Orrell’s first-team took a significant scalp at Winstanley Road on Saturday when they beat Northern Cricket Club- the first time they have beaten the powerhouse of North West Cricket since achieving Premier League status in 2019.
Captain Sam Heeley won the toss and, in a change to the usual strategy, chose to bowl first. This proved to be an inspired decision as thecaptain and Dominic Hayes both produced probing opening spells of bowling. Hayes was the first to strike when he had Jac Kennedy caught behind by Richard Everett to make the score 23-1. Without a run being added, Heeleythen had captain James Cole caught at backward point by Matthew Wareing. The introduction of Naveen Gunawardana into the attack alongside Heeley, kept up the pressure and wickets fell at regular intervals including a remarkable catch by Ben Mahoney to dismiss Northern danger man Tyler McGladdery off the bowling of the Sri Lankan overseas player. At 62-7, the visitors were staring down the barrel of a gun but a determined eight wicket partnership between Daniel Wilson and Tom Sephton frustrated the home side. The partnership was broken when Wilson was adjudged LBW to Gunawardana to make the score 99-8. This soon became 106-9 when Sephton was dismissed by the Sri Lankan slow left-arm bowler. Matthew Parkinson was introduced to the attack and took the final wicket when he clean bowled Callum Snaylam. The visitors were all out for 111 in 48.4 overs.Gunawardana finished with the exceptional figures of 5-23 from 18 overs, Heeley 3-44 from 14 overs, Hayes 1-19 from 10 overs and Parkinson 1-14 from 6.4 overs.
The Orrell reply got off to the worst possible start when Ben Mahoney unluckily played the ball onto his own stumps off the bowling of Liam Grey. However, 17-year-old Luke Prescott was joined by Richard Everett and they calmed the nerves of the home team over what could have been a tricky chase as they batted with great fortitude and judicious shot selection. When Prescott was eventually out for 48 with the score on 88-2, Orrell knew that they were almost home and hosed barring a disaster. Despite losing Mark Waddington, Orrell won by seven wickets in 32.1 overs with Everett bringing up a deserved 50 in the closing stagesin front of an appreciative home crowd.
A momentous victory for the home team given the results of their previous encounters against such illustrious opponents but also a much-needed win in their quest to move up the Premier League table. All eyes are now on their away game at Southport and Birkdale on Saturday.
Meanwhile, Steve Unsworth’s second team made the short journey to neighbours Highfield for their game. Winning the toss and choosing to bowl first also, Unsworth saw his bowling attack put under pressure by some positive play from the home team. Highfield number four batter Craig Aspey embodied the home team’s approach as the score moved from 87-2 to over 200 in just over 12 overs of play in partnership with their second team overseas player Matt Purcell. When Aspey was stumped by David Naylor off the bowling of Logan Pallett, this slowed the run rate considerably and wickets started to fall at regular intervals. The home team eventually declared on 261-8 from 45 overs. Pallet was the leading wicket taker for Orrell with 3-54 from 10 overs whilst there was a wicket apiece for James Edgington, Arthur Moore, Harrison Hurst and David Cheetham.
In reply, a tight opening bowling spell from the home team made Orrell’s chances of victory seem slim especially when both opening batters (Stuart Craig 10 and Matthew Hayes 29) were back in the pavilion with the score on 64-2. However, whilst chasing down such a large score was never really a possibility with a number of overs missing in the days play due to slow over rates and extra drinks breaks in the hot conditions, an exceptional 70 from Pallett and a hard-hitting 51 from Terry Leaford(maintaining his recent purple patch) saw Orrell finish on a respectable 191-5 from 38 overs. Unsworth will be reassured that whilst his team was put under pressure for most of the game, histeam took nine points from the game whilst the home team took seven points from the game.This maintains the position of Unsworth’s team at the top of the table as they go into a crunch game against second placed New Brighton at home on Saturday.
The third team maintained their winning ways with comfortable victory away at Birkenhead Park on Saturday. The home team won the toss and chose to bat. They adopted a cautious approach and scoring was slow. They eventually finished on 137-9 declared in 48 overs. Greg Lea was the pick of the Orrell bowlers with 4-37 from 15 overs. George Mushahwar took 2-41 from nine overs whilst there was a wicket apiece for Joe Whiteley and Tom Wilkinson. Following an onslaught at the top of the order from Jonathan Cooper (56) the Orrell batting lineup made light work of the chase as they cruised to a six wicket victory in only 11.5 overs. Mushahwar with an unbeaten 33 was the other significant contributor. This victory maintaining the teams position at the top of their division.
On Sunday, there was one game as Mark Crumpton’s Premier league team welcomed Sefton Park to Winstanley Road. In a heavily rain affected game, Crumpton won the toss and chose to field which the visitors took as an invitation to ensuring that they didn’t lose thegame. In between being on an off for stoppages, the visitors made 196-7 from 50.1 overs when heavy rain brought a premature end to the day’s play with only just over 20 overs left. Mo Nizam took 3-53 from nine overs, James Leyland 1-11 from seven overs, Tom Wilkinson 1-22 from six overs, George Mushahwar 1-46 from eleven overs and the skipper himself took 1-5 from 1.1 overs. A frustrating game to watch for the spectators at the ground.