A look back on a dramatic weekend of action for Maghull CC
A Draw for the 1st XI
The 1st XI held on for a draw at home to New Brighton on Saturday, with the game hanging in the balance until the very last over.
Asked to bat first, Maghull openers Jon Ring and Joe Campbell posted 56 runs for the first wicket. The partnership ended when Campbell fell for 19, caught by Botes off the bowling of Martyn Evans. Ring followed shortly after with the score on 64, with Damitha Silva the bowler. There was a period of consolidation for Maghull, with Josh Byrne (24) and Harry Beddard (44) taking the score to 135. Both fell, leaving the score 135-4. From that point, Maghull’s batting failed to build on the foundation set by the top four. No other player scored more than eight, with the home side losing 8-24 to finish on 159 all out. Silva was the main agent of destruction, with his 19.5 overs bringing seven wickets for just 53 runs.
New Brighton’s opening batters posted 54 for the first wicket. But after Luke Jones fell to Zack Benton for 37, Maghull began to make inroads. The visitors saw five wickets go down for 40 runs, with Campbell claiming three scalps and Anthony Molloy two. This left New Brighton 94-6 and their run chase potentially in tatters. But a 44-run alliance for the seventh wicket between Evans and captain Thomas Anders restored hopes for victory. But once Evans was run out for 29 by Matt Bean, New Brighton were 135-7. The game was once more wide open.
The 42nd and final over of New Brighton’s innings saw them needing 11 runs and Maghull requiring three wickets for victory. But Benton held the visitors to just six, and the match ended in a draw. Maghull took five points for their afternoon’s work, and New Brighton seven. Maghull sit 8th in the first division after the weekend. Up next, they welcome 12th-place Spring View to Hall Lane.
A Tie for the 2nd XI
The 2nd XI’s clash against New Brighton ended in a tie, with the visitors bowled with scores level. The home side batted first and were shot out for 108. Shaun Hornby, fresh from his midweek T20 heroics, took 4-35 and Liam Gibbons chipped in with 3-24. Maghull made a steady start in their reply, but from 43-2 they fell to 93-9. Hornby (24*) got Maghull up to parity. But he was unable to prevent the side losing their final wicket for 108. Both sides took 15 points from the game, and Maghull remain in 8th place in the table. They’ll look to get back to winning ways next week with a trip to Spring View on the calendar.
3rd XI Get Their First Win of 2026
The 3rd XI secured their first win of the season against Liverpool 4th XI on Saturday, winning by four wickets at Aigburth. The home side were bowled out for 157, with Dave Blackburn taking 4-47 and Chris Mawdesley 3-30. Maghull raced to 107 in reply, with Phil Ivens (63) and Niall Noble (36) in fine form. 107-0 became 139-6 as wickets fell at regular intervals. But a 19-run stand for the seventh wicket saw Maghull to victory, with captain Gareth Lloyd hitting the winning runs with just one delivery remaining. The 3rd XI are up to sixth in the table, but frustratingly will have to wait two weeks before their next game, a trip to Wavertree 3rd XI.
