Promising signs ahead of S&B’s curtain raiser
ENCOURAGED by one of their most confident pre-season performances in recent seasons, Southport and Birkdale’s cricketers will begin their Love Lane Liverpool Competition programme of matches on Saturday when Leigh are the visitors to Trafalgar Road for a match which begins at noon.
The team Chris Cunningham leads out against the visitors from Beech Walk will probably show a few changes from that which defeated Edgworth by eight wickets on Sunday.
For example, although Jack Carney is not available, the Nottinghamshire bowler, Toby Pettman, should be available to make his debut.
However, the most heartening aspect of S&B’s sole pre-season run-out was that it revealed both the readiness of the current firstteam squad for the challenges that lie ahead and that of other players who will get their chance sooner or later.
Having opted to field, Cunningham’s bowlers dismissed Edgworth for 113 in 35.5 overs with Henry Eccles taking four for 6 in 2.5 overs, Tom Crew bagging two wickets and Peter Crew picking up another.
In other words, seven wickets were taken by junior cricketers who learned the game at Trafalgar Road very recently.
And this did not prevent the more experienced bowlers turning their arms over; five of the seven-man attack enjoyed at least one success.
But it does suggest that the younger brigade will be pushing for places in the first team before the season is done – and that is exactly as it should be. Difficult selection meetings are invariably the sign of a strong club.
There was also encouragement to be taken from S&B’s performance with the bat on Sunday.
Although Carney and
JJ Fielding fell early, Basil Sultan and David Snellgrove put on an unbroken 97 for the third wicket with Sultan including five fours in his impressive 69-ball 38 not out and Snellgrove hitting seven fours in his unbeaten 53-ball 50.
Does any of this mean the league season is certain to go well?
Of course, not.
Cricket is too fickle a game for that.
All the same, a comprehensive win is better than a hammering and either is better than the complete pre-season washout that once threatened S&B’s early games.
“I think we’re in the best shape possible given the circumstances and we’re really keen for the season to begin,” said Cunningham.