Formby Cricket Club Report

1st XI

Oldham Ton in Vain as Weather Intervenes

Formby have been in League and Cup action in the last fortnight, beating Hightown St Mary’s in the Liverpool Echo KO on Friday 23rd at Cricket Path. It was a one-sided affair as Sam Oldham (82 from 47 balls, 7 fours and 3 sixes) and Dan Stanley (49 - 30 balls, 9 fours and a six) put on 116 for the second wicket and Elliot Ketteringham (27* - 10 balls, 4 fours and a six) and Ollie Sutton (18 from 9 balls, 3 fours) continued to onslaught as Formby posted 210-5 in their 20 overs. In reply, Hightown St Mary’s were never up with the rate and finished on 121-4, Ketteringham taking 2-22, Oldham 1-24 and Sutton 1-34 from their respective 4 overs.

The next day, Formby made the trip to the seaside to play Colwyn Bay. The pitch had been exposed to some rain during a t20 match on Friday night and looked like one you would prefer to bat second on (as is generally the case there). Naturally this meant that Ian Cockbain would lose the toss and be invited to bat.

Cockbain and Parry opened the innings, reaching 33 after 45 minutes on a tricky surface before an off-cutter defeated Parry’s defensive push and took out his middle stump. Sam Oldham looked solid as the pair moved steadily to 91, with Cockbain hitting 4 boundaries, before he tried a reverse sweep against Campion and was adjudged lbw for 30. Dan Stanley and Oldham added 56 before Oldham, who had reached his fifty from 97 balls, departed for 64, caught at short mid-wicket, with the total on 147-3.

Ketteringham and Stanley then added 34 for the 4th wicket, and when Stanley went for 45 (39 balls), Ollie Sutton helped Ketteringham to the 4th batting point in the 55th over, on 195-4. Cockbain batted on for a couple more overs, time for 27 runs to be added for the loss of Ketteringham for 15. The declaration came at the tea interval, on 222-5.

Colwyn Bay started cautiously, and spin, in the form of Parry, was introduced in the 8th over, the total on 14. Parry’s accuracy pinned the batsmen down and was rewarded in his 4th over, when Gidlow tried to sweep and was given out lbw. Ben Aitchison had Leach caught and bowled for 24 to make it 43-2.

The total reached 100 in the 31st over, Keedy having been introduced, and on a non-responsive surface, picked up a wicket in his 4th over, courtesy of a terrific catch by Cockbain at slip. That was 100-3 and Campion came in and hit Keedy for a succession of on-side fours and sixes, one of which cleared the pavilion. Parry had Morris lbw at 120-4 and then had Johansen caught by Aitchison at 138-5. With 5 overs left, they needed 33 to win. Mahmood, then Aitchison, were re-introduced but couldn’t stop the flow of runs. Mahmood had only 2 runs to spare as he started the final over, at which point he demolished Campion’s wicket. But a single and a scrambled bye brought the scores level and another single won the game, though Aitchison’s throw was within a whisker of running out Higginson at the bowler’s end.

Formby entertained Rainhill at Cricket Path this week and won the toss. Cockbain and Seward opened and the total had reached 65 after 17 overs when Cockbain, on 19, had to retire hurt. He was replaced by Sam Oldham, and, at 72 in the 23rd over, Seward was out, lbw. This brought in Stanley who hit Atkinson for a four and a six over mid-on, but next ball was caught at silly point for 13 at 92-2. Ketteringham then advanced to Darekar, missed and offered the simplest of stumpings.

Luke Jones showed patience before accelerating and the fifty partnership with Oldham came up in just 39 minutes and Oldham’s own fifty from 83 balls. The pair then started to get on top as Formby went in search of maximum batting points, the partnership reaching 85 before Jones, on 41 tried to hit his third six against Darekar, missed, and was bowled.

Sutton was bowled for a duck, but Ben Aitchison came in and looked to give Oldham the strike. The innings continued to tea and in the last over, Oldham took 12 from the first 5 balls to reach his maiden century for the Club, at which point the declaration came on 240-5 from 57.5 overs.

The Rainhill reply got off to a good start, but Gregg Weir struck in his third over, having McGladdery caught behind by Seward for 15. After 9 overs, the drizzle set in and an hour was lost. The resumption lasted only 4 balls, but Aitchison had Kershaw caught by Seward for 13 on 58-2 from the last of those. 6 minutes the rain stopped for good.

