Sefton Park got the better of their tussle with Caldy at a sun-kissed Croxteth Drive, on a day to warm the hearts of cricket fans everywhere.
Three England internationals went toe-to-toe, two 15-year-olds gave glimpses of a big future, and one veteran gave an exemplary performance in the art of stand-up wicketkeeping, in both senses.
But the crucial intervention in the Division One clash came from the hosts’ skipper, former Lancashire favourite Paul Horton.
Haroon Khan and visiting captain Mark Wilkie had put on 63 together and Caldy were 113/2, with Park’s 230/6 coming into view.
Horton, deprived of frontline spinner Raheem Kasser by a nasty hand injury suffered the previous week, gave his off-breaks a go and immediately trapped Khan playing around his pad.
Five balls later, Ayan Madhu - a tall, whippy seamer who found bounce others couldn’t - persuaded Wilkie to chip to mid-on, a full-pitched punchline to several overs’ worth of rough stuff.
South African teenager Corne Nel was starting to rebuild, and took Horton for three fours in four balls - but the next delivery beat his forward push and took his bails.
With 94 still needed, half the side gone and 13 overs left, the lower order was left to shut up shop.
But Horton and Madhu continued to make inroads and, when the latter was removed from the attack for bowling two beamers, Huzaifa Zubair ripped out Lloyd Eastham’s stumps, leaving the skipper to claim the last wicket with 4.1 overs to spare.
His 4/32 was more wickets than he’s taken in a season since 2006 - but the important thing was the win.
“We know we’re not blessed with huge amounts of spin bowling at the club at the moment, so I’ve got to provide an option,” Horton said.
“But I’m not really that concerned if I take wickets or score runs, I want to win games of cricket.
“So it was good to get a couple of wickets, but hopefully someone will step up next week.
“Ayan has got some real attributes - he’s tall, he’s very athletic. If he gets it together, he can be a real handful.”
Wicketkeeper James Stirling caught the eye with some smart takes standing up to the brisk medium pace of Jimmy Dixon - he and fellow 15-year-old Leo Spilsbury combined to remove Connor Windell in the latter’s first over.
Horton said: “James has got a lot of ability, I think we often forget how young he is.
“He’s got a really good attitude and a really level head - I think he’ll be very successful.”
Having won the toss and chosen to field, Wilkie’s non-stop, warm-hearted chatter from behind the stumps had kept players and spectators amused throughout Park’s innings.
As well as holding court on the scenery, the weather and the finer points of the batters’ techniques, he saw his bowlers make regular breakthroughs.
Ben Percival, George Lee and Horton all got in, but when left-arm spinner Dan Hamm removed both Lee and Horton, the innings teetered at 146/4 in the 45th over.
But Rob Supria’s first four balls went for 0, 2, 4 and 6 - while the sequence had to stop there, he and Zubair gave the innings some much-needed momentum.
Supria finished unbeaten on 46, having earned his side maximum batting points and made Caldy’s task that crucial bit tougher.
“There’s just that 5-10% that’s costing us victories at the moment,” Wilkie said.
“When we were 110/2 chasing 230, I felt confident - but a couple of things go against you and all of a sudden you’re chasing the game, batting second.
“Hopefully, we can kick on now over the next three or four weeks against the teams that have had similar starts to us.”
Both captains were quick to point out that the trio of England men - Caldy’s Chris Edwards, who captains the learning disability side, Hamm, who plays for the physical disability XI, and Dixon, who stars for the deaf team - were on the field for purely cricketing reasons.
At the same time though, their presence is a sign of progress. Not long ago, their skills might have been overlooked - here, they were front and centre throughout.
Wilkie said: “It shows how far cricket has come in the last 25-30 years, it’s brilliant.
“People are there on merit, it’s not as if we’re making allowances.”
Horton added: “I don’t really notice them as disability cricketers - they’re just cricketers to me.
“It’s great that they can play and be involved, and they play on merit because they’re talented cricketers.”
