Ainsdale Cricket Club face a tough weekend in the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition with fixtures against Northop Hall on Saturday and Highfiled C.C on Monday. Skipper Dave Newcombe will be hoping for a more fluent and consistent performance from his team in order to overcome the tricky opposition.

Last Saturday Ainsdale crashed to a 4 wicket defeat to Highfield,leaving the Liverpool Road side 9th in the 1st division.

Batting 1st on a slow and low Highfield wicket,Ainsdale struggled to come to grips with the bowling attack of Liptrot and Peet,openers Norman Owers and Paul Hughes were dismissed in the early stages both to good deliveries,once again Mal Swift was the only Ainsdale batsman to really master the bowling attack,his determined score of 36 was well supported by Waqar Khan (19) and enabled Ainsdale to scrape to 3 figures.

Ainsdale were finally dismissed for 106 from a marathon 57 overs,Highfiled bowlers Liptrot and Peet finished with figures of 4 for 18 and 3 for 9 respectively.

In reply Highfield got off to a solid start and coasted to 30 runs without losing a wicket,however the overdue turn in fortune came when Naeem Khan was brought into the bowling attack and accounted for 4 of Highfields batsmen,Indian A star Rakesh Patel was unlucky were several LBW shouts,which on another day would return him with a 5-wicket haul.

Highfield reached their target with 10 overs to spare,Naeem Khan finishing with figures of 4 for 37 from 11 overs,Ainsdale received just 4 points from the game with Highfield gaining the maximum 25 points.

The 2nd XI continued their fine start to the season with a 32 run victory against Highfiled at Liverpool Road.

Ainsdale batted 1st and scored a hard fought 162,top scoring for Ainsdale were Ray Fitzpatrick 49, Andy Barlow 19 and Mark Causey 49,in reply Ainsdale bowlers Dave Evans and Ray Walker ripped through the opposition batting order,at 75 for 7 Highfield looked in danger of an embarrassing total,however a last wicket stand of 38 saw Highfield reach 130,with Ray Walker taking the final wicket and recording bowling figures of 5 for 42 from 16 overs.

On Sunday the 3rd XI were defeated by just 11 runs against Ormskirk C.C,top performances came from Andy Barlow (36), Geoff Smoult (30) and Ben Midgley 3 for 25.

This Saturday the 1st XI will be at full strength with Dave Newcombe recalling Steve Cropper after his absence due to holiday last week,on Monday Andy Christian replaces Chris Bolton for the game versus Highfield at Liverpool Road.

The 2nd XI will be looking to extend their fine start and will be at full strength for both fixtures over the weekend.

Report by

Matt Amer

Two stunning victories over the Bank Holiday weekend saw Ainsdale climb up to fourth in the 1st Division of the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition and with three wins from a difficult looking first four fixtures they appear well set to launch a concerted promotion challenge.

On Saturday they travelled to Northop Hall and whilst bathed in sunshine,the picturesque hillside Welsh village had a distinctly bracing air,winning the toss and electing to bat,the home side, beaten convincingly at Ainsdale a fortnight previously,made a stuttering start in the face of a superb opening spell from Rakesh Patel.

Whilst skipper James Dyer was content to milk the bowling from the other end as Mal Swift and Naeem Khan struggled into a strong wind,Patel was simply too pacey for the rest of the Northop top order as they subsided to 61 for 5.

Dyer was still a major threat though and was especially punishing on anything over-pitched and in Palmer found a willing ally as they took the score up to 122 for 5 before the sometimes overlooked offspin of all rounder Jon Pearce made a telling breakthrough,in an excellent spell of controlled guile and craft he was the prime architect in keeping the Welshmen to a score below 225 which looked likely at one stage.

Dyer eventually fell for a tremendous knock of 99 when Thompson executed a smart stumping off Pearce and in fact much sympathy for missing out on a ton was muted by the fact that one ball earlier he had survived an appeal for a catch behind,the snick being loud enough to set off an alarm in the car park!

Patel returned to assist Pearce clean up the tail and Northop had been restricted to 176 all out,Patel with 5 for 62 and Pearce 4 for 25 being the pick of the visitors attack.

With West Indies quickie,Reon King making only his second home appearance,Ainsdale skipper Dave Newcombe in his mid match briefing,made much of the need for his top order batsmen to quell the early fire before building a platform for the victory push.

