1,2,3 as Ormskirk are revelling in title glory
WHAT may yet become the most memorable month in the history of Ormskirk CC got off to the best possible start on Saturday when Matt Glayzer’s side collected the seven bonus points which clinched the ECB Premier League.
The Liverpool Gin Liverpool Competition’s most prestigious title was secured when Tom Hartley bowled Firwood Bootle’s skipper Craig Prince but that merely marked the start of the celebrations at Brook Lane, where the club’s second and third teams also won their championships to complete a remarkable treble.
For once, Glayzer’s players could afford not to worry that their match ended in a fairly staid draw. In the first innings of the game a second-wicket stand of 153 between Michael Jones (90 not out) and Josh Bohannon (80 not out) had helped Ormskirk post 239-1 declared and Bootle replied with 199-6, Luke Procter making an unbeaten 75.
At the bottom of the table none of the three clubs contesting the relegation places managed a victory but the fate of the two Southport teams depends on Formby winning neither of their remaining matches.
Southport and Birkdale’s batting failed yet again when they posted only 133 in 42 overs at Wallasey, Chris Brownlow making 42 while Chris Bourne took 5-42 and Monty Panesar 3-50. Alex Eagles’ 44 not out completed the home side’s eight-wicket win.
By contrast a Faiz Fazal century helped Ainsdale pick up seven points from their high-scoring draw at Lytham where the visitors made 245-6 in 55 overs, thanks largely to Fazal’s firstwicket stand of 160 with Andy Davies, who contributed 42.
In reply, half-centuries from Taylor Cornall, Tom Hessey and Ryan Maddock helped the Fylde side to 239-4 in 50 overs but they could not force the win.
Formby skipper Ian Cockbain was undoubtedly disappointed by his team’s 20-run loss at Northern but the seven points they took from the game went a long way towards ensuring Cricket Path will see Premier League cricket next year.
Moor Park opener Liam Grey carried his bat for 82 not out in the first half of the match but Stephen Parry’s spell of 5-20 from 16.3 overs restricted the home side to 162 all out. In reply, Northern’s slow left-armer Tom Sephton picked up 5-45 and Cockbain was left unbeaten on 31 as his side was dismissed for 142.
But it was another fine day in what has been a fine season for Rainhill’s cricketers, who inflicted a three-wicket defeat on New Brighton. However, that result was hard on Andy Clarke, whose 121 in 120 balls helped his side score 251-8 declared, Akshay Darekar taking 5-101.
But Rainhill had a centurion of their own in David Atkinson, who made 101 and put on 171 for the first wicket with Tyler McGladdery (67). Ashraf Nawab’s five-wicket haul derailed the home side’s pursuit a little but Ben Edmundson’s batsmen eventually got home with seven wickets down in 52.2 overs.
The match between Colwyn Bay and Leigh at Penrhyn Avenue ended in a batsmen-friendly draw. The visitors’ Ross Zelem and Adam Shallcross were particularly appreciative of the conditions, Zelem making 102 and Shallcross 100 not out in their side’s 246-3 declared in 59 overs.
However, Colwyn Bay replied with 228-7 in 51 overs Will Higginson making 86 and Hedley Molyneux taking 3-67.