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: 19th & 20th July
Lancashire Knockout semi-finals: Bowl-out the barrel for an all-Comp final as Northern and Formby prevail
It wasn’t how either side wanted to do it, but Northern and Formby both held their nerve in bowl-outs to set up the first all-Comp final since 1999.
Liam Grey, Dan Wilson and Josh Thompson hit the stumps for Northern at Burnley, while Formby’s heroes at Salesbury were Ollie Sutton, Junaid Farooq and George Evans.
Rain fell steadily throughout and no reserve day had been set aside by the Lancashire Cricket Foundation, meaning what should have been two showpiece occasions ended in anti-climax.
Northern and Formby won’t mind too much – they will meet at Blackpool CC on Sunday, August 31.
It means the league has been represented in the final every year since 2021, and will provide the winner for the fourth time in that sequence.
Ormskirk won in 2021 and Northern in 2023 – last year’s trophy was shared between Ormskirk and Prestwich.
The 1999 final was also won by Ormskirk, against Sefton Park – the only previous time the final has been between two Comp sides.
ECB Premier Division: Bulcock’s best gives Ormskirk an imposing lead
Toby Bulcock took the first nine-for of his 22-year career in club cricket as Ormskirk extended their lead at the top of the table.
The defending champions are in pole position to make it three in a row after their 110-run win at Rainford was one of just two positive results in the division on a rain-affected day.
Left-arm spinner Bulcock admits he started the day looking up at slate-grey skies and expecting a few hours of slip catching practice courtesy of his seamer teammates.
Given the new ball by Gary Knight in place of star seamer Sam Marsh, he ended it with a new personal best of 9/42 and the knowledge he has edged his side one step closer to a huge achievement.
“It was a bit of a moving day, for extending a bit of a lead,” he said.
“I think the figures flattered me a bit, but I’m very pleased with them.”
Bulcock’s arrival at Ormskirk in 2023 coincided with the start of their title-winning run, and Knight has often spoken of his importance to the side.
Saturday was his 60th five-wicket haul in all competitions, and his sixth for Ormskirk – four of them have come this year, including two of his top five ever.
He puts his recent success down to the quality of his teammates.
The 34-year-old added: “I wouldn’t say I’m bowling any better than I have previously, in fact I’d say I’m not quite what I was.
“However, the back-up of the team is ludicrous, the level of depth that we have.
“Take for example the Rainford game – in the reverse fixture, I didn’t play and in my absence I was replaced by Tom Hartley, who’s a Test match bowler.
“We’ve got Sam Marsh who just last year took nine wickets in a game. We’ve got Scott Lees who took 50 wickets in a season.
“We’ve got an ever-threatening presence in Jamie Barnes. We’ve got Tom Brown who’s come on leaps and bounds and who you know is going to be playing some first-class cricket in the very near future.
“It’s just an absolute privilege to have that support network.
“The beauty of the current Ormskirk side is that there’s 11 lads who win games of cricket and yesterday just so happened to be my day to put my hand up.”
Bulcock’s spell came after half-centuries from Calum Turner and Tom Brown allowed Knight to declare on 220/8.
The win leaves Ormskirk 36 points clear of second-placed Northern. Even with nine games left, starting with a clash of the top two next Saturday, it looks an imposing lead.
But Bulcock is keen to not get ahead of himself.
“We have a bit of a motto of don’t get sucked in, be present, stay in the game, piece by piece and one by one,” he said.
“I’d say we’re exactly where we want to be and no further than we expect to be.
“Gary has very high standards for the boys. He knows the depth of talent in the side and he knows what to expect.
“He’s always pushing, he’s very intense and it squeezes the best out of us.”
Leigh were the day’s only other winners, chasing 252 for a three-wicket win over Wallasey thanks to Mattie McKiernan’s unbeaten 122* – his third century of an excellent season.
Visiting skipper Greg Beaver had made exactly 100 of his own – his first league ton since 2015 – to set a difficult target. And at 155/6, Leigh looked well adrift of it.
But McKiernan and Archie Brown put together an unbroken stand of 100 to see the hosts home.
