Cricket: Ormskirk off top spot after Northern draw

May 27 2008 by David Jones, Liverpool Daily Post

AS LAST stands go, it might not have been quite on a par with Custer’s at Little Big Horn, but there was no denying the fighting spirit shown by Northern.

The General may have been surrounded, but so were the defiant Mike Jones (21 not out) and skipper Phil Cooper (6 not out) by an Ormskirk side desperate for a final wicket to clinch victory.

But their determination paid off, as the last pair defied the league leaders for 12 overs to earn a draw.

The Crosby outfit had looked beaten after the battling Adrian Fraser fell for 69. They lost three wickets on the same total to slip to 158-8 but, despite the efforts of Martyn Farrell (4-42) and Simon Kerrigan (3-71), the final pair frustrated the visitors.

John Armstrong was in top form with 111, sharing 76 for the third wicket with David Heyes (51) as Ormskirk set 227-8 declared (55 overs) after electing to bat. The in-form Nick Woods took 6-103 (23).

The consequence was that the Brook Lane side lost top spot to Firwood Bootle, for whom Craig Prince also hit a fine century in the 109 run win over Lytham.

Prince (105 not out) shared an opening stand of 104 with Ian Cockbain jun (60), which set up the champions for 220-5 declared (51) after winning the toss. Jimmy Wisniewski took 3-60. Opener Nick Knight (42) began brightly but no-one else had the answers as the visitors were dismissed for 111.

Niall McDonnell was the toast of Maghull with a magnificent 130 not out in the eight wicket hammering of St Helens Recs. Anthony Bullick (71) helped Recs to 235-7 (55) after electing to bat. But the home skipper, who hit 11 fours and six sixes, and shared an unbroken 151 for the third wicket with Suwanji Madanayake (52 not out) after Greg Gillespie had chipped in with 41, guided his side to victory in 41.3 overs.

The Wirral derby also had a century hero in Matthew Thompson. He put on a stand of 170 for the second wicket with Paul Hale (89) as New Brighton set an impressive 248-4 declared (45) after deciding to bat against Wallasey. The visitors were never in the hunt, Alex Eagles making 41 out of 153, with Martyn Evans starring with 5-27.

It was a good day for Hightown skipper Ian Sutcliffe as his side demolished Formby by nine wickets. He took 3-7 and Nathan Heathcliff-Core 3-12 as the visitors were humbled for 87, and then Sutcliffe was unbeaten on 45 in the victory stroll.

Fleetwood Hesketh’s draw with Southport & Birkdale had an exciting finish. Pat Jackson (5-64) and Chris Firth (4-47) restricted Hesketh to 200 (67.5) after openers Gary Wells (68) and Neil Rimmer (48) had opened with 104 after winning the toss. Josh Hine (54) and Mark Baker (46) gave Southport a fighting chance, but they failed to get the six needed off the last ball and were marooned on 195-9 (48).