S&B CC 1st XI vs Ormskirk CC 1st XI

Southport and Birkdale first- team captain Dean Skelton declared himself more than happy after his team had tied their pre-season friendly against Ormskirk on Saturday.

Both clubs fielded a mixture of first and second team cricketers in the 40-over match at Brook Lane and it was agreed that batsmen should retire once they had reached 50.

Nevertheless, the game was well contested and provided exactly the type of preparation Skelton’s players needed in advance of the start of the competitive season on Saturday when S&B are at home to Liverpool in the first round of the Ray Digman Trophy.

Particular bonuses for Skelton were the bowling of Tom Crew, who took two wickets with the new ball, and the batting of Seb Rice and Fraser Hill. Rice joined the club from Northern in the close season but Hill is a recent acquisition, having moved to Southport from Dorset, where he played in the county’s premier league.

Both Rice and Hill made half-centuries, so with Muhammad Kashif and Raunak Roy still to make their debuts S&B's' selectors have some tough but welcome selection problems ahead of them this week.

That will be pleasant indeed for Skelton, given the departures from Trafalgar Road at the end of last season, but what might please him even more is the atmosphere in the dressing room.

S&B's players enjoyed their cricket on Saturday and enjoyed each other’s company over a drink when the game was done.

If that mood can be maintained, it will count for a great deal over the next five months - and indirectly it will probably earn the team some points when Liverpool Competition matches begin on April 26.

Read Paul's S&B CC reports each week in the Southport Visiter

Photo kindly provided by Angus Matheson - see the full gallery of photos via the link below.

Ormskirk CC v Southport & Birkdale CC 1st XI 12.04.25 Photos