Lancashire Cup final preview: Rankin and Lavelle hoping to become homegrown heroes for their boyhood club

Champions Ormskirk – back, l-r Harvey Rankin, Toby Bulcock, Sam Marsh, Calum Turner, Sam Holden, John Armstrong, Kevin Wilson (scorer); front, l-r George Lavelle, Scott Lees, Jamie Barnes, Gary Knight (captain), George Politis

Two born and bred Ormskirk lads could not be more excited for Sunday’s rearranged Lancashire Cup final at Brook Lane.

Prestwich will arrive for take two, having had the better of the 17.3 overs that were playable at Blackpool before the rain arrived two weeks ago.

Having wrapped up the Love Lane Liverpool Competition and with the Ray Digman Trophy already in the bag, Ormskirk are looking to complete a treble last achieved outright by Northern in 2013.

Both Harvey Rankin and George Lavelle were quick to stress that anything can happen in a final – but both are looking forward to taking their place in the top order on home turf.

Rankin’s six fifties and 778 runs in all competitions this year are a new personal best, and he’s hoping for more of the same.

He said: “We’ve been in the same groove all year so I just hope things don’t change. 

“Sometimes in big games, you can overthink things and do things you just wouldn’t do if it were an average Saturday earlier in the season. 

“But if we’re positive, stick to our plans, stick to what we’ve done all year, that’s all we can do as a side.

“Being on the pitches we’ve played on all year definitely helps. 

“We’ve been quite destructive at home all year. 

“It’s been the same for the last two or three years at Brook Lane – get a score on the board of 170 or above and back our bowlers to do the work. 

“The pitch doesn’t always play in the batters’ favour, but you start to work out how to score runs and make an innings there.”

Love Lane Liverpool Competition tables

Lavelle’s Lancashire duties took him away from Ormskirk in the middle of summer, but having fallen down the pecking order at Emirates Old Trafford, he’s enjoying being back at his boyhood club.

He said: “In the second half of the season, I’ve been a bit more involved with Ormskirk and I’ve loved playing this year. 

“We were saying in the dressing room, it’s been one of the most enjoyable seasons we’ve had – everyone gets on with everyone and there’s no egos. 

“The pitches are a bit more bowler-friendly at Ormskirk so the role of myself and the other lads is to try to set a platform which allows the bowlers to have something to bowl at. 

“It might not be a batting paradise, but we know our roles and how we can help a team get a result out of it.”

Rankin played a key role with the ball in Ormskirk’s last Lancashire Cup win, over Burnley in 2021, taking 3/50 with his leg-breaks before brothers Alex and Rob sealed the win with a partnership of 134.

But it’s a side of his game which has taken a back seat since then, especially since a winter spent honing his batting in Australia. 

And with a seam attack of Sam Marsh, Scott Lees, Jamie Barnes and Sam Holden, and spinners Toby Bulcock and Tom Brown, it’s not like skipper Gary Knight has been short of bowlers.

“I hadn’t bowled as much in Australia over the winter because I had a shoulder injury,” said Rankin.

“Gary said he saw me more as a batter, My batting has come on quite a lot in Australia, and he saw a particular role for me. 

“I’m not always needed with the bowling attack we’ve got, so it’s taken a back seat.”

He believes his spell on the Gold Coast has brought his batting on leaps and bounds, adding: “I learned how to construct an innings – I was playing in a lesser team over there and was more of the main man, whereas at Ormskirk I’m coming in after four or five batters who could all play 2nd XI county cricket. 

“It definitely helped me construct an innings and find ways to score, it’s definitely helped with how I’ve played since I’ve come home.”

Love Lane Liverpool Competition statistics

Knight often speaks of the importance of matching imported talent with a solid local foundation, and Lavelle agrees he’s got the blend just right.

“Having a core group of lads who’ve come from here or have played here for a long time is really important,” he said.

“I think it’s shown in the cup runs over the last few years, that sort of togetherness. 

“If we’re in a tough situation, we’ll get out of it and we know each other’s game really well.”

Rankin added: “I grew up watching some serious cricketers play, and I was playing for the 3rds and 2nds and really aspiring to get into the side – it takes you by surprise a bit to think I’m in the team now, and we’re exceeding what the teams I used to watch in the past had done. 

“We’re getting better and achieving things we haven’t in the past. 

“I love playing for Ormskirk and playing in these games and winning things – it’s unmatched.”

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/mtVb8WX