All or nothing this weekend says Firth
S&B skipper, Chris Firth, has admitted that his team face a “make or break” weekend in their attempt to win promotion to the ECB Premier League at the first attempt.
The abandonment of Saturday’s game against Northop Hall was probably not too damaging to S&B’s chances given that Fleetwood Hesketh’s match was also rained off and Ainsdale drew with Burscough.
However, a failure to win either Saturday’s home game against Burscough or Monday’s game in hand against Prestatyn would be a severe blow to a side that lie just 15 points shy of a promotion place and 24 points off the top of the table.
“It’s an old cliché is that you should take things game by game but it is actually true that we have to be focused on the Burscough match before we consider Prestayn on Monday,” said Firth.
“And Burscough will be tough. They got 190 against Ainsdale last Saturday and we’ll have to play properly, as we have done in the last two and a half months, to get the win we need.
“When we played them at Burscough we were rubbish but we are now a completely different team and, while we’re not arrogant in the slightest, we do expect to win games. That’s just a sign of the confidence we’ve gained from victories.
“Ainsdale are playing Fleetwood Hesketh on Saturday, so at least one of those teams is going to lose points.
“If we can win both our games, there’s a chance we’ll be top of the league with three games to play.”
Firth agreed that there was never any hope of much play in S&B’s match at Northop Hall last Saturday after persistent rain set in at around two o’clock and soaked an already damp ground.
Charlie Byrne is unavailable on Saturday so S&B will be looking to bring in a batsman for the game against Burscough.
The First Division table now reads as follows: (Both Southport and Birkdale and Prestatyn have a game in hand) Ainsdale 250, Fleetwood Hesketh 241, Sefton Park 234, Southport and Birkdale 226, Wigan 219, Newton-le-Willows 210, Burscough 208, Northop Hall 179, Orrell Red Triangle 172, Highfield 156, Maghull 153, Prestatyn 152.
S&B’s second team game against Formby also fell victim to the weather on Saturday but Craig Todd’s marauders also have two matches this weekend and need 40 points from their last six games of the season to ensure that they will be playing Premier League cricket next year. Alternatively a win at Fleetwood Hesketh on Saturday would also do the trick.
Rain also brought a slightly premature end to S&B’s third team game at Newton-le-Willows on Sunday but not before Isaac Lea had made 123 in his side’s 229 for six declared in 38.1 overs. Lee hit 17 fours and two sixes in his 124-ball innings.
Newton-le-Willows were 198 for six off 41 overs and only 18 balls were left in the game when puddles intervened.