Sefton Park Secure Much Needed Victory   You are here: Home » News Detail

Sefton Park.CC

Having looked relegation candidates last week, 7 days later and just 5 miles or so down the Sefton coast, Sefton Park.CC played excellent cricket to gain a much needed win over Ainsdale.CC

Winning the toss home Ainsdale captain Dave Newcombe chose to bat first.

At 18-3 in the 8th over, his decision looked to be the wrong one before veteran all-rounder Malcolm Swift rescued his side from a low total by compiling an excellent 48 off 67 balls.

Amazingly he hit 10 fours in making less than 50, surely this could not have happened too often over the years.

After Swift's departure, captain Dave Newcombe took the initiative and further boosted his side with a well-made 32.

Wicket keeper John Thompson batting at No 10 also chipped in with a useful 29 not out off 45 balls with 3 fours as the home side were dismissed for 186 in the 54th over.

Park captain Phil Calrow was the pick of the bowlers with 4-36 from his 15 overs, with wicket keeper Shane Dowrich also snaring 3 stumpings in the innings.

Sefton Park openers Chris Bellis and Adam Irwin strode out to open the visitors reply knowing that their side had plenty of time in which to score the 187 runs required for victory.

They put on 32 for the 1st wicket before Bellis on 15, edged Ainsdale's professional Tahir Khan to Mal Swift at slip.

Irwin followed 10 overs later for 19, also a Khan victim to leave the reply on 57 for 2 in the 19th over.

When Baird on 26 became Khan's 3rd wicket, followed 7 balls later by Forsyth, who failed to trouble the scorers, the reply stood at 79 for 4, still 108 short of the target.

Shane Dowrich then took complete control of the match, batting absolutely magnificently on a wicket in which the ball did not come easily on to the bat.

He brought up his half century off 72 balls with the only six of his innings.

3 balls later he edged Mohammed through to keeper Thompson, but not before he had hit boundaries number 8 & 9 with his 64 coming off 76 balls.

He had also shared a partnership of 64 for the 5th wicket in just 76 balls, with the returning Peter Jones who offered him excellent support throughout.

Jones, with support from Luke Connolly (19*), saw Sefton  home with a well compiled 33 not out off 53 balls with 4 fours.

The main threat of the Ainsdale bowlers was Khan with 3-61 but Sefton Park take a vital 25 points in their quest to avoid the drop, and Ainsdale take 5 points.