Cricket: Chairman unsure of league’s format

Sep 15 2007 Liverpool Daily Post

AS the quartet of clubs at the top of the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition prepare for the matches which will decide the destiny of the title, league chairman Ted Williams was able to reflect on a summer characterised by “slightly less turmoil” but nevertheless refused to rule out the possibility of further restructuring in the future.

“I’m not sure whether the 14-club premiership has been a great success,” said Williams. “I do find it disturbing that we have six teams at the top who have won 14 matches and two teams at the bottom who have won just two.

“I’m also surprised that it’s Huyton and Leigh who are going to be relegated.”

The chairman’s comments may foreshadow an autumn of hard thinking for league officials as they consider the best structure for the recreational game on Merseyside and these considerations may be given added spice if Liverpool find themselves in the MSCA this evening.

However, Williams had warm words for one of the clubs whose facilities had caused concern last winter.

“The upkeep of grounds must be a priority,” he insisted. “Hightown have certainly responded well to the challenges of the last year.”

None of this will be of immediate concern to Firwood Bootle, New Brighton, Northern or Ormskirk, all of whom are still in with a chance of the title. Clearly in the best position is the former, who only need to collect 21 points from their game at St Helens Recs this afternoon to retain the championship.

New Brighton and Northern must simply concentrate on defeating Colwyn Bay and Fleetwod Hesketh respectively and hope that the Wadham Road team slip up.

Once their own season is completed, most players in the majority of Liverpool Competition clubs will be wishing Lancashire well in their bid to win the County Championship at the Oval next week and for Ted Williams the success of opener Paul Horton has been a source of particular pleasure.

The two men are at slightly different stages of their careers but both played in Sefton Park’s second team when Horton was a 15-year-old who had just arrived from Australia and Williams has followed Horton’s progress at Old Trafford this season with obvious relish.

“I’m absolutely delighted for him,” said Williams, “He’s grabbed his chance with both hands and he must be in line to be Lancashire’s player of the year.”