An Air Of Permanence Lancs CC1 Day 1

By Farmer White et al
January 18 2023

Farmer covers the game against Lancashire at Southport in July of our County campaign of 2022. We see for the first time the Lewis Goldsworthy/James Rew partnership in a CC1 game - Remember this date. Things have changed.

County Championship 2022. Division 1. Lancashire v Somerset. 11th, 12th, 13th and 14th July. Southport.

Tom Abell, Tom Banton, Craig Overton and Will Smeed were unavailable for selection due to being on England Lions duty. Jack Leach was unavailable due to being rested following his recent Test match duties. James Rew made his Championship debut in this match. Amar Virdi was on loan from Surrey to Somerset for this match.

Lancashire. K.K. Jennings, L.W.P. Wells, S.J. Croft, D.J. Vilas (c)(w), J.J. Bohannon, R.P. Jones, G.P. Balderson, L. Wood, T.E. Bailey, W.S.A. Williams, J.P. Morley.

Somerset. M.T. Renshaw, S.M. Davies (w), T.A. Lammonby, G.A. Bartlett, L.P. Goldsworthy, J.E.K. Rew, L. Gregory, R.E. van der Merwe, P.M. Siddle (c), J.A. Brooks, G.S. Virdi.

Toss. Somerset. Elected to bat.

First day 11th July – An air of permanence

If you keep your wits about you, watching cricket at Southport is a pleasant, relaxing business. Mobile phones and live stream cameras aside, it could be Clarence Park half a century ago. Southport beach too could be Weston. Looking out to sea with the tide out, it is difficult to differentiate shoreline from skyline. Cars parked on the beach too, although I don’t recall seeing cars doing handbrake turns on Weston beach in the Seventies. It is quite a walk from my hotel to the beach and the best part of two miles from hotel to ground, all of it up hill. That was quite a stride in the searing heat of the first day with a backpack filled with fluids (they would have been called drinks in the Seventies) and food. One lesson was learned very quickly. Walk on the shady side of the street. Shade was in plentiful supply courtesy of the high hedges and trees which adorn the garden fronts of the expansive houses which line the walk from Southport to the Trafalgar Road ground of Southport and Birkdale Cricket Club.

Trafalgar Road is a club ground with a substantial clubhouse, and for a Championship match endless rows of folding seats sufficient to accommodate a crowd, by my estimate, in excess of two thousand. As at most out grounds the elements have free reign. Shade is virtually non-existent and covered seating entirely non-existent. Arriving half an hour before the start, I found a tablecloth-size patch of shade behind the boundary which abuts the Dover Road. It was under the only treetop between the ground and the high-flying sun and had been annexed by a group of Somerset supporters sporting smiles of relaxed satisfaction.

This was where the application of wit came into its own. Looking almost vertically to check the location of the sun, the lessons learned as a schoolboy astronomer still coming in useful, I calculated its path across the sky and spotted a high privet hedge at the edge of one of the gardens which run along the Harrod Drive End. I concluded that if I moved one of the collapsible chairs right back against the slightly curved hedge, within half an hour it might provide the same sort of continuous protection from the sun as that provided by the wall behind the back row of seats on Gimblett’s Hill at Taunton. That spot I annexed on behalf of Somerset, for the sun was now producing the heat of a furnace.

By eleven o’clock the ground was teeming with people, either already in seats or looking for them. People walked behind or in front of the rows of seats seeking out the diminishing number of empty ones. At half past eleven people were still pouring into the ground with empty seats now at a premium. The sun, despite a thin covering of hazy white cloud, continued to beat down with unremitting ferocity. By then, Somerset had won the toss, elected to bat on a wicket showing some green and had lost two wickets, both to the early movement of the right arm pace of Tom Bailey. Of Somerset’s left-handed openining pair, Steven Davies had edged defensively into the hands of Rob Jones diving low to his right at second slip, and Matthew Renshaw, also defensively, had repeated the stroke, this time edging low to Jones’ left. Somerset found themselves on 16 for 2, their travelling supporters experiencing the sinking pangs of déjà vu while Lancashire employed four slips. A tense quiet covered the ground with Lancashire on the cusp of a decisive advantage and Somerset needing to shore up after another dispiriting start.

