Inter-league side are too hot for Liverpool

Chris Gill on the attack

FOR five months of the year, players from opposing sides in the Saddleworth and District Cricket League try their utmost, usually by fair means, to beat one another.

Yesterday, at Moorside, 11 men from eight clubs pulled together to record one of the SDCL’s finest victories in the history of the Readers Inter-League Knock-out.

The Liverpool Competition were hammered by 138 runs in a first-round tie as one-sided as they come.

The fact that players from Bootle and New Brighton were absent from the visitors’ line-up because of National Cup commitments shouldn’t detract from an outstanding team performance.

With Peter Skuse, of Stayley, at the helm, the SDCL were too good for their rivals in every facet of the game. Their reward – a semi-final clash against the Bolton League on Sunday, July 12.

Even the loss of Friarmere’s Darius Cummins to the very first ball of the innings – he was bowled by Lytham’s Luke Williams – couldn’t shift the hosts off their stride.

Greenfield’s second-wicket pair Chris Gill (45) and Alex Peters (41) put the innings on an even keel with a stand of 61, before the latter became one of three victims for Formby’s Jack Vale.

Gill and Daelon Campbell, a late replacement for Saddleworth injury victim Dave Roberts, then took up the mantle with a partnership of 35.

And it continued, the middle-order adding useful runs at a reasonable rate, with Uppermill’s Campbell (36), Skuse (38) and CJ Ferreira (22) all contributing.

Even when two wickets fell in quick succession to leave the SDCL 202 for eight, Mark Whitehead (Glodwick) and Waqas Malik (Whalley Range) used their nous to see out what little time there was left with sensible shot-making rather than risk not using up their full allocation of 45 overs with the old ‘heave-ho’.

A victory target of 218 was never going to be easy, and after half-a-dozen overs apiece of Whitehead and Mohammed Irfan it was nigh on impossible.

Languid left-arm seamer Irfan bowled Liam Grey (Northern) in the first over. Whitehead, running into a strong wind, then dismissed Adam Phillips (Southport and Birkdale), George Johansen (Colwyn Bay) and Will Hale (Lytham).

Saddleworth’s Mohammed Shakir got in the act by removing Wallasey’s Jack Leckey. The Liverpool Competition were 42 for five.

Vale and captain Guy Roberts (Lytham) held back the torrent of wickets by adding 35.

However, once the latter was caught and bowled by Irfan’s Austerlands team-mate Ferreira for 20, the end came quickly. The SDCL’s bowling figures were impressive. In scorebook order – Irfan one for 18; Whitehead three for 14; Shakir one for 21; Ferreira two for 19; Malik three for six.

THE Saddleworth League’s Colts opened their Readers Inter-League group campaign with a superb victory over the Lancashire County League at Dukinfield. Replying to the hosts’ 153 all out, Jamie Symonds’ under-18s side reached their goal with two wickets to spare.

THE Lake Garage CLL’s dismal recent record in the Readers Inter-League Knock-Out continued at Milnrow yesterday.

Taking first guard against the Bolton League, the CLL made a respectable 202 for eight.

Five batsmen – Simon North, Jake Hooson, James Rawlinson, Dean Morris and Ben Chapman – made scores in the 30s, but no-one was able to make the big, telling contribution.

At one stage of their reply, the Bolton League were struggling on 141 for six despite opener Paul Ingram’s 65.

But ex-Lancashire man Oliver Newby (Westhoughton) saw them over the line with an unbeaten 34 to secure a semi-final place against the Saddleworth and District League.