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: 9th August
ECB National Club Championship: By George, that was close… Ormskirk hold their nerve to reach Lord’s final
A nerveless century from George Lavelle, followed by a nerve-shredding dip for the line, carried Ormskirk to next month’s Lord’s final, their second ever in the competition.
Chasing 239 against a spirited Knowle & Dorridge side, Lavelle’s 102 was made in cruise control.
But once he departed, with 57 still needed from the last six partnerships, the rest weren’t sure which gear to select.
Sam Holden hit three sixes but no fours in his 25; Harvey Rankin played the shot of the day, a ramped scoop off Freddie Fowler that landed on Alty’s Lane, but perished soon after.
Ormskirk celebrate a wicket
Sam Marsh was involved in two run-outs, first of Ian Robinson then of himself, leaving Toby Bulcock and Nicky Caunce at the crease, with only Jamie Barnes in the shed and eight still needed from the last 3.5 overs.
The visitors from Birmingham were fired up and Barnes, having already turned the game on its head once, would not have fancied getting involved again.
But slowly (six singles spread across 17 balls) then all at once (a cathartic six from Caunce with four balls to spare) they did it.
“I was happy that the pads stayed in the changing room,” admitted Barnes.
“Toby and Nicky showed a lot of character, particularly Nicky, who hasn’t played much cricket the last five or six years, to go out under that kind of pressure.”
Against a strong side, it was never going to be plain sailing, and captain Gary Knight said before the match he was almost looking forward to the moments when his men were under the pump.
He got what he wanted when a stand of 113 in 73 balls between George Maddy and Neil Pinner carried the visitors to 155/2 in the 21st over.
Enter Barnes, whose wicket-to-wicket line pinned both batters, along with Omaris Khan, to change the complexion of the game.
He said: “They got off to such a good start, in a weird way, it really simplified what we had to do.
“We had to stop the boundaries for a couple of overs, work really hard for one or two dots every over and then hopefully get a chance to get a wicket and turn the screw a little bit.
“Gary was magnificent – at drinks he just got everyone together and said look, it was never going to be easy.
“But we want to be here. We want to be under this pressure.
“We want the chance to get to Lord’s. We want the chance to kind of fight our way through the tough periods.
“This is what it’s all been leading up to.”
Jamie Barnes during his crucial spell
Barnes’ 3/38 was backed up by 3/43 from Bulcock, who made sure the lower order didn’t find it easy to get going, and 3/47 from Sam Marsh, who claimed both openers then came back to finish the innings off.
The total of 238 was around par, but the collapse of 83/8 had flipped the script.
George Politis fell early but Calum Turner and Lavelle put on 92 for the second wicket to settle the jitters and set Ormskirk on the road to Lord’s.
“For the club to have a chance to go down there is phenomenal,” added Barnes.
“There’s so much work done behind the scenes, particularly by the volunteers, the people who sort out the ground, all of that stuff.
“So it’s just as much a reward for them as for the players really.”
ECB Premier Division: Birkenhead Park stare into the abyss after Formby defend the indefensible
For a side desperate for a win, Saturday couldn’t have started better for Birkenhead Park.
Formby’s fabled top four had come and gone with just 20 on the board, with the seam of Alex Harris and Chris Stenhouse doing the damage; George Evans made 47 not out but nobody else managed double figures and Park’s target was just 97.
Even after an early wobble, the hosts made it to 62/4, with skipper Harris and Pakistani pro Safi Abdullah at the crease.
Then Safi aimed a big slog at his St Lucian counterpart, Larry Edwards, and it all unravelled.
He wasn’t the only one to get himself out, but it was the turning point. Edwards finished with 6/14, including three in four balls, as the rest subsided for just eight more runs.
The defeat leaves Park 42 points adrift of safety with just five games to save their season; in terms of knocking the stuffing out of a side, it’s harder to come up with a worse scenario.
