Orrell’s first team began their 2023 Liverpool Competition ECB Premier League campaign with 6 wicket victory away at New Brighton.
Missing overseas player Naveen Gunawardana (due to arrive this week) but including newcomers Matthew Parkinson and Luke Prescott in the team, skipper Sam Heeley won the toss and chose to field in what looked to be bowler friendly conditions given the recent wet weather.
16 year old Dominic Hayes opened the bowling for Orrell and struck with the last ball of the first over when Seb Botes was caught at point by Heeley. Meanwhile, at the other end, Heeley was extracting significant lateral movement from the pitch as he beat the outside edge with regularity. Hayes struck again in his second over when he got a ball to nip back in and take the inside edge of ex Lancashire batter Owais Shah as he was brilliantlycaught behind by wicketkeeper Richard Everett to leave the hosts 2-2. Hayes continued to bowl with good pace and skill and struck again in his fourth over when, after being hit for four through extra cover the ball before, he bowled Dan Cooke with a ball that nipped past the inside of the bat onto the pads and then onto the stumps. As he came towards the end of his allowed 7 over spell, Hayes further decimated the hosts top order when he saw Martyn Evans dismissed with Alfie Clarke taking an excellent low diving catch at extra cover.
When Hayes left the attack with the score 15-4 it saw a mini revival by the hosts despite Heeley’s best efforts and an impressive debut by Parkinson. Parkinson, however, soon struck twice in quick succession- starting with the dismissal of remaining top order batter Ashley Watkins who chipped a catch up to Clarke at extra cover- to place New Brighton at 47-6. Heeley then mopped up the rest of the batting line up- including two identical dismissals via catches from Prescott at mid off.
New Brighton were all out for 53 in 27.2 overs. Hayes led the way with 4-10 from his 7 overs, whilst Heeley took 4-21 from 13.2 overs and Parkinson 2-22 from 7 overs. Whilst it has to be acknowledged that these were bowler friendly conditions, credit must be given to the bowlers for how they expertly exploited the conditions as well as to the excellent ground fielding and catching of the team to back the bowlers up.
In reply, Prescott and Andy Baybutt got the innings off to a steady start in the face of continued bowler friendly conditions- Prescott glancing one ball effortlessly off his legs for 6 runs. When Prescott feathered one behind to the keeper, it saw Baybutt joined at the crease by Everett. With the score on 34, Everett was adjudged leg before wicket- to a ball that jagged back into his pads- and Mark Waddington came to the crease. When Baybutt was caught at mid on to leave the score 39-3, the hosts began to think of an unlikely comeback. When Heeley was the victim of a smart stumping down his legside with the score on 44-4, it fell to Matthew Wareing to shut the door firmly on an Orrell collapse as he saw Orrell to a 6 wicket victory in only 15.5 overs. Baybutt top scoring with 19. A pleasing start to the season for Heeley’s charges.