Northern’s victory tilt at Rainhill ended 22 runs short of the hosts’ 221/7, set thanks to Luke Procter’s unbeaten 67. Tyler McGladdery made 85, his highest league score of the season, but the visitors ran out of time five wickets down.
Wigan’s game at Newton-le-Willows ended in the rarity of a draw with scores level. The hosts needed 13 to win off skipper Jordan Hampson’s last over; they managed 12 of them, eight down, including a last-ball four from Patrick Connolly.
George Bell made a rapid 63 and Hamish McKenzie 51 for Newton as they set off in pursuit of 213, after Daniel Yates top-scored with 63 for Wigan.
Colwyn Bay and Formby played out a high-scoring draw down the North Wales coast. Bay’s Will Higginson hit an unbeaten 101 and Sagar Trivedi 53 to lift the hosts from 75/5 to 263/7; half-centuries from Jack Carney and Larry Edward led the visitors’ reply, which closed on 232/6.
Bottom side Birkenhead Park held Firwood Bootle to a draw, despite slipping to 34/5 in reply to the hosts’ 222/8. Safi Abdullah’s 59 led the recovery; earlier, Ivan Kriek had made 54 as veteran seamer Chris Stenhouse took 5/80.
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Division One
Liverpool moved to the top of the table with a 10-wicket thumping of Hightown St Marys.
Finn Hulbert’s 8/34 rolled the visitors for just 85, and they couldn’t lay a glove on them in reply, Alex Rankin and skipper Jared Clein seeing the hosts home.
Spring View’s grip on top spot loosened thanks to their second successive defeat, with Lytham’s Sabbir Patel taking 6/46 to reduce them from 121/5 to 157 all out. Myles Child’s 63 led the successful chase.
Orrell Red Triangle’s big win over New Brighton – set up by Sam Heeley’s 100, confirmed by Dileepa Jayalath’s 5/19 – kept them in touch with the top two.
Sefton Park edged past Maghull by two wickets in a thriller at Croxteth Drive. Huzafia Zubair took 5/38 to restrict the visitors to 134, then helped his side over the line to ensure Craig Black’s 6/52 was in vain.
Sutton got back to winning ways with an eight-wicket triumph at Old Xaverians. New Zealander Depp Bollingford’s unbeaten 75 led the chase, after Alex Oldfield had taken 6/62. Highfield clung on nine down at Southport & Birkdale, after the hosts’ Muhammad Kashif claimed 6/23
Division Two
Northop Hall inflicted leaders Ainsdale’s second defeat of the season, and moved into second place behind them.
Paul Jenkins and James Hurlin each took five wickets for the Welsh side as Ainsdale slumped from 129/4 to 151 all out, following Daniel Fitzpatrick’s 69. The visitors slipped to 89/6 in reply but made it home thanks to an unbroken stand between Carwyn Johnson and Finley Jenkins.
Norley Hall’s Ryan Wood took 6/62 to earn a 32-run win over Caldy, having already made 60 from number 9 to lift his side from 116/7 to 235/8. Shah Afridi and Callum Hughes also hit half-centuries for the Wigan side; Adam Brown and James Montgomery gave the Wirral men some hope with a stand of 113.
Harsh Shonak made 118, his first Comp century, as Prescot & Odyssey overcame Southport Trinity. Adil Jamal claimed 5/25 in the second half to keep Trinity at bay; Mark Prince had taken five of his own earlier.
Parkfield Liscard lost their last five wickets for seven runs as Wavertree earned a three-wicket win chasing 118.
Prestatyn were denied their first win of the season by just one wicket against Fleetwood Hesketh – the ninth fell off the last ball of the game. Rohit Kaimal’s 86 and Ben Hughes’ 77 helped the Welsh side pile up 280/8. At Court Hey Park, there was time for Danny Murphy and Venkata Dantuluri to make half-centuries for St Helens Town against Whitefield, but not for too much else.
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With thanks to Tom Evans @ Merseyside Cricket Online (merseysidecricket.com can be supported @ https://buymeacoffee.com/tomevanscricket)