Out of that Somerset despond Tom Lammonby, in from the fall of Davies’ wicket, shone a shaft of light. After shoring up for eight overs, scoring just one run, he drove both Bailey and Williams straight for four. “Well done, Lammers,” the relieved response from among the Somerset support. When George Balderson replaced Bailey at the Grosvenor Road End, George Bartlett, with the crispest of clips through midwicket, found the clubhouse boundary. The stroke had all the freedom that marks Bartlett’s batting when he is in form and, added to Lammonby’s effortless drives, began to kindle a spark of hope in Somerset’s travelling supporters.

As the pair settled, they picked up the pace. The left-handed Lammonby turned Balderson behind square to the boundary where the applauding group of Somerset supporters who had annexed the spot under the tree sat. In Balderson’s next over, Bartlett glanced to the Harrod Drive End and drove square off the back foot for four more, taking Somerset to the relative riches of 54 for 2. From there, against Luke Wood’s left arm pace, Lammonby glanced fine and clipped square for two more boundaries. The gentlest and most beautifully timed straight drive from Bartlett off Wood raced to the Harrod Drive End. It took Somerset into the 70’s and towards the prospect of a substantial score. It brought Somerset cheers, particularly from the Grosvenor Road End, and a cry of, “Shot!” from the Harrod Drive End together with one wry comment of, “There isn’t much cheering from this end.”

That changed when, with his second ball, from the Harrod Drive End, the 21-year-old Jack Morley, with his left arm spin, tossed up a delivery and yorked Bartlett who looked deceived as he desperately tried to get his bat down. Bartlett had looked confident and in control for his 27, and with about 20 minutes to go until lunch Somerset looked to have overcome their early setbacks. Now, the innings was back in the melting pot. Lewis Goldsworthy, with a young history of digging in, announced himself with a sharp square cut which ran into the hospitality area next to the clubhouse where it was fielded one-handed by someone holding firmly to a half-full glass of golden nectar with the other hand. That took Somerset to 89 for 3 and lunch with Lancashire holding some advantage. There was now little sign of assistance for the bowlers, although one Lancashire supporter gave some hope to Somerset when he said, “I don’t remember a match here going into a fourth day.”

Lunch was a trip back in time, wandering the freedom of an out ground. Not unlike Weston in the Seventies, although I don’t recall Weston ever being quite as hot as Southport was on this day. The sheer necessity of wearing my wide-brimmed wyvern hat outweighed the symbolism of doing so. The relaxation of a lunchtime walk across the outfield of a first-class cricket ground, especially in the unregulated informality of an out ground, has to be experienced to be appreciated. It was particularly appreciated by the Somerset supporters I spoke to as we ambled, because it has been a pleasure denied them during the first part of this season at Taunton, much to the chagrin of many. The Taunton outfield was re-seeded during the winter and the grass is not considered established enough for, “ a couple of hundred people in soft-soled shoes to have a gentle walk at lunch.” At least that is how many supporters have expressed their feelings about it to me. There is, no doubt, professional logic to the suspension of access, but the denial of a tradition that goes back deep into the mists of time has generated real ill-feeling.

After my extended amble I found myself at the far, Grosvenor Road End. The crowd was by now so packed that returning to my seat at the Harrod Drive End proved something of, to use the modern management idiom, a challenge. The crowd was so great that the front rows of the temporary seating were positioned at the boundary edge and the rear rows within a couple of feet of the perimeter fence in many places. Getting from one end of the ground to the other was rather akin to driving along a Somerset country lane and meeting a succession of cars coming in the opposite direction. Stopping for a chat to Somerset supporters dotted about the seating added further to the delays, as did stopping to take in some of the cricket from different angles.

The cricket itself seemed to progress at a similar rate to my walk. ‘Turgid’ some might have called it. Ten overs it took me to return to my seat. In that time Somerset added 16 runs. Goldsworthy edged one ball just fine of gully. On another day he might have edged it a trace wider and been caught. I was beginning to hope that the Lancashire supporter who had told me matches do not reach the fourth day at Southport was right, for Somerset did not seem destined for a large first innings score. Finally, back in my seat, the deed matched the thought. Lammonby attempted to play Will Williams to leg, missed, was struck on the pad and the umpire’s finger rose. Somerset were 105 for 4 and a disappointed Lammonby walked off for a hard-won 42 scored in nearly two and a half hours.

