Rocky road ahead but Miles keen to hit back

May 31 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

THE ringtone from the movie ‘Rocky’ which greets friends and colleagues attempting to phone David Miles may not be an entirely accurate indication of the physical condition of Wallasey’s stand-in skipper but it probably gives a very good idea of the combative spirit he aims to foster at the Kevin McCullagh Oval in the next few weeks.

Rather than being asked to sprint up the steps of St George’s Hall in a pale imitation of Sylvester Stallone, Miles has been charged with leading a side which has suffered a series of recent blows and goes into tomorrow’s home game against Firwood Bootle in eleventh place in the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition’s Premier League.

If Miles succeeds, what might his next ring-tone be? Rambo? Mission Impossible? Probably not. The captain is at pains to remind his players of the more mundane virtues of team spirit and application and he cited their capitulation against Hightown for just 43 in 14.1 overs as an example of the standards he was not prepared to tolerate.

“Hightown wasn’t good enough,” said Miles. “Jannisar Khan bowled very well but I told the players I didn’t want any excuses. It’s too easy to say that just because we haven’t got a pro we’ll roll over and die every week.”

That reference to the lack of a professional gives a strong clue to the problems which have bedeviled Wallasey since they began the season in a mood of well-founded optimism.

At that time, the recruitment of the former first-class wicketkeeper-batsman, Paul Harrison, and the South African all-rounder, Ryan Groeneveld, were just the two most high-profile signings of the five made by regular skipper John Pugh. Two months down the line and Harrison has returned south to play second-team and minor county cricket, Groeneveld’s return to Wallasey has been delayed for perhaps two months by visa complications and Pugh himself has been ruled out by illness for the next few weeks. Hence the stress Miles puts on pulling together in adversity.

“We knew we were going to struggle when we lost those players,” admitted Miles. “It’s common knowledge we’re looking for a pro and over the next few weeks we’ve got Bootle, Ormskirk and Northern on our fixture-list.”

“However, two of our other new signings, Neil Clarkson and John Murphy, are both bowling well and the absence of some players has given opportunities to others, such as 15-year-old Alex Eagles who has not looked out of place in first team cricket.”

Eagles took a couple of useful wickets and made an unbeaten 43 in Wallasey’s three-wicket defeat of Colwyn Bay last Saturday, an important victory which was sealed by Miles’ 22 not out.

“There’s no better feeling than to win games of cricket that way, it’s why you play the game” said the current skipper. “We’re going to struggle until the cavalry arrives, but with Kuran Makol batting well and more bowling options available than last season, we’ve got the talent there.”

TODAY

Business Assistance Liverpool Competition: ECB Premier League: Formby v Colwyn Bay, Lytham v Fleetwood Hesketh, Ormskirk v Maghull, Prestatyn v New Brighton, St Helens Recs v Hightown, Southport and Birkdale v Northern, Wallasey v Firwood Bootle. First Division: Highfield v Liverpool, Huyton v Leigh, Newton-le-Willows v Wigan, Northop Hall v Orrell Red Triangle, Rainford v Ainsdale, Sefton Park v Wavertree, Skelmersdale v St Helens.