Maghull Misfire Costs S&B Again

Paul Edwards writes for The Southport Visiter

Love Lane Liverpool Competition: First Division: Maghull (25pts) 168 for seven, beat Southport and Birkdale (6pts) 107 by three wickets

What is it about Maghull? Last season, Southport and Birkdale’s insipid performance in their defeat at Old Hall Field led to Dean Skelton explaining a few things to his players “without coffee” after the match. This year, though, S&B’s performance was similarly unimpressive and they were well beaten by three wickets. 

In many ways, the margin of the defeat disguised the extent to which S&B were second-best in all three major disciplines. Yet when Maghull were 133 for seven and still needed 35 to win, there was every chance Skelton’s team would pilfer the victory and go home with 23 points instead of six.

Instead, a catch went down, Anthony Molloy anchored his side home with an intelligent 55 not out and Greg Coogan settled S&B’s hash with a four and a six off successive deliveries from Mo Kashif. 

As a result of their defeat, S&B’s lead at the top of the First Division is cut to four points over Colwyn Bay with other sides not so far distant. But it is probably more important that the Trafalgar Road players understand that performances like Saturday’s would lead to them enjoying some very miserable afternoons in the Premier League, even if promotion is secured.

There are mitigating factors which make the picture a trifle less gloomy. David Snellgrove was unavailable with a back injury on Saturday and Saad Nawab was attending an important family celebration. Snellgrove’s presence would have been more valuable than ever on a tricky pitch and Nawab is already well-established as an important member of the side. It is also true that almost all of S&B’s performances this season have been substantially better than this one. 

But extenuation only goes so far. On Saturday, six S&B batsmen gave themselves a platform for playing a major innings by reaching double figures. However, no one managed more than Ronnie Roy’s 31, although Alex Halsall was unbeaten on 25 and is excused from blame.

On the contrary, Halsall faced 47 balls for his runs, five more than anyone else on his side and if more batsmen had matched even that modest level of patience, a total of 200 was perfectly attainable, especially on an outfield that was both quick and uneven.  

And S&B’s total of 167 should still have been defended. But none of Skelton’s bowlers found their best form and Maghull’s openers had put on 65 before Jonathan Ring was caught by Kashif off Matthew Wood for 34. 

Visiting supporters then waited for a collapse that never came. Only four of the 47.4 overs bowled by S&B were maidens and runs were scored without fuss by batsmen who ran well between the wickets and made the most of the fielding errors.

Bobby Wincer eventually found reasonable form and finished with six for 65, but Wincer knows he will bowl far better than this and take fewer wickets. On Saturday, some of his deliveries, like those of his colleagues, were attacked by Molloy, who was promoted up the order after a leg injury had curtailed his new-ball spell. 

Molloy, however, made light of his incapacity and guided Maghull to the brink of victory. Coogan’s uncomplicated whacks settled matters.   

S&B’s second team enjoyed mixed fortunes over the weekend. On Saturday, they eased to a comfortable ten-wicket victory over Spring View when Jairav Ramaiah took three for 12 and Henry Eccles, three for 32 to dismiss the visitors for 122 in 39 overs. Benish Shukla then made an unbeaten 79 and Tom Wainwright, 41 not out to seal the win.

On Sunday, however, S&B were well beaten by the new league leaders, Liverpool, who amassed 204 for six declared before bowling out their title rivals for 136. Peter Crew took four for 56 in the home side’s innings and Dave Aston marked his return to second-team cricket by making 51. 

But while one S&B side was losing at Aigburth, the third team was fighting hard to secure a draw against Liverpool on the field nearby. Fawad Khan made 98 and Bailey Melling took four for 47 in the home side’s impressive 232 for four declared but Jamie Johnson’s 65 not out and Seb Rice’s unbeaten 51 helped S&B finish on 209 for nine. Since the last wicket fell with the score on 203, it must be assumed that Rice had earlier retired but returned to help Johnson block out.

https://www.sandbcricket.co.uk/events/event/3602980