Somerset were again in familiar first innings territory and so were the anxiety levels of Somerset supporters as James Rew walked to the wicket to join Lewis Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy has shown real fighting qualities with the bat in his short career but, before this innings, had not convinced me he could dominate the bowling and make a score of real substance. As to Rew, this was his first Championship innings. Once again, Somerset were on the brink. Just under three hours later, with Rew walking back to the clubhouse, Somerset were in sight of a substantial score on a pitch that really was turgid, and on which runs had to be worked for.

Goldsworthy got the partnership, which would stretch to 145, underway with three boundaries in four overs. Goldsworthy does not have the classical look of Abell or give the impression of ease of stroke which Bartlett displays, but those three strokes were all perfectly timed. The first, a clip off Bailey with the lightest of touches sped to the fine leg boundary. The second, a check drive through extra cover seemed to have insufficient power in the stroke, but the ball reached the boundary with some ease. The third was played with the simplicity of a bat placed to await the arrival of the ball and angled to divert it safely past the slips to the boundary. There followed three overs for two runs. It was a start to the partnership which set the pattern for the rest. Small clutches of boundaries broken up by short periods of calm.

Goldsworthy’s was an innings which changed my view of him. To date, I had seen him as a fighter with the bat who could hold the line for a session or so, but who did not ‘go on’. In this innings, he controlled the rest of the day with a combination of resolute defence and incisive attack. It was an innings which should establish him in the side for some time to come. At the other end, after Goldsworthy’s boundaries, the left-handed Rew took the initiative, playing with an air of imperturbability which belied his years, although Wells missed a very sharp chance off Morley at slip. In an over, Bailey was driven through the covers to a shout of, “Shot!” and glanced fine of my seat at the Harrod Drive End. An on drive off Wood defeated the diving Croft at deep midwicket and Balderson, replacing Bailey, was glanced, again fine of my seat, to take Somerset past 150. Rew was justifying some of the praise which has been lavished upon him by those who have seen him play for the second team. A Lancashire supporter sensed the threat presented by him and Goldsworthy when he said, “We need a wicket here.” A single, cut square by Goldsworthy, brought up the fifty partnership before Rew again took the lead with a reverse paddle sweep off Morley as Vilas rotated his bowlers until a brief hiatus in the scoring eventually brought Lancashire some relief.

Then, with tea approaching, the traditional over or two of spin before the interval was pounced upon by Goldsworthy and Rew. Morley was glanced fine for four by Goldsworthy, and Luke Wells was struck for 17 in an over, one Lancashire supporter comparing the onslaught to being assailed by the flying ants which were apparently in evidence in some parts of the ground. Perhaps the ants were only interested in Lancashire supporters, for none troubled me. In that Wells over boundaries came from a paddle sweep and an on drive from Goldsworthy and a pull from Rew followed by a neat cut for two to deep backward point. It sent Somerset supporters to tea with an extra spring in their step, a step which was already looking sprightly with the score on 191 for 4, with Goldsworthy on 58 and Rew on 40. Even the ferocity of the sun had eased slightly as the high white cloud thickened.

The evening session began as the afternoon had ended, with Somerset on the attack. As he had before tea, Rew played the glance particularly well, finding the boundary three times, twice off the spinners. Morley was reverse swept too for four and driven off the back foot through the covers. The cover drive went straight to that small group of Somerset supporters under the tree by the Dover Road. Rew’s was an innings of real authority which could not help but draw plaudits from the Somerset supporters to whom I spoke. Another of the joys of out ground cricket is the freedom with which spectators can walk among one another between overs and, where space permits, pull up a chair for a chat before moving on.

Goldsworthy’s innings lost nothing in comparison with Rew’s. Their composure spawned an air of permanence. Together, they moved Somerset from a position of creaking jeopardy, to one where they might look towards dominance. Rew’s presence was perhaps the more striking, if only because he was an 18-year-old on debut. Goldsworthy though, only 21 himself, looked to be controlling the situation. His deflections demonstrated both perfect positioning and angling of the bat and time in hand to play the ball. Some brought neatly placed singles. One, played fine past slip off Wood, flashed towards and ran across the Harrod Drive End boundary to my left. Off Wells, in an over, he cut backward of square, drove to the off and then, off the back foot, through point, all for two. He took Somerset to 250 with a drive through the covers and a cut through the point area, both for four, both in the course of an over off Bailey, now with the new ball.

