UNPARALLELED COVERAGE OF THE WEEKEND'S CRICKET ( 31 May/1 June )
Date: 4th June 2025
With thanks to Merseyside Cricket Online ( Tom Evans)
The function room at Wadham Road looked magnificent, the guests scrubbed up nicely in their suits and gowns, and the stage was set for the 50th anniversary of Firwood Timber, the firm which has lent its name Bootle’s cricket side since the mid-1990s.
But as the piano tinkled and the guests mingled, Ranhill were in the mood to play party crashers.The disruption was led by Ryan Brown, whose unbeaten 82 was his most substantial yet for his new side.
Six overs into the last hour, with Rainhill four down and still needing 86 at more than a run a ball, he pushed Jaden Rose for a leg-side single and almost didn’t make it, pulling up clutching the back of his leg.But as skipper Jamie Harrison put it, they build them strong up in Cumbria. Brown waved away a runner and opted instead for a swig of Red Bull – it didn’t quite give him wings, in fact he still ran like he was dragging a whole plane, but he also managed to pull his side to the finish line.
Joining him in an unbroken stand of 123 was Khalid Usman, quietly one of the Premier Division’s most impressive overseas pros over his two and a bit years at Ranhill.The Pakistani, who made 57, led the charge after Brown’s injury, hitting Jhangir Liaqat inside-out over long-off then pulling Rose over deep square leg to bring the required rate below six an over. Brown limped a single to bring up his 50, then seemed to recover – Rose disappeared through point, then a quiet Josh Andrady over was shattered with six into the sightscreen.When Usman slogged Andrady into the allotments, the target was just 18 away – Brown slammed Liaqat for four and six down the ground, then pulled off two ramp shots to wrap up Rainhill’s first win of the season.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said a relieved Harrison.“We’d shown some good signs in the early part of the season but we’d just not put it together and got a result, so we’re over the moon to get off the mark.“I think Browny’s done his hamstring, we’ll see how he goes. He did well to nip a hammy and keep going to produce an innings like that. “I knew what Browny could do and that’s why I was keen to get him in, and Khalid has put in a lot of match-winning performances with the ball and the bat over the years.”
The first half of the match belonged to Bootle’s South African, Ivan Kriek, who made his first century for the club, having scored 100* for Rainford against the same opponents last year.He came to the crease at 53/3 after Luke Procter had found Steve Rimmer’s edge with the first ball of the day, and just as Usman was settling into a 23-over spell that yielded 5/58, his ninth five-bag for Rainhill.When Usman accounted for Andrady, Liaqat and Rose in short order to make it 86/7, it looked as if Kriek might run out of support amid the hosts’ long tail, but the impressive Joe Adderley joined him for a stand of 70 which almost saw the innings through to tea. Kriek was dropped at short fine leg on 59, but kept trusting his sweep against Usman; Adderley looked uncomfortable against Procter’s pace but the Northamptonshire man seldom brought the stumps into play.With Kriek on 91 at the interval, Shaneil Patel opted against declaring, eventually pulling the plug with his overseas star on 110 and the score 198/8.Even with 59 overs bowled it was a sporting declaration, one that showed Patel was prepared to gamble his side’s unbeaten record for a shot at a third win.
When Rose removed Bilal Khan and Mike Rotheram in a fiery opening burst, the win looked possible. Rimmer held a stunning one-handed catch to remove the dangerous Alex Winiarski just before the last hour, then Liaqat had Procter dragging on.But Brown and Usman calmed their captain’s nerves and got their side on the board.Harrison added: “It ebbed and flowed. Ivan did the same thing against us for Rainford last year, he’s a good player and took some responsibility for his team. “We dropped a couple of chances at pivotal moments which could have cost us the game, but thankfully they didn’t.“Alex and Browny look like they will consistently score runs at this level, it’s just about making sure we’re not reliant on those two. “We’ve had a couple of mishaps and we’ve had some honest conversations as a team; I’m just thankful that we managed to put it together today.”
ECB Premier Division
Delhi Capitals star Ashutosh Sharma arrived in the UK at 7.30am; within a few hours, he had made his first Love Lane Liverpool Competition century.
Wigan, who signed the IPL gun to replace Shubham Khajuria, could be in for a treat once he’s over the jet lag. But on Saturday, Sharma’s efforts – and those of 16-year-old Aveen Dalugoda, who made a 1st XI best 86 in a stand of 153 – came to nought against Formby, after Ian Cockbain’s 60 and an unbeaten 74 from Jack Carney earned a four-wicket win.Another teenager, Bradley Barrow, took 5/78 for the visitors on an eventful day at Cricket Path.
Ormskirk skipper Gary Knight made the highest of his 10 league centuries for the club, an unbeaten 133 which set up a 79-run win at Colwyn Bay. He and Tom Brown, who made 54, put on an unbroken 179 for the defending champions; after twin 63s from George Johansen and Will Higginson, Toby Bulcock’s 5/40 induced a collapse from 149/4 to 168 all out.