Second bottom Colwyn Bay are in a less wretched position than Park, but only slightly – they have a gap of 33 points to bridge after their defeat at Northern. Tyler McGladdery’s 113, his first league century since 2023, set up the hosts’ 254/5, before Tom Sephton ran through the visitors’ line-up with 8/48, his best figures since 2018.
Despite Northern’s win, Ormskirk kept their 34-point lead intact thanks to a 111-run win over Firwood Bootle. Gary Knight made 87, with half-centuries for Calum Turner and Harvey Rankin in the hosts’ 276/5.
Leigh consolidated third place with a nine-wicket win at Wigan, largely thanks to Tom Grundy’s unbeaten 124. The opener’s personal best led a chase of 193 after Nathan Graham claimed 5/62 in the first half; Aveen Dalugoda’s 51 was the top score for the hosts.
Newton-le-Willows remain in danger after Rainhill earned an eight-wicket win, set up by 7/42 from Pakistani spinner Khalid Usman.
Wallasey had to settle for a draw with Rainford after the visitors closed on 216/8, chasing 252. Captain John Dotters made 68 but became one of five victims of Ejaaz Alavi, who earlier top-scored for the hosts with 89 – Evan Withe also made 77.
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Division One: Liverpool edge derby clash to move one step closer to promotion
Leaders Liverpool held their nerve to beat rivals Sefton Park by two wickets in a tense run chase.
Rob Rankin’s 70 led the hosts to 171/4 chasing 209, but a mini-collapse left the lower order with work to do, as Connor Melia claimed his 1st XI best of 4/14. Earlier, James Stirling’s 70 was the top score for the visitors.
Orrell Red Triangle moved into the second promotion slot with a 25-run win at Sutton. Former Ormskirk man Matty Aggrey took 6/41 to defend 208/7 – Orrell have only lost one of their last seven matches.
Spring View slipped to third after they were frustrated by Highfield’s last pair of Jamie Darbyshire and Sam Rotheram, who survived the last four overs to close on 166/9 in reply to 264/6. Hedley Molyneux and Madduma Lakmal made half-centuries for the hosts, after View’s Edwin Geary hit 83 and Lewis Matthews an unbeaten 50.
At the bottom, Hightown St Marys earned a potentially crucial win over Old Xaverians, who are now 19 points adrift in the only relegation spot. Xavs never recovered from 35/5 chasing 191; Alec McLoughlin’s 70 and Colin Gibson’s 5/54 were the highlights of the first half.
Southport & Birkdale held off a lower order surge to win by 18 runs at New Brighton. Their spinners, Bobby Wincer and Muhammad Kashif, took five wickets each; the hosts’ Sri Lankan, Damitha Silva, claimed 7/48 as David Snellgrove made 64 – the Comp legend’s highest score since 2022.
Maghull eased their relegation fears with a 68-run win over Lytham, in which captain Anthony Molloy made 63 then took four wickets. Sabbir Patel’s 7/91 was the highlight for the visitors.
Division Two: Ainsdale march on as top three all win
A rare occurrence in Ainsdale’s game at Parkfield Liscard, when Dilanka Auwardt didn’t take a five-for – instead, Jehan Yahathugoda’s 5/17 carried the leaders to an 89-run win.
Harry Beddard’s 66 was the top score in their 190/8; Oli Green’s side are 56 points clear of third, with five games to go.
Northop Hall are looking good too – Paul Jenkins is having the most successful season of his long career after his 5/20 blew Fleetwood Hesketh away for just 71, setting up an eight-wicket win.
Third-placed Caldy kept up the pressure in similar style, running through Prestatyn for 62 then knocking them off two down.
But even that wasn’t the lowest score of the day – that dubious honour fell to Whitefield, who succumbed for just 56 thanks to Sean Cragg’s 7/38 in a comfortable seven-wicket win for Southport Trinity.
Having failed to pick up a win until July, St Helens Town now have four in seven games after their 178 proved too much for Norley Hall.
Prescot & Odyssey held on for a draw at Wavertree despite slipping to 9/3 in pursuit of 214. Ali Zubairi made an unbeaten 53 as they closed on 138/7.
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)