The partnership finally ended with Rew leaning slightly away from the ball and clipping Williams firmly to Bailey at midwicket. It brought a shaft of disappointment to Somerset supporters with the pair having looked so firmly in control. The disappointment did not last as thoughts of the emergence of a new Somerset player with real potential took hold. A score of 250 for 5 put a very different complexion on the game too after the fourth wicket had fallen at 105. The partnership would need to be built on though, for thoughts of a result in under four days had receded. It was difficult to remember much by way of an appeal after the first hour, and Goldsworthy and Rew had looked in control for most of their partnership. A substantial first innings score seemed essential and would need some more work yet.

Lewis Gregory, as ever, erect and looking purposeful, marched to the wicket. A short period of consolidation and a top edge into ‘no man’s land’ on the on side apart, he and Goldsworthy looked to be building another partnership. Gregory drove Balderson square for four and a thick edge, safe, followed. Goldsworthy turned Bailey to fine leg for four and, fortuitously, edged a cut off Williams over gully for the boundary which took him to 99. His century came from an altogether more accomplished stroke when he drove Balderson, again with a check drive, to the cover boundary. Goldsworthy raised his bat, the crowd broke into generous applause and Somerset supporters around the ground identified themselves by rising to their feet. From there, Somerset went quietly to the close with Goldsworthy on 103 and Gregory on 23. It was a score which I suspect most Somerset supporters would have settled for at the start of the day and would have snatched for at 105 for 4. I walked the two miles to my hotel with that spring firmly established in my step, and on my evening stroll, the beach looked all the more like Weston.

Close. Somerset 297 for 5.

For those who want to read more about this game the links are at the end of the thread or you can log on to Farmer's own website here

An Air Of Permanence Lancs CC1 Day 1

Posted by: Grockles.com (IP Logged)

Date: 18/01/2023 13:09

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2023:01:21:12:57:31 by Grockle.

Lancashire CC1 away Monday

Posted by: Grockle (IP Logged)

Date: 04/07/2022 21:05

Tom Abell will not be skipper for this one as he has been chosen to lead the Lions here instead. Lewis Gregory may captain and Matt Renshaw will be back (already is it seems)

(Sm72)

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:15:12:22:16 by Grockle.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Des Platt (IP Logged)

Date: 04/07/2022 22:19

Any one coming up for it? I hope to go to most of the game.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: cricketjerry-mouse (IP Logged)

Date: 05/07/2022 00:11

Somerset will also be without Tom Banton, who will be keeping wicket for the Lions, and Will Smeed - both selected against South Africa at Taunton on July 12. They are certain to get a game, as both sides will be able to use their full squads of 13 players to give the South Africans match practice ahead of their series against England.

Another Taunton lad, spinner Jake Lintott, currently plying his trade as a spinner at Warwickshire, will join Smeed in making his first appearance in an England squad.

Lancashire will also be short-handed beside the seaside at Southport. They have three players - Liam Livingstone, Matthew Parkinson and Phil Salt - in the England ODI side playing India next week. Plus, of course, Jos Buttler, England`s new ODI captain, although the tide must have come in on Southport sands on many a moon (if that isn`t mixing my metaphors) since Jos last played for his county.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 05/07/2022 07:24

Some red herrings, really, since only Abell and Parkinson are really of much consequence in red ball cricket anyway (and Jos never plays).

Sadly, whatever batting line-up Somerset select, one can only conclude that it is much more likely than not that our batting will be inadquate, especially the top six batting.

Realistically? Renshaw would need to score heavily.

And Hildreth (who has some runs in the current Second XI game) and Davies (who failed in the same game) would need to magically roll back the years.

I notice that Davies was used as an opener in the seconds game.... I wonder whether there's any chance that that foreshadows another experiment with Steve as first-team opener (the only experiment involving a non-overesas opener in recent years that actually worked last time around).

I note that Ned Leonard is not playing in the current seconds game, so wonder if he might be busy with exams or something or, sadly, injured?

Personally, I think we should perservere (from the last match) with Kasey Aldridge, rather than just defaulting back to Brooks. Kasey did well in the last match and does not deserve to be dropped, IMO, plus we need to start to give at least a nod to the future, don't we?

