Formby ensure safety in convincing fashion
BURSCOUGH CC finished with a strong victory over Hightown St Mary’s on Saturday.
Jon Stone and his side finished mid-table but missed out on promotion by over 100 points following a poor start to the season.
It took a while for Burscough to gather form and despite producing some strong performances in the final two months, they had too much to go to get back in contention.
But overall, it was a fairly positive campaign and Burscough ended it in style with a convincing win over one of their league rivals.
Brendan Domigan and Stone made 50s in their side’s 230-5 declared in 54 overs and the unlikely figure of Michael Bimpson took 4-22 as the home side were bowled out for 82 in 25.3 overs.
“We put a great all round performance together on Saturday to get 25 points,” said Stone.
“We batted positively on a bowler-friendly wicket and managed to get to 230 easily at tea. We then declared with confidence, knowing that we could bowl them out.”
Stone reflected on his side’s poor start to the season and admitted it was always an uphill battle for Burscough to gain promotion.
They have not lost a single game since their opening eight matches so promotion will be the ultimate aim next year.
“Looking back on the season, we had a terrible start,” said Stone. “That is something that we will be working on next season.
ON the final day of the 2017 Liverpool Gin Liverpool & District Cricket Competition season, Formby ensured they would be playing Premier League cricket next season with a thoroughly convincing eight-wicket victory at Rainhill.
As so often this summer, Gary Keedy was the main wicket-taker for Ian Cockbain’s side, the former Lancashire slow left-armer taking 6-44 as the home side managed only 121 all out in 43.3 overs, Tyler McGladdery making 68.
Ajmal Shahzad and Saqib Mahmood shared the other wickets but the task of knocking off the runs was left to Sam Oldham, who made 52 not out, and Dan Stanley, who contributed an unbeaten 44 to an unbroken third-wicket stand of 94.
Formby’s win meant that Southport & Birkdale were relegated regardless of their result at Colwyn Bay, where the home team eventually inflicted a fivewicket defeat on Chris Firth’s side.
Fifties from Bradley Yates and Adam Phillips enabled Firth to make an attacking declaration on 190-5 after 39.1 overs but Zak Gidlow batted through his side’s innings to make 81 not out and George Johansen added 55.
The loss of four late wickets was of little more than statistical interest.
Ainsdale finished bottom of the table and ended their first Premier League season with a very rapid nine-wicket defeat at the hands of Northern.
Tom Sephton finished the campaign with 5-24 as Andy Barlow’s team were dismissed for 79 in 32.3 overs, a total Northern knocked off in 55 balls, Jack Boardman whacking 39 not out off 21 deliveries.
Umpire David Jones ended a distinguished career at Wadham Road, where he oversaw Firwood Bootle complete the six-wicket win over New Brighton that left them in the runners-up spot in the division – although such an outcome will not satisfy Craig Prince and his players.
Will Purser took 4-31 as New Brighton were dismissed for 115 and Jakson Knight then made 58 not out as Bootle scored the runs they needed in some comfort despite Ashraf Nawab’s 4-37.
In the other top flight match, Wallasey completed a very straightforward eightwicket defeat of Lytham at Rosclare Drive.
Chris Bourne took 6-33 and Monty Panesar 4-33 as Danny Edwards’s team made only 73 all out in 28.4 overs.
Greg Beaver and Chris Davies then overhauled that small target with an unbroken 54-run stand for the third wicket.
The match between champions Ormskirk and Leigh was cancelled because Matt Glayzer’s team were travelling down to Chelmsford for yesterday’s Royal London Club Championship final.