Promoted sides set the early season pace

May 5 2008 by David Jones, Liverpool Daily Post

IT USUALLY takes a “settling in” period before promoted clubs become acclimatised to life in their new surroundings.

However, Formby and Prestatyn have made solid starts in the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition Premier League, and both made it two wins on the trot.

Last year’s First Division champions hit back strongly to skittle Lytham’s last eight wickets for just 29 runs to win by 40 runs.

Formby totalled 172, Graeme Morris (53) and Liam Crilly (34) combining with 89 for the fifth wicket after losing the toss. Richard Openshaw took 4-27 and Marcus Sharp 3-50, but Jude Mahadanaarachchi (4-21) and Tony Rogan (4-26) hit back to reduce their opponents to 132 (Nick Knight 55).

Prestatyn, last year’s runners-up in the First, dismissed Wallasey for just 123, Kuran Makol dominating procedures with a hard-hitting 82 (four fours, five sixes) for the Wirral side, but Gareth Friday’s medium pace of 6-13 proved their undoing. The Welsh side slipped to 30-4 before Mario Olivier (53 not out, eight fours) and Haydn Williams (31) guided them to a five-wicket win.

Ormskirk, with 80 points, are new leaders in the Premier after three successive wins, with Firwood Bootle on 79 and Southport 78.

John Armstrong led the way for Ormskirk, hitting 82 (11 fours, one six) against Hightown and sharing a second wicket stand of 68 with James Illingworth (33) out of 220-7 declared (54.2 overs) after being inserted. Graham Jones took 4-20.

Guy Edwards (43) top scored as the reply only reached 121 (41.3).

David Snellgrove is back in the groove as champions Firwood Bootle dealt a similar hand to Maghull. He top scored with 83 (11 fours, one six), putting together 163 for the second wicket with Craig Prince (75, eight fours, two sixes). Bootle declared at 220-8 off 46.4 (Suwanji Madanayake 4-49), and the same player top scored with 37 as the visitors slipped from 103-5 to 119 (39.5).

Southport & Birkdale recorded a 20-run win over St Helens Recs. David Aston (61, five fours) and Josh Hine (54, 10 fours) shared 88 for the fourth out of 188-8 declared after losing the toss.

Only two overs remained when Recs’ 10th wicket fell for 168, Kiwi Anthony Bullick hitting an unbeaten 58 (eight fours) and Martindale 47. Patrick Jackson took 3-60, but David Britton’s 2-13 late on proved crucial to success.

Michael Johnson and James Cole hit half centuries in Northern’s win over Colwyn Bay by 58 runs.

Aussie Johnson (57, nine fours) and Cole (51, four fours, one six) shared 59 for the sixth wicket in the Crosby club’s 183 (66.5) after being inserted. Paul Jenkins (4-51) and Sion Morris (3-9) bowled well for the Welsh side, who reached 80-2 before crashing to 125 (43.5). Second team opener Malcolm Gorton scored 50 (six fours), but Nick Woods (5-40 off 15.5) and Jack Woosey (4-41 off 15) ripped through them.

The Mohammads, Zahid (59) and Nazim (41), along with Dave Smith (47), impressed in New Brighton’s 207-8 off 55 at Fleetwood Hesketh. Andy Davies enjoyed 6-42. Then Nazim (4-40) and Ashraf Nawab (5-79) restricted the home side to 168-9 (48), with Gary Wells (72) and Kasun Bidhisha (41) the pick.