Determined Bootle sign Mullaney and Jackson

Oct 9 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

FIRWOOD BOOTLE’S bid to regain the Premier League title they lost to Ormskirk less than four weeks ago got under way this week with the signings of the all-rounders Steven Mullaney and Patrick Jackson.

Wadham Road skipper David Snellgrove hopes the recruitment of the two players will go some way toward filling the gaps created by the Ian Cockbain’s retirement, Adam Warren’s return to Australia and Stephen Parry’s move to Bamford Fieldhouse. But the new captain has not ruled making further additions this winter.

The pedigree of the Bootle’s new players is undoubted. Lancashire’s Mullaney is a high-quality batsman with the capacity to demolish first-class attacks, and is also a more than useful seam bowler.

He scored 1,308 runs and took 38 wickets for Northern in 2007, and was engaged as professional at Bolton Association club Atherton this summer. He made his County Championship debut in May and his contract at Old Trafford was renewed last month.

Jackson scored 1,053 runs and took 65 wickets for Southport and Birkdale in his 2007 debut season and racked up 895 runs plus 50 wickets this summer. Currently playing in Sydney’s first grade, the Australian left-hander was the target for a number of clubs in the Business Assistance Liverpool Competition and his capture represents a coup for the Bootle skipper.

“I’m utterly delighted,” said Snellgrove yesterday. “We’ve signed two of the best all-rounders to have played in the league in recent years.

“Steven’s matured as a cricketer and as a person in the last two years. He knows that to further his career with Lancashire he has to be playing in the best league on the best wickets and there’s no better league in Lancashire than the Liverpool Competition.”

Meanwhile, cricket’s national knock-out cup may be saved after all.

Intensive lobbying by clubs anxious not to lose their chance to play in the 45-over competition has led to a rethink at the England and Wales Cricket Board and it is hoped that plans will soon be announced for the 2009 event.

It had been thought that the decision of Cockspur to invest in the ECB’s Twenty20 Cup instead of the 45-over trophy would mean the demise of the prestigious “national”, but meetings this week could lead to clubs like Ormskirk, New Brighton, Firwood Bootle and Northern still having the opportunity to test themselves against the best recreational sides from other areas of the UK.

“I think it’s a possibility we will have a 45-over competition in 2009,” said Paul Bedford, head of the ECB’s Cricket Operations (Non-First Class). “We’ve had lots of lobbying by clubs and discussions are still taking place.

“But we are conscious that people need to know what’s going on and we’re doing this as fast as we can.”

It is thought that the plans for the new competition include an entry of 256 teams, meaning that sides will have to play seven games to reach the final, and that clubs will have to pay an entry fee in the region of £40-50.

“In an ideal world we wouldn’t have moved away from the original format,” Bedford acknowledged.

“But since it was the sponsor’s preference to move to a tournament with real presence on TV, we’ve had to move very quickly.

“We’ve responded to clubs’ requests that we have a National Knock-out even if there is no sponsor, no Lord’s final and not necessarily the same prize-money.”