Ainsdale being Ainsdale however,little follows clear lines and although openers Paul Hughes (19) and Steve Cropper (14) put on a well compiled 41 for the first wicket,a mad twenty minutes then saw the game turn on its head.

First Hughes was run out attempting an ill judged run to square leg as Cropper clipped it behind and then,two balls later the veteran Colin Mitchell went in identical fashion going for a run he would have struggled to make 30 years previous.

The inform Swift then played on first ball before Cropper was also bamboozled by late swing from Butler,in just 5 overs Ainsdale had contrived to throw away 4 wickets for no runs!

Fortunately,Khan,Khan & Patel is not a firm of Bombay solicitors but is instead a flamboyant middle order and when King was recalled to the attack at this stage to tie up the game,his previous figures of 0 for 22 from 8 overs was to look positively economical as his next 6 overs went for a further 54 runs.

Waqar Khan was careful,but technically excellent in his 30 whilst Naeem Khan was,at best unorthodox as he continually stepped to leg before flaying the Guyanan ace to all parts as he racked up 60 not out,a personal best in his two spell Ainsdale career,with Patel blazing an unbeaten 40 off only 27 balls to steer Ainsdale home,the win was achieved with more than 9 overs to spare.

To put the achievement into some sort of perspective,Reon King took 7 for 18 two days later as his side skittled previously unbeaten Liverpool for an incredible 38 all out at Aigburth.

On the same day,Ainsdale hosted a bullish Highfield side, conquerors over the Liverpool Road men just 9 days previously,batting first upon winning the toss,Ainsdale made a positive start again before the accomplished Hughes was unlucky to find a leading edge but a belligerent,if apparently agricultural innings from Cropper laid the basis of a challenging score,his 50 containing 7 boundaries was played out to a chorus of much advice and critical acclaim from the Highfield fielders but he showed typical stoicism to post his first half century of the term.

Only he,and the more aggressive Swift at the other end,truly appreciated at this stage that it was not a straightforward wicket to bat on,after Swift fell for a stylish 43,the middle order suffered collective failure but important contributions from Pearce and Newcombe allowed a declaration to be made at 202 for 9.

Early wickets,or not,were thought to be crucial to the outcome when Highfield began their reply and although the impressive Mike Farrell and Cashman began well,a boomerang delivery from Patel that Farrell left only to see it remove his off stump was a vital breakthrough with the score at 17,Swift,at the other end was in the midst of an exemplary and wholehearted spell and repeatedly made the Wiganer's sub-pro Van Wyck look less than his billing which includes a recent one day international and a Currie Cup best of 200 not out.

He gained his reward when he sneaked one inside Cashman's defence and with Naeem Khan operating effectively at the other end Highfield were hanging in at 55 for 2 from 29 overs with the ball passing the bat three times an ove,Van Wyck eventually began to assert some class although he had survived several confident lbw and caught behind appeals and smote Khan from the attack as he passed 50 before,three runs later being trapped bang in front by the returning Patel.

Richard Farrell and Simmond's then broke the shackles Ainsdale's bowlers had put them under with the former being particularly effective against the pace of Patel as he raced to 25,as Highfield had suddenly wrested all initiative from the home side and accelerated to 140 for 3,Ainsdale needed a piece of individual brilliance to turn the game back their way and this duly arrived when the swooping Waqar threw down the only visible stump to spectacularly run out Farrell whose impressive 25 had threatened to take the game away from Ainsdale.

Patel quickly followed by bowling Simmonds and caught between a naturally cautious psyche and their avowed intentions to gain promotion,Highfields lower order folded under pressure exerted again by the wily Pearce and the toe crunching pace from Patel,the end came quickly as the Indian ace took four wickets in 8 balls and a game that Ainsdale had looked third favourites in,after the draw,only twenty minutes previously was theirs along with 20 points.

The 2nd XI had no success over the weekend,losing both fixtures.

On Saturday the side lost their game against Northop Hall C.C by a massive 122 runs,the visitors batted 1st and raced to a score of 217-6 dec from 50 overs,a solid bowling performance from Ray Walker (4 for 95) being the only highlight for Ainsdale.

In reply,Ainsdale found the run chase hard going and at 47 for 1 Ainsdale the drew looked the favourite result,however a disastrous batting collapse saw Ainsdale crash to 105 all out, top scorer for Ainsdale was Mark Causey with 35.

