A look back on a weekend of action for the 1st, 2nd and 4th XIs.
The 1st XI’s six-match unbeaten run came to an end on Saturday, as they slumped to a 127-run loss to Southport & Birkdale.
Bowlers Struggle for Breakthroughs as Partnerships Develop
Southport captain Dean Skelton won the toss and elected to bat first. His openers put on 53 for the first wicket before Greg Coogan dismissed Kiran Naidoo for 18, with Simon Forrest taking the catch. Matthew Wood joined Raunak Roy at the crease, and the pair added 89 for the second wicket. Joe Campbell then trapped Roy lbw for 93, leaving Southport 142-2. Wood followed for 50 from 69 balls, with Cam Lawrenson taking the catch off Shaun Hornby to leave Southport 185-3.
Owen Quilliam marked his first 1st XI appearance with his maiden wicket when Forrest stumped Belis Shukla for 49. Southport lost their fifth and final wicket on 238, with Josh Byrne catching Saad Nawab off Lawrenson for just three.
Captain Shines, but Middle Order Collapses
Maghull’s reply got off to a solid start as captain Macauley Lawrenson and Joe Campbell put on 37 for the first wicket. Campbell fell for 13, bringing Josh Byrne to the crease alongside Lawrenson. The pair added another 30 for the second wicket before Bobby Wincer had Byrne caught behind by Skelton for 18. That left Maghull 67-2.
Wincer then claimed his second wicket of the afternoon when he dismissed Cam Lawrenson for 12, reducing Maghull to 89-3. Maghull’s innings then unravelled, as they lost their final seven wickets for just 22 runs to slump from 89-3 to 111 all out.
Anthony Molloy fell for four, while Hornby, Coogan, and Quilliam all departed without scoring. Paul McKenna made one before Rowan Badger registered the fifth duck of the innings as Maghull were dismissed. Simon Forrest finished unbeaten on 0. Captain Lawrenson was the sixth wicket to fall after a dogged 59, but with no one else staying with him, Maghull dug themselves into too deep a hole.
Maghull are down to sixth place in the First Division after the weekend’s results. Next up is a home game against fifth-place Northop Hall at Hall Lane on Saturday.
2nds Lose to Highfield
The 2nd XI fought back after a difficult start against Highfield but ultimately left themselves too much to do as the visitors secured a five-wicket win at Hall Lane.
Liam Gibbons’ side were asked to bat first and slipped to 107-8 before recovering to post 171 all out. Inam Khan led the way with 59 from 87 balls, while Jamie Regan-Hammond added 25 at the top of the order.
Maghull fought hard with the ball and picked up wickets at regular intervals. Khan claimed three wickets as Highfield slipped to 117-5, but an unbeaten 55-run sixth-wicket partnership carried the visitors over the line.
The result leaves Maghull 10th in the First Division, 17 points clear of 11th-placed Spring View. They travel to third-placed Bootle on Saturday.
4th XI Win In High Scoring Run Chase
The 4th XI bounced back from last week’s defeat with a thrilling three-wicket win away at Earlestown.
Earlestown batted first and posted 231-6 from their 40 overs. Lucas Crookham continued his impressive start to senior cricket by taking two wickets, while Harrison Willis and Joseph Byrne both held sharp caught-and-bowled chances.
Maghull then produced their highest successful run chase since the side’s resurrection in 2022, reaching the target with three wickets left. Captain Neil Dutton anchored the innings with an unbeaten 92, while Andy Symes smashed a blistering 57.