In that vein, I also note that James Rew is going well in the current seconds match.

It wouldn't totally shock me if neither Ben Green nor George Bartlett got the nod for a top six place and if Rew were instead brought into the order somewhere (possibly with Davies moving up).

Incidentally, Bartlett, like Leonard, is not even playing in the Seconds game. Yes, I know George was in the T20 squad vs Surrey but, since the seconds game is at Taunton Vale, there can surely be no doubt that, had Jason and Andy wanted George to play the seconds game, he could have done so.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:05:07:27:53 by AGod.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: somerset blue (IP Logged)

Date: 05/07/2022 23:23

Leonard is injured and continues to suffer from perceived mismanagement at 2nd team level.

Surely the time has come to being George back into the 4day side, although one would note he has done little red ball batting in recent weeks

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:06:22:31:06 by somerset blue.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Des Platt (IP Logged)

Date: 06/07/2022 11:42

@CJM . Jos Buttler actually played a 2020 match for Lancs last week. Scored 40 odd in the losing side at Worcester. Was dropped early on but didn’t convert.

One wag on the Lancashire forum suggested that JB being appointed the one day captain would restrict his availability for Lancashire!

Livingstone hardly ever turns out for Lancashire either. I’m very sad about him. Apologies if I’m repeating, but saw him score four centuries the first six times I saw him for the seconds and two of them were necessarily very disciplined innings because of the match position. He looked a future England test player to me from the first innings I saw, a century against a very good Notts second attack on a green wicket. He even talked about not wanting to be sidelined to white ball cricket only . Scored a century in both innings of a first class match on the sub continent.

He is now as irrelevant to Lancashire cricket as JB . I was about to say that he is irrelevant to four innings cricket but I guess with the style the Test team is playing, he might actually have a chance of selection if somebody loses form . I don’t imagine I will see him play four day cricket again.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:06:13:31:14 by Des Platt.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 06/07/2022 13:04

Yeah, Des, few people would be greatly surprised to see the likes of Jos and Livingstone parachuted into the Test team (along with the likes of Jason Roy) in the not too distant future.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Loyal of Lhasa (IP Logged)

Date: 06/07/2022 14:45

If Buttler were to be appointed Lancashire's one-day captain, would that mean he would captain the country for just one day?

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: somerset blue (IP Logged)

Date: 07/07/2022 09:49

The one that got away. Was playing only 10 miles from Taunton 🤦‍♂️

[www.bbc.co.uk]

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 07/07/2022 12:06

One wonders whether Mr Hurry even knew about his passport status?

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 07/07/2022 12:11

[www.espncricinfo.com]

His record is such that it would scarcely surprise were Williams to prove the knife going through the butter that is (so often) the Somerset top six.

IF England let Leachy play next week?

Maybe the hot forecast might give us a sniff if we can bat first I.e maybe the track might break up?

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Underthebridge (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 00:41

Quote:
AGod
One wonders whether Mr Hurry even knew about his passport status?

We at Bridgwater knew about it in 2017 when he was here last. I would have thought Somerset might have done their homework back then since he played in at least 1 2xi match

[www.espncricinfo.com]

There again who knows

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Grockle (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 09:43

One also 'wonders' whether Somerset knew and made a decision one way or the other about the player - why is the assumption that Somerset do not do 'due diligence' rather than either not taking action or not being the place a player wants to go?

There's about as much evidence for either 'wonder'

(Sm72)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:08:09:59:35 by Grockle.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Railboy (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 11:31

Surely Craig and Jack will be available for this? If so, Craig may well be a candidate for skipper, I expect us to offer him much increased leadership opportunities as he slips further down the England pecking order and we perhaps have to prepare for circling scavengers if he is not centrally contracted

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 12:01

Craig?

He’s in the England ODI party.

I think those start next week?

Leachy should be available to us unless the poxy ECB mandate that he rest.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 12:40

I do agree with you, Railboy, that Craig is at risk of slipping back in the pecking order and losing his central deal. If that happens, then that will swallow up any gains that might be made (financial gains) from potentially not giving new deals to Hildreth, Brooks and Waller.