On Monday the 2nd XI were defeated by a strong Highfield side,Ainsdale batted 1st in difficult batting conditions and managed to scrape to 152 for 7 dec off 58 overs,in reply Highfield raced to the target with 9 overs to spare and a massive 8 wickets in hand,dropped catches from Ainsdale not helping the cause.

The 3rd XI recorded their 1st win of the campaign,defeating a strong Prestatyn side by 7 wickets,Ainsdale chased a score and claimed victory with 12 overs to spare,top performances came from Andy Barlow with his maiden Ainsdale century (100), Geoff Smoult (23) and Philip Causey (22).

Report by

Matt Amer

Ainsdale notched up their fourth win from 5 games in a fine contest against Formby at Cricket Path on Saturday,the victory elevating them to third place in the Liverpool Competition First Division.

Batting first upon winning the toss,Formby soon lost the dangerous Morris for 2 when sustained pressure from Rakesh Patel saw him lose patience and slash the ball to cover where Christian took a smart catch,Hadden though looked in imperious form once he got his feet moving and was particularly harsh on Mal Swift,punishing anything over-pitched or short of length and with Australian import,Scuglia they took the score along to 67 before the perseverance of Swift was finally rewarded and he had Scuglia caught at mid off for 25.

New skipper Adam Phillips played a supporting role to Hadden who cruised past his half century with a flurry of boundaries off Naeem Khan before the introduction of off spinner Jon Pearce into the attack brought Ainsdale back into the game,from 134 for 2 they slumped to 171 all out as the stumping of Phillips was followed by Hadden being bowled by a big turner from Pearce for a superb 83.

Patel then returned to the attack and with the ball by now reverse swinging he demolished the rest of the home batting,bowling fast and full he took three wickets in four balls including the dangerous Conlon on his way to figures of 6 for 49,Naeem Khan finally got in on the act when he had Barton taken at mid wicket to close the Formby innings.

171 was perfectly respectable but well short of what had been expected half an hour previously.

In reply Ainsdale got off to a disastrous start losing former Formby player Paul Hughes leg before to the aggressive Taylor third ball,when the same bowler uprooted Mitchell's off stump with the score on 10,consolidation was needed and Steve Cropper (20) provided it,although a further flurry of wickets saw the visitors slump to 51 for 5.

Malcolm Swift has been in imperious form with the bat this term however and in mixing belligerent stroke-play with watchful defence when the ball merited it he began to turn the game back Ainsdale's way,with Patel happy to play a supporting role, the former S & B skipper drove and pulled his way to 64,putting on an invaluable 87 runs with the Indian professional,before finally holing out at long on.

28 were still required and a few alarm bells rang when Rogan trapped Pearce in front,but the assured Patel and a skippers knock from Newcombe saw Ainsdale home by three wickets with 10 overs in hand.

Also on Saturday,the 2nd XI had a terrific victory against Lytham C.C.

Ainsdale were asked to bat 1st on a dry and dusty Ainsdale pitch,after a steady start with contributions from Ray Fitzpatrick (18),Andy Barlow (33) and Ed Fazakerley (21), Ainsdale collapsed to 96-4,however a middle-order revival spear-headed by Chris Bolton and Matt Amer pushed the total passed the 1st batting point.

Bolton (18) was unlucky to be adjudged LBW at a stage when he was posing a dangerous threat to the visitors,however a resilient knock of 46 not out from Matt Amer took the total to 168,before skipper Ray Fitzpatrick declared the innings.

In reply,at 42-0 Lytham looked in full control and favourites for victory,however a fine spell of bowling from Lionel Stanyon (4 for 15),supported by Ray Walker (3 for 36) demolished the Lytham batting line-up as they were bowled out.

Another highlight from the game was the fine wicket-keeping performance from 14 year-old Lee Rimmer who is sure to play at a higher level in future years.

On Saturday the 1st XI host Prestatayn C.C at Liverpool Road (1pm start) hoping to continue their fine start to the season, with an unchanged side,games between the sides were always fiercely competitive when they met in the old Merseyside & Southport Alliance and the match will act as a barometer of Ainsdale's subsequent progress,or not,since elevation to the Liverpool Competition in 2004.

The 2nd XI will make the short journey to Maghull C.C and have strengthen the side with the availability of Mark Causey, Norman Owers and Steve Hall.

