Love Lane Liverpool Competition reports, reactions and round-up: July 5-6

Ormskirk’s Sam Marsh bowls Northern’s Liam Grey at the start of his crucial spell
Picture by RAY HIBBS

Game of the weekend: Ormskirk into national quarters after Northern get bogged down by Marsh

As Tom Brown collared the winning runs over cover, Ormskirk skipper Gary Knight hurled his bat into the sky. 

A day earlier, another wicketkeeper-batter had twice done the same during the Edgbaston Test, but that’s where the similarities end. 

India’s Rishabh Pant had momentarily lost control; Knight never did as he guided his side to the last eight of the ECB National Knockout with a five-wicket win over fierce rivals Northern.

From the moment visiting captain James Cole called correctly and offered Knight’s seamers first use of a tricky pitch, Ormskirk had the upper hand.

The decision was understandable – Northern’s run to last year’s final was achieved mainly by getting runs on the board and defending them. 

But Sunday’s game went more like their ultimate defeat to Brentwood in September – early losses which some gutsy batting never quite managed to recover.

Sam Marsh led the destruction with a spell of 4/22 – first castling Liam Grey then, after Tom Hartley removed Stephen Lucas, finding lethal bounce to take the edge of Chris Laker, whose century had settled last year’s quarter final between the sides.

In the same over, he pinned Louis Bhabra – by the time he rounded off his spell by having Alex Vincent held at slip, Northern were reeling. 

Brown’s eight overs of off-spin cost just 16 runs; Jamie Barnes trapped Ben Edmundson just after drinks and the board read 55/6. 

This kind of situation can bring the best out of a certain type of player, and Tyler McGladdery fits the template. He and Cole compiled a stand of 67 which managed to rescue something from the wreckage.

Hartley returned but McGladdery carried the fight to the England international, slog-sweeping him for four then lofting a huge straight six.

Three wickets in six balls stilled any momentum; first Hartley turned Cole inside out and trimmed his bails, then Toby Bulcock found McGladdery’s edge on 56 with an arm ball.

When Bulcock pinned Dan Wilson two balls later, it was 125/9 – the last pair added 23, including a cathartic six for Tom Sephton off Hartley. 

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Ormskirk’s innings began in similar vein to Northern’s, with Sephton having George Politis held at point and Grey finding Sam Holden’s edge to make it 11/2.

But crucially there was no further damage. Instead, Calum Turner and Harvey Rankin calmed home nerves with a stand of 57.

When Rankin ran past Sephton in the 24th over, the total of 68 was behind the DLS target, but the feeling around the ground was that wickets in the shed would carry the day. 

Knight, in excellent form, added 60 with Turner in less than 10 overs; Turner mostly shelved his booming drives to compile a crucial, patient 61.

He and Hartley both fell to Wilson in the 34th over to give the visitors a last fleeting glimmer of hope, but it was not to be.

Knight, who finished unbeaten on 46 to continue a fine individual season, said: “We don’t take beating Northern lightly – we’re two good sides and we stand in each other’s way all the time, so to get one over on them is really good.”

The skipper would have bowled first, and said the first 15 overs from his bowlers set the tone for the game.

“Marsh’s spell was quality,” he added. “We were able to take a lot of overs out of the game, and they didn’t really get anywhere because we’d taken so many early wickets.

“And when we broke Coley and Tyler’s partnership, we managed to put them under a bit more pressure.” 

A trip to the North East to play South Northumberland is next up – get through that, and Ormskirk have a home semi-final with a trip to Lord’s up for grabs.

Knight added: “It’ll be a really good day for the club, – it’s going to be a big test, but it’s going to be really good.”

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ECB Premier Division

Jason Login at the crease for Rainford
Picture by RAY HIBBS

Ormskirk and Northern pulled away from the pack on Saturday, both winning as the three teams behind them were involved in thrilling draws.

Rainford’s Jason Login managed to defend eight off the last over against Colwyn Bay, taking two wickets to deny the Welsh side what would have been an impressive away win at the third placed side.

Tom Clarke’s 1st XI best of 6/84 helped restrict the hosts to 192, with Paul Farrar’s 51 the top score; Dan Russell made 62 and Sion Morris an unbeaten 57, but the latter had to watch from the non-striker’s end as Login left them two short and eight down.