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Wallasey kept up their 100% record in the ECB Premier Division with a 122-run win over Wirral rivals Birkenhead Park - thanks in no small part to a man on an impressive run of his own.
Sumit Ruikar followed his unbeaten 78 - setting up a total of 243/4 - with an all-innings spell of 7/50 which sent the visitors tumbling from 32/0 to 52/4. Safi Abdullah struck six sixes in his 56, but it was all in vain.
Teenage opener Jac Kennedy scored his maiden century for Northern - an unbeaten 100 - to set his side on their way to an 82-run win over Wigan. Tom Sephton sealed the deal with 7/37.
Rainhill had Ormskirk’s 181 in their sights at 122/2 - but their last eight wickets fell for just 22 runs. Chief destroyer was Jamie Barnes, who finished with 5/54; earlier, Alex Rankin had top-scored with 59 as Imliwati Lemtur took 6/59 for the visitors.
A run-fest at Trafalgar Road saw Southport & Birkdale share the spoils with Formby. Isaac Lea made 107, in a stand of 166 with Jonny Whitehead (92) to set a huge total of 307/8; in reply, skipper Callum Turner’s 124 and Ollie Sutton’s 60 made the unlikeliest of chases seem possible, before a clatter of wickets means the visitors closed on 249/5.
New Brighton had to settle for a draw with Newton-le-Willows after Owais Shah’s 98 and David While’s 50 underpinned their 237/6; Subhaan Mahmood made 90 for the visitors, but only 42 overs were possible and they closed on 191/3.
It was a similar story at Leigh, where the hosts posted 220/6 thanks to Mattie McKiernan’s 76, only for visitors Orrell Red Triangle to slam the door shut at 130/7.
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Rainford had to do it the hard way to maintain their perfect start to the Division One season with a 55-run win over Colwyn Bay.
A collapse from 118/5 to 118/8 threatened to leave a simple chase, but number 10 Liam Gaskell scored his first XI best of 84 - William Curran contributed 12 to a last-wicket stand of 104 - to lift the hosts to 239/9. Demoralised Bay succumbed to the spin of John Dotters, who took 5/43, with Sion Morris’s 51 the main resistance.
It was a similar story at Highfield, where Liverpool rallied from 130/8 to 230, thanks to Tom Sutcliffe’s unbeaten 57. Madduma Lakmal took 5/55 for the hosts, who hit the jackpot when their turn came - Ryan Hargreaves hit 101 and Michael Farrell 64 to seal a six-wicket win.
Lytham kept up their 100% record with a 36-run win over Fleetwood Hesketh. Fayaz Ughradar took 6/59 to restrict the visitors to 157, but the hosts had no answer to Tom Jefferson’s 6/34.
Firwood Bootle slipped to their third defeat of the season, falling 89 runs short of Spring View’s 198. Skipper Danny Davies took 5/39 to keep his side in contention, but once they slipped to 10/4 in reply, the message was received loud and clear.
Ainsdale were held to a draw by Northop Hall, for whom Joshua Leach hit 53 to see his side to the close on 165/8, 86 runs short of the hosts’ 251/4. Earlier, Stephen Lucas, Luke Smith and Mark Lucas all hit half-centuries.
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Unbeaten Maghull piled on 256/8 against Norley Hall in Division Two, thanks to Liam Crilly’s 78 and Anthony Molloy’s 83. But Chris McLoughlin’s 84 and Ryan Wood’s 50, in an unbeaten stand of 94, saw Hall to the close 50 runs short and five wickets down.
Alder came within 21 runs of their first win of the season at Hightown St Marys, but fell at the last. Greg Coogan took 6/57 for the West Derby side.
Old Xaverians managed to defend 96 at St Helens Town, and with plenty to spare; the hosts crumbled for 42, having been 28/9. Sharen Rajendran’s 5/21 was some consolation for the home side.
Salman Ahmed finished unbeaten on 79 as Southport Trinity beat Prestatyn by nine wickets; and Sutton chased 154 for a five-wicket win at Wavertree.
