Wigan earn a share of the pie

By Mike Latham

The Liverpool & District Competition still operates on a time cricket basis and the recent Premier League game I attended was a great advert for this format.

All too often league cricket can be too stereotyped with its fielding circles and bowlers’ restrictions and in many games leg-side wides comprise a significant contribution to the batting total.

The Liverpool Comp has six-and-a-quarter’s playing time, including a last hour where a minimum of 20 overs must be bowled.

Other than that there are no restrictions, though bonus points are limited to the first 55 overs of the first innings, requiring the batting team to reach 220 to gain maximum points. And bowling teams lose points for not reaching 17 overs per hour.

The Wigan-Birkenhead Park game was a classic of its type and kept the interest to the last ball.

Sunshine on a rainy day at Wigan as Park build their innings

Park, newly promoted but in the bottom two despite having a strong team on paper, batted first on a blustery day. The threatening clouds all but by-passed the Bull Hey ground, leaving just 15 minutes or so lost to rain.

Park’s opening batter Michael Barnes compiled an excellent 112, adding 137 for the third wicket with his captain, Tom Foster, who made 52.

Pakistan pro Ahmad Safi Abdullah weighed with an aggressive half century leaving Foster with the dilemma of when to declare after his side passed the magic 220-mark.

In the end he called a halt with his side 267 for 7 after 54 overs against a Wigan bowling attack that tried manfully but which lacked the services of three regulars.

Given Wigan’s coal-mining roots, the Bull Hey ground is dominated on the town side by the old mining college which used to be attended by mining students from all over the world. Nowadays this historic building is part of Wigan & Leigh College.

Wigan captain Charles Taylor took 3/51 with his left arm spin and was to feature significantly in the second half of the game after tea, remaining on the field throughout.

Foster’s declaration looked on the conservative side to some observers but Wigan have a powerful batting line up and bat deep into the order. Moreover, with ex New Zealand Test bat Aaron Redmond in prime form, they can be a tough proposition.

Birkenhead Park’s Ahmad Safi Abdullah

Left arm spinners feature large in the Comp’s bowling averages and Park have two of the best in their pro and Ashraf Nawab,

But the Wigan captain, a left-hander, never really looked in trouble and gave a most accomplished batting display to lead his side’s reply.

Abdullah made early inroads and at 62-4 and 102-5 Wigan’s best hope seemed to be to close out for a draw with Taylor leading the defiance. Redmond failed for once, caught in the close field for a first ball duck, much to Park’s jubilation.

But the middle order Wigan batters gave much needed support to their captain and never seemed to give up on the chase.

Adnan Miakhel, a highly promising Afghanistan born all-rounder Wigan recruited from Euxton, hit 22 in quick time. Jordan Hampson (33) and wicketkeeper Patrick Howley (23) maintained the momentum while Taylor closed in on a century.

Only when Howley was out did Wigan give up the chase and Taylor had to marshal the tail to earn a draw.

Charles Taylor celebrates his hundred and

survives an lbw appeal off the final ball

He finished undefeated on 103 and saw out a tense final over from Abdullah in the gloaming, surviving a concerted lbw shout off the final ball. He has now scored 302 league runs in his last three games without being dismissed.

Wigan ended 232/9 and a fascinating game ended in a draw.

The Comp rules heavily favour the win and runaway leaders Wallasey, who now hold a commanding 58-point lead at the top after playing 10 of 22 games, again picked up maximum 25pts after beating Southport & Birkdale.

With no points for a draw, both sides earned a share of the pie, as Park picked up nine points and their hosts eight from this gripping encounter.

The distinctive ‘WCC’ marking on the grass banking at Bull Hey

The Comp at the top level is as competitive as ever this season with Formby, despite an enviable array of batting talent, currently bottom after failing to bowl sides out. Park is second bottom but is one of four sides separated by only six points.

2021 champions Northern are second, Ormskirk third with Borough rivals Wigan and Leigh tied in fourth place.

Foster banked on getting 50 overs in at Wigan when he declared and, in the end, got 49. On another day that extra over might just have made the difference. But he can take comfort that his side look more than capable of maintaining their hard-won Premier Division status if they carry on this vein.

Wigan’s town centre Bull Hey ground is a lovely place to watch cricket and this was another rewarding afternoon’s cricket watching in this most fascinating of leagues.