Onwards and upwards in Hightown revival

Jul 5 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

NEW BRIGHTON captain Tim Watkins is not a reticent man – his praise or disapproval of clubs and tactics in the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition have always been trenchantly expressed.

Yet when Watkins saluted Hightown’s achievement in the aftermath of his own side’s 48-run defeat at Sandy Lane a fortnight ago, it still raised a few eyebrows among the neutrals who had watched the game.

This, after all, was the club whose facilities had been the subject of over-heated debate 18 months ago and whose players are still somewhat patronised too. Watkins had no time for any of that.

“I thought that after a morning’s rain the wicket for that match was fine,” he said. “Hightown played some excellent cricket and they certainly gave us a good towsing.”

On the back of that victory Ian Sutcliffe’s side rose to a heady fourth place in the Premier League table and only fell back to seventh when they failed to take Firwood Bootle’s 10th wicket at Wadham Road last Saturday.

In that contest Jannisar Khan made 124 in Hightown’s total of 186 for eight declared and Ian Cockbain’s batsmen were left a very reasonable 39 overs in which to chase the runs.

Bootle finished on 173 for 9, Hightown skipper Ian Sutcliffe taking six for 48. “I was surprised when Ian called them in,” said Cockbain afterwards. “And I can’t remember the last time I felt that way about a declaration.”

So, a towsing for New Brighton, the best of a draw against the champions and seventh place in the table – where has it all gone right?

“Obviously Jannisar Khan is a very fine player and we’ve got one or two more players available,” said Sutcliffe. “But I think the main change is that we’re stronger mentally. I think that if you spend a season in the Premier League, you almost naturally become Premier League cricketers.

“We were relegated after one season in the top division in 2005 partly because we were a bit naive. Now we have a stronger belief that we can beat anyone on our day. We have a number of people in our side who can win matches for us.”

This afternoon Sutcliffe leads his team against Fleetwood Hesketh, one of the mid-table sides against whom Hightown now measure themselves.

“We’re looking upwards, not downwards,” said the 34-year-old left-arm spinner Graham Jones.

“We’re no longer asking how the bottom two have got on, we’re asking how teams like Southport & Birkdale have fared.

“In the past we showed the top teams too much respect. Now we’re turning up believing we can compete with them and obviously, beat them.”

Yet while Hightown’s attentions may be focused on a Lancashire Cup place, a few players will also have noticed that the nine clubs between fourth and 12th places are covered by only 48 points.

It would be pleasant, therefore, if Sutcliffe’s side could consolidate their position by winning two matches in succession for the first time this season and, as one way of achieving that goal, if Nathan Heathcliffe-Core could continue his remarkable batting form.

Hitherto regarded by most Liverpool Competition players a seamer who batted a bit, injury has limited Heathcliffe-Core’s spells this season and promotion up the order has produced two fifties on top of a match-winning 47 not out against Northern.

“He’s the one guy I can be sure will not throw his wicket away and he’s always been a good batsman,” said Sutcliffe. “That said, he only opened against New Brighton because Guy Edwards had gone home to get his kit. I asked Nathan if he fancied opening and he was never going to turn it down. He ended up getting 88 not out.”

For the master-batsman himself, a skilful spread-betting enthusiast, his promotion up the order was no sort of wild gamble. “When I started playing, I was in the middle-order,” he explained. “But I got pigeon-holed as a bowler. Now that I can’t bowl as much until after my knee operation this autumn, I have to contribute in other ways.

“I’ve become more relaxed and confident as I’ve scored runs and now I have to make sure it’s not a flash in the pan.”

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