Gailey heroics keep survival hopes alive
ley’s father, Ken, was filming his son’s innings as part of an educational project.
Now at least people will have evidence of one of the greatest finishes to a game ever seen at Trafalgar Road, although no one is expecting the film to be very steady towards the end of the match and there may be one or two strange Dundonian exclamations thrown in for good measure.
“As far as an approach to getting the runs goes I didn’t really have one,” admitted Gailey later.
“I just wanted to stay in for as long as possible and see what happened. As the No10 batting with the No11 I felt like we weren’t really expected to reach the target so that meant there was a lot less pressure early on and I could play myself in a bit more.
“Andy and I just worked together to try and keep up with the required run rate by rotating the strike and getting the odd boundary here and there. When we got closer to the target it became more about making sure we finished the game off and we managed to do that in the final over.”
Yes, they did, and regardless of what happens over the next few days, members of Southport & Birkdale who watched the end of Saturday’s match will only have to share the memory for their win- ters to be warmed.
It is to be hoped that as many as possible make the journey to Colwyn Bay for Saturday’s game, not because S&B are favourites to stay up but because this bunch of fallible, brave, annoying, engaging cricketers deserves their support.
The fate of Chris Firth’s team is not in their own hands.
Formby, the team directly above the two Southport sides, will be safe if they win at Rainhill on Saturday.
S&B will be relegated in any case if they do not win at Colwyn Bay.
But if Chris Firth’s team win and gain 14 points more than their rivals from Cricket Path, one the most unlikely escapes in the c club’subs historysto y will have been achieved.
The odds are heavily against it h happening but after Saturday most members at Trafalgar Road are keeping their money in the wallets and booking extra sessions with their therapists.
How the ECB Premier League’s bottom three stand: Formby 167pts, Southport & Birkdale 154, A Ainsdale 147.
Saturday’s matches: Colwyn B Bay v Southport & Birkdale, Northern v Ainsdale, Rainhill v Formby.
Southport & Birkdale second X XI’s match at Northern was one of many matches to fall victim to waterlogged grounds and overnight rain. Craig Todd’s team are now certain to finish third in the table and complete their prog gramme at home to Bootle on Satu urday afternoon. Yates c Cole b Sephton ...............................................21 Phillips c Lucas b Grey ................................................... 0 Brownlow c Laker b Sephton ...................................47 Byrne st Bradley b Sephton ........................................ 7 Knight c Bradley b Sephton ........................................ 6 Baybutt c Bradley b Snow ............................................ 1 Lea st Bradley b Sephton ............................................. 9 Galley c Boardman b Sephton ................................... 8 Firth b Snow ........................................................................ 6 Gailey not out ..................................................................43 Warhurst not out ...........................................................11 Extras ..................................................................................... 8