A perfect 10th as Ainsdale seal win
IT was a case of 10th time lucky for Ainsdale’s cricketers on Saturday when the spin bowling of Martyn Farrell and the batting of Faiz Fazal steered them to a first Liverpool Gin Liverpool & District Competition Premier League victory at Wallasey.
But it was nerve-racking stuff at Rosclare Drive, where the visitors were 41-6 and 59-7 before Fazal’s patient 31 not out and Adam Friar’s rapid and unbeaten 24 took them to their target of 95, despite the efforts of Tharindu Kawshal, who took 4-40, and Chris Bourne, who picked up 3-44.
Earlier in the afternoon Farrell’s 4-29 had played a leading role in dismissing Wallasey for 94 on the day when Andy Barlow’s side hoisted themselves off the bottom of the table.
At the other end of the ECB Premier League, Ormskirk opened up a formidable 62-point lead over the now distant chasing pack when they defeated New Brighton by five wickets at Brook Lane.
Scott Lees, the fastest bowler in the Competition, again played a major role in his team’s triumph by taking 5-44 in the visitors’ 115, a total which owed much to Louis C Botes’ 44-run last wicket stand with Ashraf Nawab.
George Lavelle’s 45 then ensured there were no major squalls in Ormskirk’s pursuit of this target in 24.2 overs.
Ormskirk’s joy was increased when they discovered that second-placed Firwood Bootle had slumped to their first-defeat of the season, a nine-wicket hammering at the hands of Lytham. Three-wicket returns for Toby Lester and Jack Saunders played the leading roles in reducing Craig Prince’s team to 36-7, from which they eventually recovered to 107 all out in 29.2 overs.
But that was no obstacle to the visitors from the Fylde as Taylor Cornall (69 no) and Lancashire skipper Steven Croft (39 no) steered their team home.
Third-placed Northern now lead a group of five clubs covered by four points after they outclassed winless Southport and Birkdale at Moor Park.
Tom Jones took 6-31 in S&B’s paltry 79 all out in 31.4 overs and Chris Laker’s unbeaten 67 in 68 balls made short work of chasing down that total in 17.1 overs.
Formby’s poor season continued when they lost by four wickets at Colwyn Bay and Ian Cockbain’s team are now one of three clubs covered by 12 points at the foot of the table.
Sam Oldham’s 64 led a spirited batting display by the visitors, who made 225-5 declared in 57 overs. But an attack which included Stephen Parry, Saqib Mahmood and Gary Keedy could not contain Sion Morris’s batsmen, Adam Campion’s 62 playing a vital role in their chasing down a tough target in 48.4 overs.
And there was a fine game at Beech Walk where a Leigh side containing two first-class batsmen, Luis Reece and Karl Brown, lost to Rainhill by 19 runs. The Victoria Terrace team were in trouble on 85-7 before Ryan Williams’ 36 hauled them to 149 all out, Brown taking 4-40 with his medium pace.
Williams followed his gutsy batting show by pouching two catches and taking 5-49 as the home side fell short. Spinner Akshay Darekar grabbed 4-40 and Reece made 49.