Heeley and Tillakaratne lead the Orrell charge on perfect weekend

Orrell’s first-team led the way with two comprehensive victories which has propelled them to second in the table. Away at Fleetwood Hesketh on Saturday, captain Andy Baybutt won the toss and chose to bat. Openers Matthew Hayes and Sam Heeley got the innings off to a solid start on what looked to be a difficult wicket to score on until batters had been at the crease for a while and gotten used to its intricacies.

When Hayes was bowled by the home side’s impressive Australian Daniel O’Keefe, Richard Everett joined Heeley and looked to be set for a big score until he was adjudged leg before wicket to leave the score 34-2. It was then that the crucial partnership of the innings came together as Mark Waddington joined Heeley out in the middle. Heeley continued to accumulate runs and his stoicism was matched by Waddington who, although never looking like he was fully at ease on the wicket, displayed an impressive resilience as they took the score past 100.

When Waddington was out for 34 miscuing a pull shot as he attempted to up the scoring rate, the score was 126-3. A quick scoring cameo from Matthew Wareing supported Heeley and, whilst maximum batting points at 220 within 55 overs looked to be a tall order, 4 batting points for reaching 190 seem to be achievable. Unfortunately, after Wareing was dismissed (for 20 in 24 balls) Heeley’s dogged innings came to an end soon after when he was caught down leg side reverse sweeping for a pivotal 76. The score at this point was 179-5 and the remainder of Orrell’s batting lineup should have seen the team to at least 190 runs. However, some excellent death bowling from O’Keefe in particular and some poorly judged shots saw Orrell collapse to 187 all out in 54.4 overs. A disappointing end to what had been an impressive batting effort up until around 48 overs into the innings albeit with the recognition that it would have been difficult for the incoming batters to score quickly at such a late stage of the innings given the nature of the pitch where batters took a while to get used to it.

The home batters came out with aggressive intent with a couple of lusty blows early on. However, Baybutt and his bowlers knew that the batters would find it difficult to score quickly quickly consistently as long as they stuck to their plans. Duvindu Tillakaratne showed his class as he held his nerve to clean bowl Matthew Howard to make the score 15-1. Fleetwood Hesketh soon found themselves two wickets down as a brilliant piece of fielding from Dominic Hayes (running round from backward square leg to fine leg) saw Paul Regan run out attempting a second run as Hayes picked the ball up and threw it in in one movement even though he was off balance.

A potential issue for Baybutt was who would back up the Tillakaratne bowling effort at the other end as Dominic Hayes was restricted to only a few overs over the weekend by the Lancashire medical team due to ECB young fast bowler guidance and Sam Heeley tweaked a hamstring after only two overs. However, Wareing and Alfie Clarke stepped into the breach to provide the support required as Tillakaratne ran through the home batting lineup showing his undoubted class. The impressive O’Keefe provided some resistance to cap a fine individual display from him. However, the home team eventually succumbed for 85 in 31.3 overs. Tillakaratne was outstanding yet again with figures of 8-25 from 15.3 overs whilst Clarke took the other wicket to fall. An impressive away victory for Baybutt and his team. Full scorecard details are available here: https://ort.play-cricket.com/website/results/6215793

Baybutt and his team backed up this victory when they entertained Old Xaverians at Winstanley Road on Sunday in a rearranged game. Winning the toss again, Baybutt chose to bat and saw Matthew Hayes and Sam Heeley get the innings off to a perfect start as they mixed good shot selection, solid defence and quick running between the wickets- all interspersed with a decent number of boundaries. With the century partnership in view and being on 49 himself, it was agony for Hayes as he was caught down the leg side when he feathered a leg side glance to the wicketkeeper trying to bring up his half-century. Heeley meanwhile continued his imperious form of the previous day and at 126-3 was joined by Matthew Wareing. With the innings set up for him to come and up the scoring rate, Wareing played the role perfectly as he mixed quick running between the wickets and boundary hitting. Heeley was eventually out for 72 in a similar manner to the previous day attempting to reverse sweep and was caught behind. Wareing continued doing his thing however and brought up a well-deserved half-century just before Baybutt called time on the innings- the declaration coming at 220-5 in 51.2 overs.

The Orrell bowling effort would be deprived of both Dominic Hayes and the injured Heeley and Baybutt knew that today was the day in which a plan hatched during the winter, and worked on during the winter nets, would need to come to fruition- namely that Matthew Wareing would become a bowler again and would be opening the bowling at the other end from Tillakaratne. The Orrell bowling effort got off to the perfect start as the visitors were reduced to 0-3 by Tillakaratne and Wareing. The incoming batsmen had by then clearly decided that the best way to deal with Orrell’s Sri Lankan star was to go on the offensive and a number of boundaries followed. Tillakaratne however is far too experienced as a bowler to be perturbed by such tactics and it was only a matter of time before he was back in the ascendancy. Wareing meanwhile was bowling a very impressive opening ball spell showing immaculate control of line and length and bowling to his field as he picked up two wickets himself as he clean bowled two of the visitors top five batting lineup. The two of them continued to bowl impressively in tandem until Wareing finishes his spell with the astonishing figures of nine overs, five maidens, three wickets for only five runs. Alfie Clarke took the final wicket to fall as Old Xaverians were bowled out for 38 in 19.3 overs. The astonishing Tillakaratne was the main man yet again with 6-32 from 10 overs- this puts him on 37 league wickets in only six games. A phenomenal start to the season.

Videos of key incidents from the games can be viewed at: https://ort.play-cricket.com/website/results/6215775

Baybutt’s team have gained 48 points from a maximum 50 points this weekend and now lie second in the table.

On Saturday at Winstanley Road, Terry Leaford’s second team welcomed the league leaders Ainsdale. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat and made 141 all out in 47.3 overs. The wickets were shared out amongst the Orrell bowlers who stick to their task impressively against an experienced batting lineup. Greg Lea took 2-37, James Edgington 2-30 and Tom Wilkinson 1-9. However, it was Arthur Moore, fresh from his first team cup bowling exploits, who was the star bowler finishing with figures of 5-24 from 13 overs.

In reply, despite 24 from Moore at the top of the innings, the experienced Malcolm Swift looked to be swinging the game in favour of the visitors as he ran through the Orrell top order. That is apart from Brett Taberner who stood firm and went about constructing what would turn out to be a match-winning innings. Leaford himself provided much-needed support with a quickfire 29 from only 19 balls but at 115-7 it still looked to be advantage Ainsdale especially as the experienced David Naylor had retired hurt with an arm injury. Wilkinson then stepped up at the right time to provide wonderful support to Taberner as Brett saw Orrell over the line in 36.3 overs with an unbeaten run a ball 68. A notable victory for Leaford and a young team and hopefully a springboard for the challenges ahead. Full scorecard details are available here: https://ort.play-cricket.com/website/results/6218646

To round off the perfect weekend for Orrell, Alan Moore’s third team secured an emphatic victory over Northop Hall at their temporary home venue of Ormskirk Cricket Club. Batting first, Moore’s team made 176-5 declared in 39.1 overs. This was achieved off the back of a partnership of 115 runs between David Cheetham (63) and James Leyland (49). In reply, the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals against an Orrell bowling attack that included the welcome return to bowling of Phil Taberner. The visitors were eventually all out for 28 in only 23 overs. Taberner the leading wicket taker with four wickets for only four runs, Declan O'Shaughnessy 2-2, Tom Capstick 1-2 and the captain himself 2-7. Full scorecard details are available here: https://ort.play-cricket.com/website/results/6396948

A weekend to savour for the club and one to give confidence to all teams involved for the stern challenges ahead in the coming weeks.