Overhaul job is just out of reach for S&B
Liverpool Gin Liverpool Competition: ECB Premier League: Formby (5pts), 131 for seven wickets declared, drew with Southport and Birkdale (4pts), 125 for seven
THE rain which delayed the start of Southport and Birkdale’s match against Formby, and later caused a further interruption to the game, was also one of the chief reasons why neither side won the game.
Despite Ian Cockbain’s attacking declaration on 131 for seven, the task of overhauling that total in 41 overs, 32 of them bowled by current or recent first-class cricketers, proved to be too severe for Chris Firth’s batsmen.
Both sides, though, could derive some comfort from Saturday’s cricket. Formby’s opener, James Seward, made a polished halfcentury before he was trapped leg before by Chris Cunningham, and S&B’s bowlers stuck to their disciplines, just as they will need to do if the next four months is not to be made distinctly uncomfortable for them.
Some good catches, most notably the one taken at slip by Adam Phillips to remove Tim le Breton off the bowling of Justin Labuschagne, enabled S&B to reduce their visitors to 71 for five but Seward had useful partnerships with Elliot Ketteringham and Ollie Sutton, thus ensuring the home bats- men would be placed under pressure.
Cockbain’s declaration was fair enough and it was followed by a determined pursuit by most of S&B’s batsmen against the accurate left-arm spin of Gary Keedy and the pace of Saqib Mahmood.
Keedy was the more effective bowler and his figures of five for 47 proved that he has lost little of the control which stood Lancashire in good stead for many summers.
But Formby’s attack was countered by Ashley MacDonald, who attempted to anchor his side’s innings with a resolute 28, and by Harry May, who tried to increase the run-rate late in the innings, hitting two fours and a six in a 39-ball 28.
But if S&B were to win this game, they probably needed a more major innings from a batsman like Phillips or Tearan Gleeson. However, both fell to Keedy when reasonably set and the match ended with Firth’s batsmen seven runs short of their target, all of which probably gives a slightly false impression of how close S&B came to collecting 20 points.
Saturday’s rain prevented any play at all in S&B second team’s game at Leigh on Saturday. This evening (Thursday) the first team host Northern in a second-round Liverpool Echo Knockout Trophy tie and on Saturday they host Firwood Bootle in an ECB Premier League game.
On Bank Holiday Monday Chris Firth’s FORMBY Seward lbw Cunningham.............................50 Cockbain b Brownlow...........................................6 Le Breton c Phillips b Labuschagne..................................4 Oldham c Yates b Labuschagne......................................4 Stanley c Gleeson b Firth...............................................20 Aitchison c May b Gailey...................................................5 Ketteringham c Gleeson b Cunningham...........................14 Sutton not out.....................................................22 Mills not out..........................................................4 Extras...........................................................................................................2 TOTAL (for 7 wickets decl.)..................................131 cricketers travel to Lytham to play a Premier League game rearranged because of next month’s County Match, when many players will be working on the ground. S&B are expected to be at full strength for both league games this weekend and they will probably need to be.