are still bottom after Leigh chased 245 to earn a five-wicket win. Captain Mattie McKiernan finished unbeaten on 89 and struck the winning runs with a six after Adam Shallcross again impressed with the ball, taking 5/51. Safi Abdullah top-scored for the hosts with 64.
Rainhill’s Alex Winiarski made an unbeaten 73 to lead them to a seven-wicket win at Wigan, after Luke Procter’s 5/67 helped dismiss the hosts for 158.
Formby and Rainford traded runs, and lots of them, ahead of their T20 showdown the following day. Nihil Desai made 138*, backed up by half-centuries from Paul Farrar and John Dotters, in Rainford’s mammoth 330/4; the chase may have been beyond even Formby’s top order, but Ian Cockbain made 110 and Larry Edward 50 to ensure the spoils were shared.
Check out all the 2025 Premier League Centurions HERE
Division One
Leaders Spring View suffered only their second defeat of the season to open things up at the top.
Orrell Red Triangle came away from Dower House Farm with the spoils after 77 from Ben Mahoney set up a total of 206/8; a team effort with the ball kept the hosts 69 runs short, with David Gornall’s 54 the top score.
Liverpool closed the gap to 11 points with a 47-run win at New Brighton. Captain Jared Clein made 80 and his predecessor Matty Jackson 59 in the visitors’ 209; Damitha Silva took 5/73 for the Rakers then top-scored with 64 in their reply.
Highfield’s Hedley Molyneux – having returned to the club from Prescot & Odyssey last week – made an unbeaten 61 in their six-wicket win at Old Xaverians. Joel Welsby also made a half-century in pursuit of 181, after Madduma Lakmal’s 5/31 led the way with the ball. Joseph Lyons made 54 for Xavs.
Maghull earned just their second win of the season, over Southport & Birkdale, thanks to Nick Ritchie’s unbeaten 70 after a collective effort with the ball held the visitors to 140. Matthew Wood made 56 on club debut, having signed from Lytham.
Wood’s old club lost by 78 runs as Sutton got back to winning ways. Half-centuries from captain Joe Noctor and Kallis Anders helped the St Helens side to 208 in spite of visiting skipper Ryan Norris’s 5/69.
Hightown St Marys held on for a draw against Sefton Park, after slipping to 89/6 in reply to 231. Captain Matt White steered his side to safety with an unbeaten 62; earlier, Haroon Khan top-scored with 87 for the visitors as White took 5/78.
Division Two
St Helens Town are haring up the table after earning their first win of the season last week – they followed it with their second, by just six runs in a thriller against Parkfield Liscard.
Openers Ryan Donnelly and Jamie Ellis each made half-centuries in Town’s 241/8, with five wickets for Denuka Perera.
In reply, Matty Bielby took 5/90 and Parkfield looked a long way off at 151/8 but Nadeera Rupasinghe and Piushan Gamekankanamge put on 84 together – before both fell with the finish line in sight.
Ainsdale moved clear at the top with a tense two-wicket win at Wavertree.
Chasing 160 after home skipper Theo O’Brien carried his bat for 61 and Dilanka Auwardt took 6/61, they slipped to 18/3 then 104/6. But the late order had just enough, with Harry Beddard’s 54 the top score.
Caldy slipped out of the promotion spots thanks to a four-wicket defeat to Prescot & Odyssey. Harsh Shonak finished unbeaten on 74 for the visitors.
Northop Hall are second after a 113-run win in the Hall Derby against Norley. Jac Kennedy made 61 and captain Ben Slater 55* in the Welsh side’s 235/4, before Paul Jenkins’ 6/34 spun them to victory. Fleetwood Hesketh chased 223 for a five-wicket win at Southport Trinity, and Prestatyn avoided defeat for the first time this season, holding Whitefield to a draw.
You can follow all the fixtures & results HERE (ECB National Club Championship)
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With thanks to Tom Evans @ Merseyside Cricket Online (merseysidecricket.com can be supported @ https://buymeacoffee.com/tomevanscricket)
