Report: Peter Rogan

The first day of the season started full of enthusiasm but ended in deep disappointment with an under par performance that saw a team apparently coasting to victory but coming unstuck to lose by 2 runs.


The ground of newly promoted Orrell Red Triangle was bathed in sunshine and the wonderful weather, linked to the team’s first ever Premier League fixture, brought a big crowd to the game.


Orrrell won the toss and elected to bat. Scott Lees and Nicky Caunce opened the bowling and there were 26 runs on the board when Nicky claimed the first wicket of the season, helped by a fine catch by Tom Hartley. He also took the second wicket trapping Andrew Mottram lbw with score on 47.


Wickets then fell steadily with Tom Hartley and Jamie Barnes causing the damage, but Richard Everett was proving very difficult to dislodge. However, when he had reached 78 he fell to Tom Hartley who caught him off his own bowling. At the capture of his wicket the score had progressed from 136-7 to become 161-8 and the end of the innings was in sight.


It was hugely frustrating that the final two wickets, mainly due to some indifferent bowling, put on 25 runs to leave Ormskirk to chase down a total of 194 to win.


The pick of the bowlers had been Jamie Barnes (4-24 off 8 overs) and Tom Hartley (4-43 off 16.5 overs).


In reply the first wicket fell on 31 when John Armstrong (7) was bowled leaving new signing Tyler McGladdery to be joined by George Lavelle who put on 51 runs before George (30) lost his wicket, run out chasing down a risky run. The same fate became Alex Rankin (8) who was replaced by Gary Knight but didn’t last long before being caught having scored 3 runs and the total having progressed to 110-4.


Ian Robinson then joined Tyler McGladdery to put on a stand of 60 runs to take the score to 170-5. With Tyler going well and only 24 runs needed with 5 wickets in hand it looked odds on that an Ormskirk victory was on the cards.


Just 2 runs after the loss of Ian Robinson (35) Tyler misjudged a shot and was caught having scored an excellent 77. Nevertheless, with 4 wickets still standing and only 22 runs needed things were looking good.


From Ormskirk’s point of view that final section of play will best be forgotten as, inexpicably, those 4 wickets fell for 20 runs leaving the home side victors by 2 runs.


It’s early days in the season and lessons will have been learned from this opening game to take forward into the future.