Maybe there’s something in this league for the bowlers after all.
After a record-breaking start to the season for batters in the Love Lane Liverpool Competition, there was something heartening in the way the leonine seamer Scott Lees hurled himself at Formby on Saturday to set up a seven-wicket win for Ormskirk.
Lees has sent down at least 170 overs every year since 2010. The 11.1 he produced at Cricket Path were too good for a depleted home side, who lost their first three wickets for 17 inside eight overs, then their last seven for 32 in less than 15.
Under orders from captain Gary Knight to target the stumps more, Lees took 5/22 with back-of-a-length snorters that leapt off a drying wicket and asked questions the batters couldn’t answer.
Ollie Sutton and Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe counter-punched with a stand of 77 that lifted their side to something like parity, but once Darkes-Sutcliffe top-edged a sweep off Zahir Shehzad, the dam had burst.
After Sam Ellis forgot the old saying about running on misfields and found himself beaten by Harvey Rankin’s throw, Sutton could only watch as Shehzad found a testing length which ensured the lower order had nowhere to turn.
After the Afghan twirler had claimed four wickets, Lees returned to end the innings on 126 - Sutton, last out for 74, was left to rue the lack of support.
Knight said: “Scott bowled really well. He gave us a really good base, so we could bring Zahir on when they were a few down.
“If the pressure is already on when he comes on, it’s a different game.
“Ollie batted nicely, but we controlled him quite well, and a good 70 had a minimal impact on the game.”
Home skipper Calum Turner, deprived of the services of Will Porterfield and Sam Oldham, was one of eight Formby players to fail to see off their first 20 balls.
He added: “The biggest challenge we’ve got is batting long periods of time.
“It’s just about getting through that first 10, 15, 20 balls - because it does get a lot easier after that.”
Ormskirk opener George Politis showed how it could be done after the break, easing the top order through the chase with a mature, composed 52, including the boundary that secured his side’s third win.
“I’m really impressed with George,” added Knight. “He’s got a big future in cricket, I think, and he’s shaping up really well at the moment.
“The season has been a mixed bag - I still think there’s a lot of potential but we’re still kind of searching for consistency.
“There’s been some good performances tucked in there with some average ones, so we know what we need to do.”
Turner hopes a return to full strength will help Formby get back to winning ways - whether or not that includes Indian batter Ankit Kalsi is out of his hands thanks to the ongoing visa delays at the Home Office.
“It’s a dynamic situation,” he euphemised. “We’re still waiting patiently - we’ve still got another two or three weeks to get him in.”
Having stretched their lead at the top of the Premier Division with Friday’s win over New Brighton, Wallasey would have enjoyed watching Saturday’s results roll in.
Defending champions Northern fell foul of a stunning stand of 200 between Rizwan Haider (122*) and Ben Walkden (87*) which earned an eight-wicket win for Newton-le-Willows.
Liam Grey’s 86 had led the visitors to 221/7, but the Pakistani first-class veteran and the Lancashire prospect ensured it wasn’t enough, having come together at 23/2.
The defending champions have now lost to both promoted sides this season.
Wigan also lost by eight wickets defending 200+, in their case against Leigh. Derbyshire team-mates Luis Reece (101*) and Mattie McKiernan (54) put on 131 together after the hosts took more than 70 overs to reach 202.
Richard Everett and Dileepa Jayalath were the stars for Orrell Red Triangle in their 169-run win over Southport & Birkdale. Everett’s 117 and Jayalath’s unbeaten 58 set up a total of 280/7; the Sri Lankan spinner’s 6/51 ensured there would be no heroics from the visitors.
Rainhill remain winless after they shared the spoils at Birkenhead Park. Sam Kershaw’s 93 was the only score above 22 in the visitors’ 178/9 - Park closed on 137/8.
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Liverpool’s spinners twirled their side to second place in Division One by setting up a five-wicket win in the derby clash with Sefton Park.
Jared Clein took 5/55 and Zohaib Zamankhail 4/27 to dismiss the visitors for 137.
Lytham maintained their 100% record with a six-wicket win over Ainsdale. Akash Vashisht’s unbeaten 77 and Guy Roberts’ 58 did the bulk of the work after Stephen Lucas finished on 76* in the visitors’ 203/7.
Rainford came off worst in a low-scorer at Firwood Bootle; Keiron New’s 7/50 rolled the visitors for 106, which the home side lost eight wickets in overhauling.
Madduma Lakmal and Jamie Darbyshire took four wickets each for Highfield, to dismiss Fleetwood Hesketh 55 runs short of the visitors’ 162/9.
Northop Hall shaded the Welsh “derby” over Colwyn Bay (a mere 27 miles as the crow flies) by 14 runs, thanks to 92 from Evan Withe followed by 5/56 from Dhanosh Kaludewa. Paul Jenkins took 5/40 for the visitors as they dismissed the hosts for 174.
The battle of the promoted sides saw Spring View defend just 118 at Caldy, for a 51-run win.
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A thrilling St Helens derby in Division Two saw Sutton prevail by eight runs, having been bowled out for 78 by St Helens Town.
Joe Smith was the hero for the hosts with 5/21, as the visitors lost their last four wickets for 11 runs.
Maghull keep their grip at the top of the table with a 98-run win over Wavertree. Adam Carus McDonald’s 5/26 kept the hosts down to 184 after Jamie Breakwell’s 68, but Munowar Samsodien’s 6/25 made short work of the reply - Ben Smith’s 50 the only real rearguard.
Southport Trinity chased down 267 for a three-wicket win at Norley Hall. Jonny Hine made 99 - the rhyme will have been of little comfort to him - and Salman Ahmed 67 in the run chase, after Harsha Rajapaksha hit 100 and Daniel Fisher 57 for the hosts.
Old Xaverians beat Hightown St Marys by nine wickets after rolling the visitors for 75; and Parkfield Liscard conceded their game at Prestatyn, thankfully a rare occurrence at first XI level.