Teams for Saturday 13th May:
1st XI home to Prestatyn C.C: Newcombe, Swift, Cropper, Hughes, Khan, N Khan, Mitchell, Pearce, Thompson, Patel, Christian

2nd XI away to Maghull C.C: Fitzpatrick, Bolton, Causey, Fazakerley, Owers, Amer, Barlow, Walker, Evans, Stanyon, Hall

Report by Matt Amer

Ainsdale Cricket Clubs continued their fantastic start to the 2006 Liverpool & District Cricket Season last Saturday with a thrilling 6 run victory against Prestatyn C.C at Liverpool Road.

Asked to bat in wet and unfriendly conditions Ainsdale faltered at key periods during their innings,the top order batsmen again finding the new ball bowling attack difficult to master,however a determined effort from Naeem Khan,this well supported by a dogged lower order display from Andy Christian and John Thompson scraped Ainsdale into 3 figures.

Khan was unlucky to be out when he fell victim to the impressive Prestatyn debutant Junaid Zia for a dangerous 22 runs,Thompson and Christian provided a solid last wicket partnership before Christian was unlucky to be adjudged LBW again off the bowling of Zia.

The early demise of the Ainsdale innings in just 36 overs meant that Prestatyn were forced to bat prior to the tea interval, this provided Dave Newcombe's side with the perfect incentive to redeem their poor batting display,this proving to be the key to victory,prior to the interval overseas star Rakesh Patel removed the dangerous Gareth Boughey and 2 further wicket,leaving Prestatyn in limbo at 30-3 at tea.

Things went from bad to worse for the visitors after tea as Patel picked-up the momentum taking a further 5 wickets on his way to an impressive haul of 7 for 38,Prestatyn were finally dismissed for 101 leaving the home side jubilant at the close.

Ainsdale have now climbed to 3rd in the league table with a top of the table clash against pre-season favourites Liverpool C.C to wet the appetite this coming Saturday.

Also on Saturday the 2nd team were in action away at Maghull C.C.

Ainsdale batted 1st in tricky conditions and posted a challenging target of 185 for their hosts to chase,top performers for Ainsdale were Andy Barlow 77, Mark Causey 29 and skipper Ray Fitzpatrick 27,in reply Maghull reached their target with 7 balls to spare,Ainsdale will feel that poor bowling and dropped catches were the reason for their defeat.

On Sunday the 3rd XI drew their fixture against St. Helens CC, solid performances from Andy Barlow 96,Graham Cockcroft 41 and Steven Lucas 2-19 being the highlights for the Liverpool Road outfit.

Saturday see's the 1st XI play host to Liverpool C.C,skipper Dave Newcombe names an unchanged team,the 2nd XI travel to St.Helens hopeful of an improved fielding performance.

Also this week,the Cricket Club announced the fantastic news that Barclays Spaces for Sport has donated a complete set of a coaching kit and equipment,the award to Ainsdale has been made as part of the £30m grassroots sports programme, Barclays Spaces for Sport

The donation is one of 1200 packs being awarded each year to ensure teams across the UK will benefit from the 3 year scheme.

Club Secretary Matthew Amer said “Our junior numbers are rapidly increasing therefore we need coaching equipment to improve our training sessions,the coaching pack from Barclays is brilliant and will really help us”.

Michelle Smith,Barclays Sponsorship Director said “Barclays are delighted to be supporting Ainsdale Cricket Club and hope this coaching kit will encourage their interest in cricket and lead them to greater success!”

Barclays Spaces for Sport,a partnership between Barclays, Football Foundation and Groundwork,will create sustainable sports sites and provide coaching kit and equipments to communities in most need of help across the UK.

Report by Matt Amer

With heavy rain putting pay to all of Ainsdale's fixtures last weekend, players,supporters and officials will be hoping for a change in the weather at the weekend when the 1st XI travel to St. Helens C.C.

Skipper Dave Newcombe has named an unchanged team for the tricky fixture,knowing his batsmen will have to overcome the express pace of Indian Sandjay Pandey if the Liverpool Road club are to continue their amazing start to the 2006 Liverpool & District Cricket Competition 1st Division.

Elsewhere with only one league fixture completed last Saturday, that another victory for leaders St Helens Recs C.C away at Southport Trinity,Ainsdale remain in 3rd position,this 42 points behind the leaders.