Fifth-placed Leigh came similarly close to a win over Formby, who remain one place above them. Adam Shallcross was on strike with seven to win from the last over, bowled by Archie Davies; he fell off the first ball and his teammates only managed three runs.

Karl Brown made 78 and Mattie McKiernan 56 in pursuit of the visitors’ 240/5, set up by half-centuries from Ian Cockbain, Lucas Kennedy and Jack Carney.

Ormskirk didn’t have it all their own way in their 60-run win over Wigan – an opening burst from Josh Boyden left them 31/3. But the middle order recovered to post 203/6 and Jamie Barnes took four wickets as only Aaron Redmond’s unbeaten 62 offered any resistance.

Northern held off a spirited Newton-le-Willows chase to earn a 27-run win. After a rain delay, Louis Bhabra and Tyler McGladdery made half-centuries in the visitors’ 177/4; the hosts suffered a couple of mini-collapses before eventually falling with the finish line just about in sight.

Birkenhead Park sunk to the bottom of the pile in their eight-wicket defeat at Rainhill. Khalis Usman took 4/17 as the visitors managed just 82; Saeed Ullah’s unbeaten 53 made short work of the chase.

Firwood Bootle’s Ivan Kriek made 104 and Kris Ali 65 in an unbroken stand of 128 as their side chased 274 for a six-wicket win over Wallasey. Earlier, Evan Withe made exactly 100 and Ejaaz Alavi an unbeaten 83 for the visitors.

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Division One

Spring View are opening up a gap at the top, after their seven-wicket win at Old Xaverians.

Six bowlers claimed a wicket in the Woolton side’s 117, including skipper Lewis Matthews, who then made an unbeaten 57 in the chase.

Maghull’s last pair of Greg Coogan and Joe Cunningham held out for 17 balls to deny Liverpool a win. Jared Clein made 60 and Nick Ritchie took 6/87 as the hosts made 197; Ritchie then made 70 in the chase as Joseph Boland took a club-best 7/21.

Southport & Birkdale kept up the pressure on the top two with a nine-wicket demolition of Sutton. Left-arm spinner Bobby Wincer claimed 7/20 to roll the St Helens side for 87; Adam Phillips hit a six with the scores level to get himself to 50.

Orrell Red Triangle’s Ben Mahoney will have spent Saturday evening saying “it’s a team game” through gritted teeth, after skipper Andy Baybutt hit the winning runs against Lytham – leaving Mahoney unbeaten on 99. The visitors had recovered from 66/6 to post 198.

Sefton Park skipper Paul Horton led from the front with 51 to help set up a 32-run win over Highfield, for whom Harry Moxham made 51.

Former Northern man Alec McLoughlin made an unbeaten 80 to set up Hightown St Marys’ total of 218/4 and a 78-run win at New Brighton.

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Division Two

The top two traded blows but caution was the only winner as Caldy closed on 90/9 from 45 overs at Ainsdale.

The hosts had slipped to 64/6 and prolonged their innings to 63 overs, closing on 209/8 with Dilanka Auwardt unbeaten on 66. The Sri Lankan then claimed 7/41 as the visitors shut up shop – skipper Mike Grealis faced 153 balls for his 38 not out.

The stalemate enabled Northop Hall to gain ground with a 104-run win at Parkfield Liscard. James Hurlin made 50 out of 197/9, then took 5/25 to derail a promising start from 77/2 to 93 all out.

After four draws, St Helens Town earned their first win of the season over Wavertree. Jonny Hine made an unbeaten 67 to set a target of 197; Sanjo Varghese’s 56 helped the visitors reach 100/2, but Town’s bowlers induced a collapse.

Fleetwood Hesketh’s Nathan Condon top-scored with 64 in their seven-wicket win at Whitefield, after taking 6/35 to restrict the hosts to 166. Amruth Devaraj’s 56 was the brightest spot for the Roby side.

Prestatyn remain winless after falling 79 runs short of Prescot & Odyssey’s 193, with Eranda Semage’s 56 the top score.

Norley Hall closed on 173/6 at home to Southport Trinity, who posted 206/8.

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