Cheshire Lines skipper Helsby on being the last ever winners of Southport & District league

Cheshire Lines celebrate winning the Southport & District Amateur Cricket League in its final ever season

Cheshire Lines have been crowned as the last ever champions of the Southport & District Amateur Cricket League.

With just one game to go, the Allerton side cannot be caught at the top and will join Division Two of the Love Lane Liverpool Competition next season.

The SADACL is being merged with the Comp next season, ending a proud history which dates back to 1898.

And Lines skipper Luke Helsby was delighted for his club to be the last name on the trophy, adding to the Sandhurst Shield they won in July.

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He said: “It’s been a great season.

“Team spirit always comes with winning but these lads have probably been together now two, three years and obviously some of us a lot longer.

“I know I’m getting good availability from them 99% of the time and it’s good that you can work with the same group of lads most weeks and they rarely let you down.”

Lines won the title in 2021 but could not be promoted due to failing to meet the off-field criteria.

Helsby paid tribute to all the work behind the scenes which ensured that did not happen again, in particular by club secretary Aaron Doran.

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“We had an idea of what we needed to do,” said Helsby. 

“Aaron does a lot of hard work for the club on and off the field. 

“And players like Chris Holmes and the 2nd XI captain Max Britten, they really put a lot of work into the club Monday to Friday as well, so it’s a nice reward for everyone really.”

On the field, wicketkeeper Muhammad Qasim Khan has made 633 runs and claimed 35 victims in the league, while spinner Doran and seamers Ryan Corrigan and Helsby make up three of the Premier Division’s top four wicket takers.

And players like Patrick Delve, Ghulam Rasool, Craig Ashton and Stuart Donnelly have stepped up when required as well.  

Helsby added: “I think the main strength of us is that there’s always someone different every week who wins us the game or who has a match-winning performance.”

from Merseyside Cricket Online https://ift.tt/2WDrK4A