Liam Grey took a career-best 8/19 to blow Wallasey away on their own patch, Northern chasing just 41 to earn a 10-wicket win after just 36.1 overs of play.
There was also a personal best for Jason Login, who made 128 to set up Rainford’s 119-run win over Birkenhead Park. American Nihil Desai also made 61 in their 282/4, including a stand of 143 with Login.
Newton-le-Willows are still without a win after their draw at Leigh. Lancashire’s George Bell made 81 and Chris Schofield 53 for the visitors, who closed on 253/9, but they were frustrated by half-centuries from Mattie McKiernan and Adam Shallcross.
Division One
Muhammad Kashif and Bobby Wincer starred with bat and ball as Southport & Birkdale got the better of Sefton Park.
The hosts were in deep trouble at 68/8 thanks to Daksh Singhvi’s 7/54, before Kashif made 62 not out and Wincer 55 in a stand of 96. Tom Crew, at number 11, made the innings’ third highest score as S&B closed on 210/9. Spinners Wincer and Kashif then took five wickets each as Park collapsed from 105/1 to 166 all out, Chris Bellis top-scoring with 59.
Liverpool thumped Old Xaverians by 157 runs, rolling the Woolton side for just 45. Earlier, Rob Rankin had made 52 for the visitors as Josh Dilworth claimed 7/68 for the hosts.
Spring View are still top after their 33-run win over Hightown St Marys. Chasing 174, the visitors looked good at 130/5 – but they lost their last five wickets for just 10 runs, Nathan Ashford finishing with 4/9 for View.
Sutton’s impressive start to life in Division One continued with an eight-wicket win over Maghull. Finn Thomson took 5/27 to restrict the visitors to 152, before Joe Smith’s unbeaten 83 did the bulk of the chasing.
Lytham’s Seshan Udara took 6/45 to earn a 43-run win over New Brighton, for whom Ashley Watkins played a lone hand with 59. Earlier, Damitha Silva’s 5/57 had helped restrict the hosts to 169 – but it proved to be enough.
Highfield’s Madduma Lakmal took 5/29 to set up a chase of 122 and a four-wicket win at Orrell Red Triangle.
Division Two
Caldy and Ainsdale are still neck-and-neck on six wins each at the top.
Rohan Sajaya’s 5/66 did the job for the Wirral side at Whitefield, for whom Rob Magee had claimed 7/35 to restrict the visitors to 192.
It was a similar story for Ainsdale at Norley Hall. They made 201 thanks to Andy Barlow’s 62, then handed over to Dilanka Auwardt, who took 6/63.
Northop Hall skipper Ben Slater made 123 to set up their 42-run win in a high-scorer at Southport Trinity. Mark Prince took 5/97 for the hosts, before Aussie opener Liam Sherriff carried his bat for 110, but couldn’t find the support down the order – nobody else made 20.
Another century in a losing cause came at Prescot & Odyssey, where Hedley Molyneux made an unbeaten 122 against Parkfield Liscard, backed up by Matthew Morrison’s 50 – only for the Wirral side to chase 213 for a four-wicket win, with half-centuries for Adnan Khalid and Naveed Salah.
Wavertree inched past Prestatyn’s 171 with two wickets to spare, with a half-century for skipper Theo O’Brien, after Rhys Jones made 75 for the Welsh side.
As well as Prestatyn, St Helens Town are also without a win – Fleetwood Hesketh’s Raja Immi took 5/17 to dismiss them for 81 and earn a 60-run win.
Sunday: Ray Digman Trophy Quarter-Finals
Northern got the better of Ormskirk in their first meeting this year as the holders lost their grip on the 45-over cup.
Left-arm seamer Josh Thompson did the bulk of the damage with 5/44, leaving Gary Knight’s side always behind the rate. Knight himself made 80 but once he fell, the game was more or less up and Ormskirk ended up 33 runs short. Earlier, Liam Grey made 79, Tyler McGladdery 68 and Alex Vincent a rapid unbeaten 51 as the hosts piled on an imposing 268/5.
Northern will play Birkenhead Park in the semis, after they chased 125 to see off 2023 winners Rainford. Chris Stenhouse took 3/13 from his six overs, and Andrew Clarke anchored the chase with an unbeaten 39.
Ivan Kriek made his second century of the weekend but it wasn’t enough to stop Leigh progressing to the semis at the expense of Firwood Bootle. Chasing a DLS-adjusted 242 from 39 overs, only Tom Meskell made double figures alongside Kriek and the last four wickets fell with the score on 175.Skipper Mattie McKiernan’s 93 led the hosts to 228/8 before the rain interruption.
Leigh will face Division One side Liverpool, who prevailed 4-3 in the drama of a sudden-death bowl-out after rain at Rainhill.
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