New Brighton hopes rest on Ryder’s top displays

Aug 11 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

WITH the top six clubs in the Premier League of the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition covered by only 26 points, cricket fans on Merseyside have an enthralling last six weeks of the season in prospect.

And New Brighton skipper Tim Watkins has little doubt why his own side will be playing a major role in the championship run-in.

“Fundamentally, Jesse Ryder is the main reason why we have done as well as we have,” he said, “We’re a young side and I suppose a dip in form was to be expected, but Jesse will be with us until the end of the season and he’s on course for a thousand runs and 70 wickets which would be a tremendous achievement.”

Ryder’s current tally is 653 runs and 53 victims, and he will be hoping to increase when New Brighton play Maghull at Rake Lane tomorrow, and negotiations are also well-advanced to ensure that the Wellington all-rounder remains at the club next season.

“It’s helped that Jesse is a young man in a predominantly young side,” said Watkins. “He’s fitted in very well with the rest of the team and we want him back here next year although there is maybe a possibility that he will be in the New Zealand touring team if he can sort out his “politics” with the authorities over there.”

Ryder has also served one suspension this summer and Watkins’ response to this is predictably dry, “He’s more use to us on the field than off it,” he said.

Following tomorrow’s game, New Brighton’s remaining fixtures include three matches against teams in the top six and Watkins is delighted by the “increasing maturity” of one of his young players.

“David While has come to the fore in a major way recently,” he said.

“We were dead and buried at 60 for 5 chasing 208 against Chester Boughton Hall in the Cheshire Cup last Sunday but David batted beautifully in making an unbeaten 70 and along with Louis Botes, he took us to an unlikely victory.”

“David’s also a very natural cricketer,” said Watkins. “I told him before the season that he had more of a future as a left-arm spinner than as a medium- pacer and I think that’s proved to be true.”

Watkins hopes that his broken finger will soon be sufficiently healed to allow him to return to on-field leadership but a return to action is a rather more distant prospect for Firwood Bootle’s captain, Ian Cockbain, who has a pulled hamstring, and also his deputy, David Snellgrove, who is recovering from a calf injury.

Of all the leading clubs, Lytham have perhaps the easiest run-in with only their September 1 clash at Bootle against a top six side.

In the First Division there may be a few warm memories rekindled for Liverpool Competition cricketers of the 1980s if they are watching Southport Trinity’s home game against Formby this afternoon. Former S&B opener Geoff Thornton has been playing for the Rookery side over the past few weeks.

Business Assistance Liverpool Competition ECB Premier League: Fleetwood Hesketh v Bootle, Hightown v Lytham, Huyton v Ormskirk, Leigh v St Helens Recs, New Brighton v Maghull, Northern v Wallasey.

First Division: Prestatyn v Sefton Park, Rainhill v Ainsdale, St Helens v Northop Hall, Southport Trinity v Formby, Wavertree v Orrell Red Triangle, Wigan v Highfield.

Sunday, Business Assistance Knock-Out Trophy: Rainhill v Ormskirk, Northern v Bootle .