Although there were still around 24 overs of play left, Rainhill abandoned any ambition either to win the game (highly improbable, admittedly) or even to try to secure a few batting points, opting for all-out defence. This allowed Cockbain to set attacking fields and in the 2nd over of the last hour, Aitchison removed Atkinson, Seward’s 3rd victim, for 47. Keedy then had Higham and Edmundson also caught by Seward to make it 84-5 with 15 overs to go and Formby were in with an outside chance of a win. Unfortunately, the wet ball hampered Keedy’s ability to obtain maximum turn and although he bowled Darekar, Rainhill only lost one more wicket, as Keedy finished with 4-18 from 12 overs.

2nd XI

Two Saturdays ago, the side lost to Ormskirk at Cricket Path. The visitors elected to bat first and their top 3 all made fifties as they declared after 41 overs on 216-7 with Tony Rogan the only wicket-taker with 4-35 from 13 steady overs. 3 run-outs made up the balance of wickets. In the Formby reply 2 of the top 3 got to 50, Luke Jones with 58 and Andy Kenyon with 59. Jackson Cockbain got 25, but the rest of the side crumbled somewhat to the Ormskirk leg-spinner, who took 5-32 from 10.3 overs as Formby were all out 23 short of their target.

Last Thursday, they visited Spring View for their Chrysalis Cup match and the home side won the toss and batted. Tony Rogan’s 4 overs brought him 1-15, and James Beckingham had 2-12 from 3 overs. Jude Mahadanaarachchi ensured there was no late acceleration as he took 3-10 from 3 overs and Spring View ended at 98-6, Jude then opened the batting and was dropped behind the wicket before he had scored. That proved a costly mistake as he then stroked the ball to all corners of the ground to finish on 58 not out as Formby won by 9 wickets, with Shane Herbst 22 not out. They will host Ormskirk in the quarter-finals.

This week, they had a league win away at Wallasey. The hosts elected to bat and Formby took wickets regularly to restrict the run-flow, as Wallasey were all out for 189 in 45 overs. The main wicket-taker was Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe (aged 15) with the fine figures of 17 overs, 4 maidens, 5-52. Alex Powell took 2-17 from 6 overs whilst Tony Rogan 2-52 and Tom Simpson had 1-32, each from 8.

Darkes-Sutcliffe then made a brisk 20, opening, but it was a fine 76 not out in 95 balls from Andy Kenyon which anchored the innings as Tom Simpson contributed 31, Ollie Gallagher 22 and Michael Booth 34 not out as Formby won in the 43rd over.

3rd XI

Two Sundays ago, the 3s were in action at Hightown St Mary’s, who were asked to bat first. A couple of decent partnerships brought the total to 168-6 declared after 46 overs.

Formby opened with a stand of 21 before Jake Eastwood nicked one to the ‘keeper. Shane Herbst then hit 3 fours before edging to slip for 15 and Nick Sutton was caught behind for 6. Ben Aitchison and Jackson Cockbain consolidated before accelerating away to see their side to the win with 8 overs to spare. Aitchison (who was dropped at slip first ball - yet another costly mistake!) ending on 95 not out (10 fours, 3 sixes) and Cockbain on 32 not out.

There was no game this week as the ground was needed for the 2nd XI Chester Cup match.

4th XI

Two Sundays ago, the 4s went to Spring View and came away with their first draw of the season. Arthur Cook bagged an early wicket, but thereafter the side didn’t find wicket-taking easy, as Spring View batted through 45 overs to declare on 218-3, Andy McMorran and Mark Sumpter taking the other wickets to fall.

Formby replied with their best league batting performance of the season, due in no small part to Cook’s career-best 40 at no.3. After a wobble where half the side were out for 85, Stephan Pendered (22*) and Louis Burt (24*) saw their side to the dizzy heights of two batting bonus points and a comfortable draw at 139-5 from 38 overs.

They were away again this Sunday, to Orrell Red Triangle, with a bowling attack that relied on early wickets from Arthur Cook. Unfortunately, these were not forthcoming for once and the side chased leather for 41.3 overs as Orrell racked up 228-4 declared. Andy McMorran took two of the wickets in 4 overs near the close whilst Miles Davies and Louis Burt took one apiece.

The Formby reply saw Cook again in the runs at No.3 with 24 as he and Jump (32) added 28 for the second wicket, but after them there was no innings of length nor substance as they were all out for 98 to lose by 130 runs.