And you’re also right that TMC vultures would start to circle, of course.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Des Platt (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 13:11

Forecast not looking anything like as hot up here as in the south. Difficult to forecast pitch at Southport . It has had a very mixed reputation in recent years . A second 11 game was abandoned as dangerous with very variable bounce in 2019, I think. Things were a bit strained with the county for a while , particularly with the Attila the Hun of diplomacy, Paul Allott getting involved. ,

It does have a reputation for spin. However, in 2011 the pitch fooled both Lancs and Notts into playing extra spinners but the match was completely dominated by seam and in particular Andre Adams. So I really wouldn’t like to guess.

I think Wasim Akram got a career best 8-30 against Somerset in 1994 there ; maybe a painful memory for some.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:10:12:58:43 by Des Platt.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Loyal of Lhasa (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 17:44

Will you be supporting Lancerset, Des?

LoL

Seventy-eight Seasons a Somerset Supporter

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 08/07/2022 18:51

That match that Des alluded to:

[i.imgci.com]

Mark Lathwell, who almost always did well on coastal grounds, did quite well for us.

But it had taken us 185 overs, 60 of them bowled by Mushy, to get Lancs out, with Crawley making an unbeaten 281.

A young Banger played in that game. A couple of years later, also against Wasim, he played a very good innings of about 80, before being run out - astonishingly for the second time in successive innings - as a result of a deflected Shane Lee drive (few players have ever played so straight so consistently as Shane).

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:08:18:52:30 by AGod.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Grockle (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 08:37

Josh didn't make it to the end of the Quarter Final yesterday .. hope it was a precaution and nothing serious for Monday

(Sm72)

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Des Platt (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 12:56

Thanks for posting that match link AGod. I always find the Lancashire archive as torturous to navigate as most of its website.

This was posted today on Lancs Forum.

“Trafalgar Road Ground is a cricket ground in Southport, Merseyside. The first recorded match on the ground was in 1956, when the Lancashire Second XI played Cheshire in the Minor Counties Championship.

In 1959, the ground held its first first-class match when Lancashire played Worcestershire in the County Championship. From 1959 to 2017, the ground played host to 44 first-class matches, the last of which came in the 2017 County Championship between Lancashire and Middlesex.

The ground has also held List-A matches, the first of which saw Lancashire play Glamorgan in the 1969 Player's County League. From 1969 to 1987, the ground held 4 List-A matches, the last of which saw Lancashire play Scotland in the 1987 Benson and Hedges Cup.

With the first recorded match on the ground in 1956 involving the Lancashire Second XI, the ground has since held a combined total of 25 Second XI fixtures for the Lancashire Second XI in the Minor Counties Championship, Second XI Championship and Second XI Trophy.

In local domestic cricket, the ground is the home venue of Southport & Birkdale Cricket Club who play in the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition. In February 2016, the Club signed a three year staging agreement with Lancashire to host county cricket, which is believed to be the first of its kind in England and Wales.

www.bbc.co.uk/weather/2637343

cricket.lancashirecricket.co.uk/news/2022-news/match-information-southport-birkdale-cricket-club/
“
I would also add that Dave Snellgrove, whose father Lancashire player Ken was born in Shepton Mallet is still playing for Southport and Birkdale in the ECB Liverpool premier competition. Currently they are in danger of relegation after a near miracle escape last year. At 53, though still playing for Lancashire and England over 50s, Dave now is a shadow of the player who made himself a legend of the competition. The players in the competition picked a composite team from 2000 onwards and Dave was picked both at number three and captain.

I’m not sure how much of the game I will be able to see as it is a merciless ground in sunny weather. A few years ago when I was a lot healthier than now, I was forced to spend about 20 minutes under a temporary stand where I couldn’t see anything of the game, just to have some respite from the sun.

Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:10:13:03:42 by Des Platt.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 13:33

Tuesday looks a good day for you, Des, if the forecast is to be believed: “No sun, no sun at all,”
(As the advert says).

Tomorrow looks hot and sunny - 25 degrees, then cloudy on Tuesday and then sunny but only 18 or 19 degrees for the final two days.

Perhaps a hot day one might help the pitch deteriorate, such that we might play both VDM and Virdi?

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: AGod (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 14:52

No Josh. Dunno whether he’s in doubt for next weekend. So a significantly weakened attack without Cove, Josh and Leachy to go with weakened batting without Abell.