Highlights of the season so far being not only the 27 wickets already picked up from overseas star Rakesh Patel but the way the team has displayed great character in times when the opposition have been on top,fielding has been much improved from last season and the performances from new wicket-keeper John Thompson is showing very promising signs.

On Saturday the 2nd XI play host to Liverpool C.C at home (1.45 pm start).

Skipper Ray Fitzpatrick names 14 year old Lee Rimmer in the side,this in place of the unavailable Steve Hall.

Top performances so far this season for the 2nd XI has been the amazing start of 16 year old Andy Barlow,who has already scored 168 runs including a fine 77 the previous week.

On Sunday the 3rd XI travel to Caldy C.C in the 1st round of the Embee Trophy.

Report by Matt Amer

It was a frustrating Bank Holiday weekends cricket for Ainsdale as two rain ruined draws saw them eased out of the promotion places and into fourth in the 1st Division of the Liverpool Competition.

Saturdays visit to St. Helens was erroneously billed as a shootout between the two Indian quickies,Ainsdale's Rakesh Patel and Saints Sanjay Pandey but once the tarpaulin had been pulled back to reveal a green spongy track a more patient game would be required if a result was to be reached,further localised showers delayed the start by an hour and a half and, on winning the toss,St. Helens put Ainsdale in.

Both Steve Cropper and Paul Hughes looked comfortable in the early exchanges but the former clipped Pandey to mid wicket with the score on 19 and veteran Colin Mitchell was trapped leg before first ball,to leave Ainsdale in an all too familiar position of 19 for 2,if there is ever a commercial outlet called 19 for 2 then a sponsorship deal with the Liverpool Road outfit is a commercial dream match.

Waqar Khan,out of sorts on the green seaming wickets encountered this season,felt his way gently into his innings but Hughes was looking far more assured,the introduction of Friar into the attack was much more to Waqar's liking and he crashed 14 off his first over,thereby setting the tempo for the rest of the visitors innings.

Hughes eventually fell just 4 short of a deserved half century and there was just time for the mercurial Mal Swift to announce his presence before tea had to be taken with the score on 118 for 3.

After the resumption Waqar posted his half century with another thumping drive before some declaration bowling from skipper Tymms,perversely slowed proceedings up as there were two substantial delays findings balls hammered out of the ground by Swift,Ainsdale skipper Dave Newcombe was happy to come off at 160 for 3,Waqar 65 not out,Swift 30 not out, scored in 43 overs,leaving a probable 45 overs for the home side to chase.

In truth,that chase never really materialised with the home batsmen struggling to gain any sort of momentum on the sluggish pitch and Ainsdale's seamers going un-rewarded for their persistence,Rakesh took the early wicket of Lawless who lost his off stump but at the other end Swift again went wicketless as Smith and Lowe took the score along to 29 before a sensational one handed catch by Rakesh at second slip accounted for Smith off the bowling of Naeem Khan.

Ainsdale juggled their bowling around and not for the first time this season,the off spin of Jon Pearce was the most productive weapon,he took 3 for 17 from 10 overs of high class flight and guile whilst at the other end a bewildering mix from Waqar failed to spark any life into the home batting.

With overs running out Rakesh was recalled but after having Tymms caught in the slips the game fizzled out,St. Helens finishing on 96 for 7 from 45 overs,the fact being that the earlier time lost had cost Ainsdale a deserved victory.

On Monday,the short journey to the Rookery brought even more odd weather,whilst down the road Ainsdale's seconds were playing out an uninterrupted if uninspiring draw and Nilesh Kulkarni was spinning Southport to victory on a dust bowl at Trafalgar Road,a series of localised downpours at Southport Trinity saw only 24 overs bowled over three sessions.

Ainsdale,having won the toss,had got to 22 without loss before both Hughes,Causey and Waqar perished in quick succession, the latter bowled by an absolute beauty from Hall to leave them on 31 for 3,there were no further alarms though as Swift 30 not out and Newcombe 10 not out took the score on to 70 before a hail storm washed out the best efforts of both sides.

This weekend sees Ainsdale at home against a resurgent Orrell Red Triangle side,Steve Cropper is expected to have recovered from the shoulder injury that kept him out on Monday and he returns in place of Mitchell who plays for the seconds,Mark Causey retains his place,Whilst they hope for maximum points,a spell of dry weather would do for starters.

