Lytham skipper calls for more grit

Jun 14 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

WITH 11 games played in the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition, few cricket followers on Merseyside will be surprised to see Firwood Bootle, Ormskirk, Northern and New Brighton at the top of the Premier League table.

This powerful quartet finished in the top four places last September and it may well be a case of “same again” in three months’ time.

More surprising, however, has been the fate of the other two sides who broke away from the rest of the Premier League in 2007. Colwyn Bay only lifted themselves off the bottom of the table when they recorded their first league victory of the campaign last Saturday and Lytham currently lie in a modest ninth place with just three Competition victories to their credit.

For Lytham’s honest, hard-working and analytical captain, Jimmy Wisniewski, his side’s results have been a disappointment but they have not led to the club having any second thoughts about their decision to commit to playing in the Merseyside-based league last Spring.

“We have no regrets about that,” said Wisniewski, “We enjoy the quality of the cricket and we hope to compete in it for years to come.”

As to his side’s disappointing results this season, Wisniewski is equally clear-minded. “It’s the batting that’s let us down. The situation’s not been helped by the absence of Anthony Mulligan, who is still recovering from a broken leg he sustained playing football but overall, we need to be a lot grittier and bat in partnerships rather than individual innings.”

That grit will undoubtedly be needed this afternoon when Lytham entertain second-placed Ormskirk, but Wisniewski himself goes into the game on the back of his century and five wickets in last Saturday’s draw against Northern when the Church Road batsmen put together a total of 285 for seven declared on a flat wicket.

“Daniel Thompson played well for his 82 and he’ll be opening today,” said Wisniewski, “Nick Knight’s also done a good job for us but we’ve not built upon our decent starts.”

As if to encapsulate the nature of their season in just 48 hours, Lytham’s batsmen could muster just 125 in their Cockspur Cup tie at Kendal on Sunday, a total which, unsurprisingly, led to them being dumped out of the competition by the Northern League side, losing by six wickets.

Inevitably, though, it has been the performances of the 38-year-old Marcus Sharp – 22 wickets this season at an average of just over 17 – which have been at the heart of the Lytham attack.

“Marcus has done what Marcus always does,” said Wisniewski, as much, one feels, in gratitude as tribute. “He’s an exceptional professional and he puts it on a fifty-pence piece. He’s a great player and we’re lucky to have him. He expects a standard from himself and from everyone else and that’s been nothing but good for us.”

TODAY

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