James Rew is in the squad, as is George Bartlett and both spin options, VDM and Virdi.

Peter Siddle is the Captain.

No sign of Hildreth. I think somebody said he was sick vs Surrey. So maybe he still is or perhaps we’ve decided to look to the future a bit more with Rew and Aldridge both in the party. Personally, I hope Rew and Aldridge both play.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:10:15:06:39 by AGod.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Grockle (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 16:10

Thought when George was on for Josh last night it was a worry but because we weren't pushed at the end of the game he may just have been rrested for the four day game. That's a bummer.

Well an interesting game ahead then with a few surprises. Hope James Rew gets a game along with George as well.

Jason Kerr has named the following 13-man squad for this match: Peter Siddle (c), Kasey Aldridge, George Bartlett, Jack Brooks, Steve Davies, Lewis Goldsworthy, Ben Green, Lewis Gregory, Tom Lammonby, Matt Renshaw, James Rew, Roelof van der Merwe and Amar Virdi.

Given that squad you have to expect
Renshaw, Lammonby, Gregory, Siddle, Virdi to play for definite. RvdM as a batting spinner?

On top of that and without mentioning James Hildreth or Marchant you would expect Jack Brooks to be in there. Steve Davies may open and they may then bring Rew in for keeper duties. Then it's a batting option (George or Lewis Goldsworthy?) and a bowling one (Ben Green or Kasey?). Maybe they won't use Steve Davies? Maybe they won't use RvdM?

Hmmmm

(Sm72)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:10:16:26:33 by Grockle.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Grizzers (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 17:14

A bit surprised that James isn’t in the squad. I know he’s had a mediocre season, but thought he’d come in given the number of players we have unavailable.

Really hope he hasn’t played his last first XI game.

Nice gesture to make Peter Siddle skipper though.

As for Jack Leach being ‘unavailable’, (courtesy of the EC cool smiley

, words fail me.

Grizzers

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Grockle (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 17:16

James made a 50 in a seconds game last week but I think (but don't quote me) he has been getting over a 'family' illness with his kids for a couple of weeks and he might have relapsed after the effort.

Think he would probably play if he was fit but he may not have been cleared to...

(Sm72)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:10:17:17:49 by Grockle.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Railboy (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 17:24

England won’t require Jack’ services until 17th August! And by tomorrow he won’t have bowled at all for 9 days. ECB says he needs a rest! Absurd. Wonder if Jack feels he does?

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: dilly (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 17:52

Is it a blatant conspiracy, do you think, that the only two teams in the quarter-finals who have to travel hundreds of miles on the day before their Championship game were made to play their match late in the day on Saturday therefore having to travel all day on the interceding day? The other T20 teams are either playing at home on Monday or not at all. Surely we and Derbyshire should have been allowed to play their game on last Wednesday ot Thursday.
I see that yet again we are having to play our semi-final second, the other two teams having a nice rest before the final. I am not paranoid, I am not paranoid……..

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Grockle (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 20:18

Yes those spinners who don't play white ball need 'a rest' during the month of predominently white ball cricket... must tire them out all that waiting....

(Sm72)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:07:10:20:41:55 by Grockle.

Re: Lancashire CC1 away next Monday

Posted by: Cleavo87 (IP Logged)

Date: 10/07/2022 21:45

Quote:
AGod
No Josh. Dunno whether he’s in doubt for next weekend. So a significantly weakened attack without Cove, Josh and Leachy to go with weakened batting without Abell.
James Rew is in the squad, as is George Bartlett and both spin options, VDM and Virdi.

Peter Siddle is the Captain.

No sign of Hildreth. I think somebody said he was sick vs Surrey. So maybe he still is or perhaps we’ve decided to look to the future a bit more with Rew and Aldridge both in the party. Personally, I hope Rew and Aldridge both play.

Ben Warren on Somerset Podcast I have listened to tonight said Josh has hamstring problem but they are hoping that it is just tightness. He may therefore be sitting this one out as a precaution.

I do wonder whether we are looking to the future. Hildreth played in 2nd XI last week so one would assume he is fit and available. Think Kasey will keep his place given how well he bowled in the last CC game v Surrey. Would also like to see Rew make debut but as batter only. Maybe at 6 or 7.