Report by Matt Amer

Ainsdale CC showed on Saturday during a 120 run thumping of Orrell Red Triangle exactly why they may be playing Premier League cricket next year as they climbed back into the third promotional position,at the same time however,they gave enough clues as to why they may fall just short of their lofty ambitions in the final analysis.

Winning the toss and batting first,both a positive move as well as one designed to prevent Orrell using their renowned tactic of batting for a long time and leaving a difficult run chase,Ainsdale began well enough.

Steve Cropper smashed an extra cover 6 followed by a steered four off the persistent Middlehurst,before chasing a widish delivery from Dale to be well caught behind for 12 whilst Paul Hughes looked strangely ill at ease on a wicket offering low bounce from one end and had to settle for an anchor role in the partnership with the sublimely talented but maddeningly erratic Waqar Khan.

When Hughes departed for 14 with the score on 73,he could count his lbw decision unlucky on two counts,firstly,the ball from veteran dibbly dobber Unsworth scuttled along the deck and secondly he hit it.

The mercurial Swift then joined Waqar and although neither was totally at ease against Unsworth they carved the bowling at the other end,before a careless slog from the latter on 36 wasted the chance of a massive score,Swift too was loose after looking in dominant form and went the same way as Naeem Khan,hitting a full toss from Martinus airborne as the innings threatened to come off the rails.

In fact,had Rakesh Patel not been dropped twice in his unbeaten 30 the total could have been much less as the lower middle order collapsed amidst a swathe of leg before dismissals and an even more bizarre end for skipper Dave Newcombe,attempting to hit Unsworth back to Wigan he heard the death rattle behind him and not realising it was the keeper trying to execute a stumping believed he had been bowled when told he had by the errant keeper,no one attempted to call him back so off he went,only for the umpires after the game to amend the score card to read retired.

An all out total of 157 from 43 overs was way below par as Newcombe reminded his charges in the 10 minute change over and he demanded a huge effort in the 25 minutes before tea. What an effort it was.

From 10 for none,the visitors lost four wickets for no runs as Swift had Pegg well caught low down by Waqar at second slip with the last ball of his second over and Rakesh had fellow opener Tabener caught behind off the glove from a hostile delivery in the next,to the first ball of Swift's third over Orrell skipper Smith gave keeper John Thompson the second of his two catches and next ball,Swift completed his first ever hat trick in the Competition when he pinned Aussie pro Martinus leg before first ball.

Taking tea at 10 for 4,Ainsdale were required to maintain their intensity immediately afterwards and it was that man Swift again who obliged by uprooting Unsworths off stump to the second ball after the resumption.

With Swift almost unplayable and Rakesh at his most hostile, the end was never far away and although a few edges found their way through the packed slips for four they wrapped up proceedings in only the 17th over with Patel uprooting the middle stumps of Middlehurst and Lawrence in successive balls leaving Orrell a miserable 37 all out.

Rakesh finished with 5 for 24 and the parsimonious Swift 5 for 7.

Ainsdale's superb bowling and fielding effort was corroborated the following day when Orrell posted over 200 against Premiership outfit Colwyn Bay in the Cup and beat them nicely into the bargain.

The batting must tighten up however against the stern tasks to come,none more so than Saturdays opponents St. Helens Recs whose near perfect start to the campaign was brought to a halt with a draw against Southport and Birkdale at the weekend,they still lead the Division by some 34 points however, a margin Newcombe's boys will hope to reduce significantly come Saturday.

The 2nd XI's recent run of disappointing results continued last Saturday,losing their encounter versus Orrell C.C by 4 wickets.

Electing to bat on a near perfect wicket Ainsdale could only muster 156-9 dec off 53 overs,top scoring for Ainsdale were Andy Barlow (36) and Chris Bolton (25), with Matt Amer, Ray Fitzpatrick and Colin Mitchell also contributing with double figure scores.

In reply,at 72 for 0 Orrell were cruising,however some fine bowling from Ray Walker (4-38) brought Ainsdale back into the match,Orrell recorded victory with just 1 over spare and were at times lucky to escape what would of been an amazing fight-back from Ainsdale.

On Sunday the 3rd XI lost their Embee Cup tie away at Caldy.

Caldy totalled a score of 230 all-out from their 45 overs,in reply Ainsdale could only manage 139.

