Orrell welcomed reigning Lancashire League champions Darwen CC to Winstanley Road for what has become an annual pre-season curtain raiser for both teams being played for the Naseem Mirza trophy. Orrell won the toss and batted first. All of Orrell’s top 5 got some useful batting practice in the middle in early season conditions with debutant Luke Prescott impressing. A lower middle order collapse halted Orrell’s hard earned momentum and it was left to captain Sam Heeley accompanied by Dominic Hayes to take Orrell to a respectable 173-6 in their 40 overs. With the Orrell effort not being helped by…
Author: Gary Hayes
Orrell’s first-team arrested their recent run of defeats when they had the best of a draw away at Formby Cricket Club on Saturday. Winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Orrell skipper Sam Heeley saw the opening batting pair of Luke Prescott and Ben Mahoney get the innings off to a strong start as they showed sound technique and good shot selection against the home teams pace bowling in order to take advantage of the fast scoring ground. Prescott was initially scoring at a faster rate than Mahoney but this soon evened out and both batters looked to be…
Written by Gary Hayes Orrell’s T20 team completed back-to-back Wigan Cricket Development Group T20 Championships on Sunday at a packed, sun-drenched Winstanley Road. Having received a bye in the semi-final due to the withdrawal of Leigh, Captain Sam Heeley and his team watched the Highfield versus Chorley semi-final with interest as they awaited their opponents in the final. With Highfield winning a very entertaining semi-final, it set up the perfect scenario of a local derby final between two proud and well-run cricket clubs. Asked to bat first by Highfield skipper Ryan Hargreaves, opening batters Andy Baybutt and Ammer Mirza got…
Written by Gary Hayes Orrell’s first team secured a thrilling victory over visitors Rainhill on Saturday at an appreciative Winstanley Road. Rainhill came into the match as the form team in the league on the back of three consecutive victories and chose to field after winning the toss. Orrell opening bats, Ammer Mirza and Matthew Hayes, found scoring difficult in the face of some probing opening bowling from the visitors assisted by seam movement off the wicket. When Hayes was adjudged leg before wicket after a double sound to leave the score 24-2, it was incumbent on the in-form Richard…
Orrell’s first team welcomed last year’s Premier League Champions Northern to Winstanley Road. With 15 year old Logan Pallett making his first team league debut for the hosts, Northern won the toss and chose to bat on what looked to be yet another excellent wicket prepared by groundsman Mike Abbott. Northern opening batters Liam Grey and Jac Kennedy got their team off to a solid start against probing bowling from Sam Heeley and Dominic Hayes. What would turn out to a key moment in the innings happened when Grey was dropped in his 20’s at first slip off the bowling…
Orrell’s first team welcomed Southport and Birkdale to Winstanley Road as they looked to extend their unbeaten run.Home skipper Sam Heeley won the toss and chose to bat first in what looked to be another excellent wicket prepared by groundsman Mike Abbott. Things did not initially go to plan for Heeley and his team as first Matthew Hayes was caught behind on the leg side fending a short- pitched ball off his body and then Andrew Baybutt left a ball that bowled him.This left Orrell in potential trouble at 9-2.Richard Everett and Mark Waddington set about rebuilding the Orrell innings…
Sam Heeley’s first team were frustrated in their efforts to secure victory after a dominant display away at neighbours Wigan. Heeley’s men went into the game against their higher placed opponents needing to put last week’s defeat to table topping Wallasey behind them.When the hosts won the toss and chose to bowl, it was left to Orrell openers, Ammer Mirza and Andy Baybutt, to set the tone of the Orrell innings on what looked to be a good batting wicket. Both openers started in a positive fashion until Baybutt edged behind for 18 off the bowling of England Under 19…
It was a weekend of victories for Orrell’s senior teams with only the first team coming up short. Sam Heeley’s first team welcomed table toppers Wallasey CC to Winstanley Road on Saturday looking to extend their unbeaten run in what would be their most difficult test yet. Having won the toss, the visitors chose to bat with Durham second team player Jamie Crawley and Daniel Beaver (with 448 runs from only 7 innings) opening the batting.They soon showed why they had already achieved three century opening stands this season as they unleashed a number of boundary shots with Crawley being…
It was a day of frustration for Orrell’s first team as they made the trip to Rainhill in what was a game both teams needed to try and win. Captain Sam Heeley won the toss and chose to bat first in batting friendly conditions on a warm day. This decision was vindicated as openers Ammer Mirza and Andy Baybutt got off to a freeflowing start against the Rainhill pace attack. Such was the strong start that Orrell made, that the hosts soon made bowling changes, which slowed the scoring rate to an extent. Baybutt was first out when he played…
Orrell’s first team kickstarted their season with victory over Newton-Le-Willows CC at Winstanley Road. The visitors won the toss and elected to bat in conditions that had been freshened up by the previous night’s rain. The Orrell bowling attack was opened up by Dominic Hayes and captain Sam Heeley as they looked to make early inroads. A probing spell from both was rewarded when Hayes made the breakthrough, dismissing Lancashire second team player Ben Walkden to make the score 25-1, courtesy of a Matthew Wareing catch at backward point. When Hayes had to leave the attack due to ECB bowling…