Liverpool the ones to watch

A GIANT is awakening and the rest of the Liverpool Gin Liverpool Competition may soon have to take notice of the fact.

Fine bowling by Peter Kelly and Jared Clein followed by Tom Moore’s unbeaten 61 took Liverpool to a crushing nine-wicket defeat of Wavertree on Saturday and Matt Jackson’s men now lead the Competition’s Second Division by 13 points from Spring View.

Kelly took 5-33 and Clein 4-34 as the home side were dismissed for 121 and Moore’s 81-ball knock then took Liverpool to their fifth victory of the season inside 30 overs.

Amar Ullah’s 3-23 and 52 not out ensured that Spring View had an equally comfortable eight-wicket victory over Prescot and Odyssey but Old Xaverians had much more work to do before they completed their five-wicket defeat of Northop Hall at Smithy Lane.

Home opener Alex Smith made 51 in his side 189-8 declared in 60 overs and it took 48 from Ian Carroll and Niall Ward’s 50 not out before the 24 points were clinched.

However, the game of the day took place at Paton Field, where Southport Trinity eventually squeaked home by one wicket against Caldy. Haroon Khan’s 132-ball 117 allowed the Wirral team to post a formidable 224-9 declared and, despite Hayden McCrae’s 53, that looked to be sufficient when the visitors were 198-9. But Trinity’s ageless skipper Geoff Thornton added 27 with Liam Simms to take his team to one of their best wins of the season.

Maghull also had to work hard for their five-wicket victory over Parkfield Liscard at Old Hall Field. Mohammed Ghafoor made 114 in the visitors’ 233-9 declared in 51.3 overs but half-centuries by Liam Crilly, Cam Lawrenson and Greg Gillespie achieved the victory in 39.2 overs.

Liam Gaskell’s 6-52 set St Helens Town on their way to a fourwicket win over Alder, who were dismissed for 126, a total which the Ruskin Drive team overhauled in 42.3 overs.