Report by Matt Amer

Ainsdale suffered only their second defeat of the season on Saturday when wilting under the heat of both a scorching June afternoon and the pressure exerted from a very strong St. Helens Recs outfit.

Losing the toss and being invited to bowl first,Ainsdale knew that there was a severe physical examination ahead of them and they responded superbly,Rakesh Patel was hostile in his opening salvo and frequently beat the outside edge without reward but it was the more sublime craft from Mal Swift that yielded the early reward when Brown was caught in the gulley with the score on 4.

Pakistani pro,Ashruf Ali then came to the crease and along with Lyon were virtually strokeless for the next hour as Swift toiled away,well supported by Rakesh and Naeem Khan. With the scoring rate well under two an over Swift made a double breakthrough with the score on 55 with Lyon chipping the ball to midwicket where Cropper hung on and having Latham caught behind by Thompson without troubling the scorers.

A combination of three factors then conspired against Ainsdale to change the balance of this table topping encounter. Firstly the heat began to have an effect as the St. Helens innings entered its third hour and Ainsdale's four pronged bowling attack began to run out of ideas, secondly the arrival of the unorthodox Martindale at the wicket prompted an increase in tempo as he slogged his way to a raid half century and thirdly Ainsdale failed to take the chances that presented themselves.

Thompson couldn't get enough glove on a legside chance from Ali,Causey spilled a swirling skier from Martindale and the same batsman should have been runout when a smart dive and flick from skipper Dave Newcombe in the covers was not matched by speed of thought from his keeper who was too slow out of his blocks to effect what would have been a simple run out.

With it looking increasingly likely that Recs would bat the full three and a half hours before tea the Ainsdale bowling initiative fell apart.

Only Swift,with a supreme effort of 3 for 30 from 21 overs enhanced his reputation but woeful late spells from Rakesh, Naeem and Pearce saw Recs race to 214 for 3 at the interval.
Martindale finished unbeaten on 84 and Ali, who had struggled for much of his knock eventually broke free against the spinners to also conlude undefeated on 92

Chasing down that total on a ground that had previously recorded a highest score of 126 by any opposition this term was never going to be easy but Ainsdale's failure, yet again, to prize their wickets made defeat almost inevitable.

Hughes,Cropper,Waqar Khan and Rakesh were all in the shed before Mark Causey and Naeem effected a recovery with solid defence and belligerent strokeplay when the occasion merited it. If they could have hauled the score up to the 120 mark then it should have been game on but with the score on 30 for 4, Causey (32) swept a full toss from the newly introduced Martindale and top edged a simple chance.

Inexdplicably Naeem chose not to consolidate and in the same over slogged a high catch to mid on to perish for 24 along with Ainsdales victory chances. Swift fell in similar unfathomable fashion shortly after and with the score on 82 for 7 the tail could only hope to eke out a draw. In the end even that proved beyond them on a day they will want to put behind them. Ali effectively killed off the innings with a late burst of 3 for 8 and Ainsdale had subsided to 129 all out.

The defeat leaves the Liverpool Road side 42 points adrift of Recs who still lead but favourable results elsewhere meant that they still cling on to the third promotion place.

A big improvement and less Saharan weather,will be required if a determined Newton le Willows are to be vanquished in a welcome home fixture this Saturday.

Newcombe is able to name another unchanged team meaning that only 12 players have been used at first team level this term. This is a level of consistency that sucess can be built on providing that those wearing the shirts perform with their early season zest.

Report by Matt Amer

For a side currently occupying one of the three promotion places and boasting an excellent win record this term,it may appear odd at first glance that skipper Dave Newcombe rated Saturdays home draw with second place Hightown as their best performance of the season to date.

"Hightown proved what a strong side they are", explained Newcombe, "and after our poor effort against Recs ( current leaders of the division ) a few weeks back it was important to prove we could compete with the best teams in the Competition,as it was we dominated in all aspects except the final execution where a couple of dropped catches cost us,we can definitely kick on from here."

Batting first upon winning the toss Ainsdale made a dreadful start with Steve Cropper edging the ageless Heathcliff-Core to slip without scoring and Mark Causey playing all round a straight one to be bowled for 4,Paul Hughes however was playing a different game and pummelled the bowling in a quickfire stand of 31 and surprisingly, easily outscored the usually flamboyant Waqar Khan.

