Reports, reaction and round-up: August 10-11

Birkenhead Park’s Mark Rowland and Alex Harris celebrate after clinching the ECHO Cup

According to the old saying, “you snooze, you lose”… Birkenhead Park put that one to bed on Sunday.

A day that started with all-rounder Alex Harris sleeping in, and turning up late with most of the team’s kit, ended with them lifting the ECHO Cup after three extraordinary matches.

Hosts Formby felt they had one foot in the final after restricting Park to 122/8 on the region’s best batting track, only to succumb for just 73 as Malinda Pushpakumara tied their vaunted top order in knots.

Then Chester Boughton Hall, seeking a record-equalling 11th title, racked up 208/4 against Rainford, with Warren Goodwin making 75.

But the track was beginning to live up to its reputation – inspired by an opening stand of 186 in 102 balls between Jason Login and Ivan Kriek – who made 92 and 85 respectively – Rainford knocked the runs off two down.

The final began in similar vein. Harris, the sleep now rubbed out of his eyes, and Mark Rowland set about Rainford’s bowlers with a vengeance, putting on 126 at exactly two runs a ball. 

Player of the match Rowland was run out after a brutal 77 from 34 balls – including five 6s and eight 4s – but Andy Clarke kept the momentum going. 

He finished with 66 from 33, and Harris with a relatively sedate 72 from 55, as Park closed on 230/1.

Rainford gave it a go. Kriek and Login added 54 in 32 balls for the first wicket, and they were ahead of the DLS target until Alex Baker bowled Login at the start of his decisive spell.

The tall seamer finished with 4/30 as Rainford’s middle order couldn’t keep up with the required rate – Clarke’s off-breaks finished them off for 136.

It was a case of third time lucky for Park, after reaching the semi-finals in 2022 and the final in 2023, and captain Ste Hird was delighted with the way the day turned out – after an inauspicious start.

“God knows what would have happened if Chopper hadn’t turned up,” he said.

“But it all added to the day and made it a bit more enjoyable.

“I think a lot of teams, if that had happened, wouldn’t have been able to perform like we did in that first game.”

Hird had to modify his batting order against Formby according to who had kit – the only right-handed gear available belonged to the 6’8” Baker. 

The skipper added: “Not everyone could wear his pads.

“I was a bit worried, knowing what the ground is like, but we grafted to a good score.

“We’ve got great depth to our bowling and we field like demons – and Malinda was exceptional.”

Watching Rainford’s efforts against Chester helped inspire Harris, Rowland and Clarke to keep going – there was no guarantee 210 would be enough.

Hird said: “We’d seen what Rainford could do, and after the start we had, we were able to kick on and accelerate all the way through the innings. Some of the shots were breathtaking.

“But I didn’t think the game was won at half-way, and even five or six overs in. But Baker was outstanding, Mali bowled well again and everybody knew their jobs in the field.”

Park’s support on the day included local cricket legend and Don Bradman expert Tony Shillinglaw, along with a few dozen more cheering the side on to the end.

Hird added: “It was great to win a trophy having come close a couple of times, so it was great to get over the line.

“It was great for all the lads and all our loyal supporters – it was nice to give them something to cheer about.”

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On Saturday, Birkenhead Park were frustrated by some early showers and a defiant half-century from Newton-le-Willows captain Chris Chambers, as they sought a crucial win to boost their battle against relegation from the ECB Premier Division.

Sri Lankan Test spinner Malinda Pushpakumara made early inroads as the visitors set off in pursuit of 179, using his flight and turn to castle Nathan Hughes and trap Ben Walkden on his way to 5/49. 

But Chambers, reprieved at slip off David Nevin when on 42, made a careful unbeaten 62 from 112 balls to secure the draw.

The hosts’ innings had been anchored by Andy Clarke, who made his first half-century since joining Park. 

But nobody could stick with him or up the rate in the way that was needed after a delayed start, and left-arm spinner Luke Yates – a late replacement for Jack Morley, who was on Lancashire duty – ran through the lower order to claim 5/45, his maiden 1st XI five-for.

The draw leaves Park in a perilous position, 16 points short of safety with games running out.

At the top, Northern’s tie with Leigh is under review by the league’s management committee because of the circumstances in which it finished.

But regardless of the outcome, Ormskirk reclaimed top spot with a crushing win over Rainhill. Harvey Rankin top-scored with 58 in the defending champions’ 161/8, before Scott Lees’ 5/21 rattled the visitors for just 55.

Formby skipper Ian Cockbain made an unbeaten 136 – including a stand of 187 with Ryan Brown – as his side earned a 57-run win over Wigan. Jake Leyland’s 66 was in vain for the visitors.

Wallasey’s Sumit Ruikar enjoyed another trip to Southport & Birkdale – on the ground where he took 9/53 last year, he claimed 7/70 this time round, and followed it up with 70 with the bat to earn a four-wicket win.

Relegation-haunted New Brighton fell just 11 runs short against Rainford, after skipper John Dotters took 7/61. Sri Lankan pro Damitha Silva starred for the hosts with 6/54, and Tom Anders made his maiden 1st XI half-century to get them agonisingly close.

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It was quite the day for matches finishing with the scores level – Highfield and Division One leaders Firwood Bootle ended up locked on 203 in their draw.  

Hermann Rolfes’ unbeaten 91 wasn’t quite enough, as he and Kieron New could only manage a single off the last ball.

Colwyn Bay kept up the pressure on Bootle with a six-wicket win over Sefton Park. Dulanjana Mendis took 6/56 to set up a straightforward chase.

Ross Allen’s all-round display of 6/45 followed by 71 was not enough for Liverpool, who slipped to a 35-run defeat at Spring View.

Duvindu Tillakaratne’s 5/38 earned a 77-run win for Orrell Red Triangle at Maghull; Old Xaverians’ 205/9 was too much for bottom side Fleetwood Hesketh; and Lytham were held to a draw by a spirited St Helens Town display.

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Sutton moved to within eight points of Division Two leaders Hightown St Marys with a 76-run win over bottom side Prestatyn. 

Jack York’s 92 and Ben Scott’s 5/27 did the bulk of the damage.

Prestatyn host Whitefield next weekend in a wooden spoon shootout – the Knowsley side fell 23 runs short of Caldy’s 226/7, which was underpinned by half-centuries for Amruth Devaraj and Harry Beddard. Ali Zubairi struck seven sixes in his defiant unbeaten 62 for the hosts.

Wavertree inched over the line against Norley Hall, for whom Daniel Fisher top-scored with 82.

Ainsdale came within six runs of beating Hightown St Marys, running out of time after Stephen Lucas’s unbeaten 85 and Mark Lucas’s 60. The leaders had half-centuries from Guy Edwards, Matt Laybourne and Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe.

Alder were held up just short of the line against Northop Hall; and a century for Southport Trinity’s Dylan Rowley – backed up by 70 from Wim Van Der Walt – wasn’t enough to force a win against Parkfield Liscard.

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/AfHDBmC