Firth’s five-for tees up triumph

SOUTHPORT & Birkdale skipper Chris Cunningham is always on the lookout for signs of progress from his young side – on Saturday, they gave him one of his most comfortable days as captain so far.

Under a Wigan sky ranging from grey to bluish-grey, they took the lead early on and never looked like letting it slip. A stand of 107 between left-handed openers JJ Fielding and Jack Stanley made light work of a chase of 141.

S&B’s nine-wicket win was sealed off the last ball of the 25th over when Fielding pulled Adnan Miakhel for six over the short square boundary.

Cunningham said: “We said last year that Jack and JJ have got the ability, so it was great to see them putting on an opening partnership.

“JJ did very well last year, while Jack had a bit of a breakthrough season, so they both want to try to back that up this time. If those lads have got the hunger, it’s a great starting point for us.

“We were happy to bowl a side out for 140, but they still could have gone out there and put us under pressure. But the partnership gave us a solid platform.”

The skipper was indebted again to wily off-spinner Chris Firth, who removed the dangerous Charles Taylor with the game’s fourth ball, and went on to finish with 5/60.

But Cunningham, having won the toss, could also take heart from an incisive spell from young seamer Tom Crew, who deserved more than one wicket from the number of edges he induced.

The one he did get, though, was one for the mantlepiece – Wigan captain and former New Zealand international Aaron Redmond, playing back and chopping on to his stumps. Not a bad scalp for your maiden 1st XI league wicket.

Cunningham added: “He’ll always remember his first wicket, and it’s great to create those little memories. He’s come through the youth system at S&B, so it was great for him to go out there and do that.”

With Taylor and Redmond back in the hutch, the hosts’ middle order seemed in denial. They didn’t let the wickets slow their scoring rate, but perhaps they should have.

Instead, Miakhel set off for a madcap single and was beaten by Bobby Wincer’s lightning throw; Daniel Yates, struggling to get the ball off the square, tried to go aerial off Cunningham but found only the outstretched hand of Aryan Juyal at mid-on.

A seventh-wicket stand of 51 between John Richardson and Jordan Hampson had Wigan dreaming of parity, but it came crashing down in Wincer’s first over – Hampson ran past one and was stumped by Jack Carney, then Paddy Howley chipped his first ball straight back to the bowler.

There was no hat-trick, but the end came soon enough on 140. Richardson stood tall with a fine unbeaten 72, with three sixes, but no-one offered him enough support.

After the interval, the gap in quality only grew. Richardson and Hampson were asked to reprise their partnership with the ball, but aimed too wide, too short, or both.

Stanley took the lead at first with some handsome drives; Fielding, reprieved in the slips early on, was happy to leave the ball alone to start with.

None of the bowlers was allowed to settle – Redmond called on six of them to send down 25 overs, while the visitors had used just four to bowl 40.

Fielding grew in stature to hit the left-arm spin of Taylor out of the attack, and while Stanley aimed an airshot at Miakhel just after both had brought up their 50s, the rest was a formality.

LIVERPOOL are the only side in Division One with two wins, thanks to five wickets each for winter signings Sabbir Patel and Ross Allen in a five-wicket win at Ainsdale.

Another recruit, the returning Henry Charlton, top-scored with 43* in the visitors’ chase of 107.

Lancashire youngster Tom Aspinwall made an unbeaten 113 on his debut for Newton-le-Willows as they thrashed Caldy by 202 runs. Aspinwall was joined by Ben Walkden, who made 103* in an unbroken stand of 224; Caldy, set 248 to win, crumbled to Safi Abdullah’s 6/18.

Sefton Park’s Jimmy Dixon took 5/30 to dismiss Spring View for 134, but Sefton could only manage 87.

Lytham’s Richard Staines made 115 in a 122-run win over St Helens

Town.

Firwood Bootle earned their first win, chasing 146 to defeat Old Xaverians by four wickets.

Highfield managed to close out a draw at Birkenhead Park, despite a hat-trick from paceman Alex Baker.

SAMPATH Perera ran through Southport Trinity’s line-up as Prestatyn earned their second win of the season. The hosts managed just 55 thanks to Perera’s 5/7, setting up an eight-wicket win.

Irby were dismissed for 99 by Wavertree before the visitors came home by three wickets.

Jack York top-scored with 79 as Sutton beat Hightown St Mary’s by six wickets. Sharoon Siraj had made 61 out of the hosts’ 221/6.

Greg Coogan took 6/49 to seal a 78-run win for Maghull against Northop Hall. Norley Hall chased 70 for a six-wicket win at Alder, and Parkfield Liscard were beaten by 10 wickets by Fleetwood Hesketh.