There was however a feeling that we were simply watching the competent but limited support band and it was no surprise when the headline act,prolific Indian leg spinner Nanda,was introduced into the attack,his stifling economy forced Hughes into an error against Heathcliff-Core as he holed out for a classy 36 but until a late collapse that was almost as good as it got for Nanda.

Waqar in particular played him with superb skill and controlled aggression as did the rest of the middle order,there were frequent,increasingly histrionic,leg before appeals but the home sides technique was sound in pushing forward and the umpires refused to be intimidated.

Eventually the bowler was warned for his conduct although it will be interesting to see if the dissent from a "star" professional is treated in the same way as a rank and file amateur,Mal Swift rattled up 22 in customary style and Naeem Khan 33 including a massive six over the car park off the spinner, before Waqar passed his half century with a brace of boundaries on his way to 77 not out.

The lower order fell away in a quest for a decent declaration as Nanda took his wicket tally for the season past 50 but Ainsdale's last wicket fell in the 53rd over with a highly creditable 203 on the board.

A feature of Ainsdale's recent cricket has been their ability to strike early in the visitors reply and whilst they achieved this again on Saturday,a long,understandable and stubborn resistance saw them fall short of their ultimate goal.

Swift made the initial breakthrough before two in two balls from Rakesh including a first baller for the prize wicket of Sutcliffe saw Hightown subside to 11 for 3,with the score not having moved Thompson dropped a difficult catch off the same bowler from which the batsman,Nanda, profited for a while.

By now,the game was already beyond Hightown and Ainsdale were setting ultra attacking fields,sometimes with only one two men in front of the bat,the result of this was that initially a few strokes flattered the visiting batsmen but ultimately the chances came even if they weren't all taken.

Naeem Khan chipped in with a couple of wickets as Newcombe juggled the bowlers around and at one point Hightown had subsided to 80 for 7,however the top sides don't throw it away so easily and Heathcliff-Core 20* and Simmonsen 31 put on a match saving partnership of 55 as Ainsdale went even more for the jugular.

Catches went through,over and just short of the widest slip cordon seen at Liverpool Road,but only one definitive chance was offered when Waqar missed a relatively straight forward chance off Heathcliff-Core,a flurry of boundaries to an open field perhaps flattered Hightowns final score of 130 for 8 when stumps were drawn but no one at Ainsdale would begrudge a stoical rearguard action to save the game.

A final points tally of 8 to 7 in Ainsdales favour hardly seemed a fair reflection of their dominance but their skipper is optimistic for the coming weeks,that starts with a visit to Southport where the same technical skills against the wiles of Nilesh Kulkarni will have to be shown if they are to avoid a repeat of two inadequate displays against their near neighbours in 2005.

The 2nd XI were also in action last Saturday,winning their L&DCC fixture against Prestatyn CC by a comfortable 6 wickets.

Prestatyn batted 1st and posted a challenging target of 201 for Ainsdale to chase,Ray Walker was again the star of the show taking 4 for 80 from 24 overs.

In reply Ainsdale reached the target with 2 overs to spare,a fine knock of 72 not-out from the brilliant Tony Norbury guided the Liverpool Road side to victory,Ainsdale now hold 5th spot in the division and with another couple of wins in the coming weeks,Ainsdale could find themselves in the promotion spots.

On Sunday the 3rd XI won their fixture against Caldy CC by a massive 138 runs at Paton Field.

Ainsdale batted 1st and posted a score of 172,Graham Cockcroft 72 and Geoff Smoult 30 both excelled with the bat.

In reply Caldy were blown away by a remarkable bowling display from Chris Smoult,the 23 year old Manchester University graduate recorded amazing bowling figures of 9 for 10 from just 9 overs as Caldy were dismissed for a lowly 34 runs.

The embarrassment of the once illustrious Wirral side only having 10 men denied Smoult the chance of taking the full 10 wickets,however, the final wicket of his amazing display provided a special family connection as his father Geoff Smoult, who had earlier scored 30 runs in Ainsdale's total of 172,took a difficult catch.

An unchanged 1st XI line up is named for Saturday's encounter with Southport & Birkdale CC although an exiting new signing, and one probable exit, will be in place for the following week. It's never dull at Liverpool Road.

Report by Matt Amer

More of the action

Few of the players on view