Transcript
Tom Evans: Hello and welcome once again to the Last Hour Cricket Podcast, a podcast about cricket in Merseyside and beyond. My name is Tom Evans from Merseyside Cricket Online. I'm joined as ever by my co-host Jamie Bowman. How's things going, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, good. Thank you, Tom. Do you know what? the The theme tune's beginning to become an earworm.
Tom Evans: Yeah?
Jamie Bowman : It's getting getting stuck in my head now. I hope that's the same for everyone.
Tom Evans: Okay, it is um is Floridian punk rockers less than Jake.
Jamie Bowman : Oh, is it?
Tom Evans: with a song the song called The Last Hour of the Last Day at Work, which coincidentally I think works quite well as a theme tune.
Jamie Bowman : oh right. Is
Tom Evans: So a little bit of a well bit an Easter egg.
Jamie Bowman : that your punk past, is it, Tom? Yeah. pun past is it to
Tom Evans: Definitely, yeah, turn the turn of the century American music. Skate punk, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : right
Tom Evans: um ah the the The Venn diagram of that music and local club cricket aficionados is probably two circles that are mostly quite distant, but anybody else who has listened to the podcast and recognised that tune will get a real kick out of the fact that it's got the name of the podcast in the and the name of the song.
Jamie Bowman : yeah
Jamie Bowman : excellent you see i didn't even know that i've learned something already
Tom Evans: but
Tom Evans: Yeah, yeah, so all sorts of little Easter eggs like that. Dotted around. um It's just that, really. and I'm delighted to be joined ah this this evening, or whenever you're listening to it, by a man who is the captain of one of so one of the two unbeaten sides in the Loveland Liverpool competition at the moment, Caldy in Division 2.
Tom Evans: He's also chairman, selector, chief kit washer and tea lady. And he also plays a key role on the field of boring fielders to death. He has, in fact, got the lowest strike rate among the top 40 run scorers in Division 2.
Jamie Bowman : oh
Tom Evans: He is Mike Grealis. Mike, thank you for coming on.
Mike: ah Hi guys, thanks for having me on. What an intro, wow. and
Tom Evans: i Well, I need to tell all listeners. i i'm not I'm not just ripping straight into our guests, so I'm very grateful for having on. You you did suggest the strike rate thing to me yourself as something to...
Mike: I did, I didn't quite realise it was top battle 40, but yeah, that's good to know. thanks
Jamie Bowman : You should be proud, Mike. You should be proud.
Mike: Well, there's a role in that in cricket, especially time cricket, so yeah, happy to fulfil that amongst others, as you said.
Tom Evans: Absolutely. Drop in anchor. There's a lot to be said for it. um Great. We've got a lot of stuff to talk about, mostly because it's been three weeks since we managed to last record an episode. um As we're speaking, it's it's Monday evening, June the 23rd, which is the evening of the fourth day of the the first Test match between England and India.
Tom Evans: um I think it's fairly safe to say it's been a cracker so far, hasn't it, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, it really has. It's kind of all building to the cres crescendo of the fifth day, which is a nice riposte to all those people talking about four-day tests.
Jamie Bowman : So, yeah, it it could be a cracker tomorrow, couldn't it? £20, I think it is, to get in, isn't it? £10 for kids. I hope there's lots of people bunking off tomorrow and they're heading to Headingley.
Tom Evans: Yeah, I hope so.
Jamie Bowman : It should be a great atmosphere on the Western Terrace. And, yeah, I mean, England... got through a tricky half an hour at the end there and you know that theyll they'll think they'll think they can do they always think they can do it don't they I mean i don't know if they can I think it's a big ask I think Jadeja is going to have a lot to say tomorrow isn't he but I think they're confident they think they can do it they've done it before and heading these the the place where teams do chase isn't it so yeah could be a cracking day
Tom Evans: Absolutely. You've been watching much the test, Mike?
Mike: Yeah, I've caught quite a bit of it, to be fair. And I think every day has been really a really good watch, especially when England bat. I always prefer watching that, and especially as the way India went a bit slow this morning wasn't quite... and Not quite the same, is it? But... and Yeah, it would be really intriguing. and I think tomorrow is the perfect day. that that could If turn up and bat sensibly, they also look to win. you know if If they get through that first session, it could really get exciting with sort of all results on the table. so and you know That's why Test cricket is just the best, isn't it? You wouldn't get that sort of thrill and options in in the other formats, I don't think, especially at that level.
Tom Evans: No, it's it it's the best format of the game.
Jamie Bowman : into.
Tom Evans: Delivering once again, I think. um It's interesting to think back a few years, because obviously you know everyone talks about the the New England approach being one that can that can chase this kind of total. They've done it before. They've chased 300 plus against um and it's India last time they were here, obviously in 2022, their record run chase.
Tom Evans: with like Exactly 350 to get on the last day. do you think pre-2022 England would have gone for the win or would they have tried to back the time?
Mike: Good question. ah I think they would have by the time. I think there's an example, maybe New Zealand, about 2021 or something like that, that where they they had the option and they clearly didn't.
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Mike: so And I'm also not sure they had the players. you know but <unk> it's a you know you need You need a top seven that can all go.
Tom Evans: Mm-hmm.
Mike: And I think they've got we've got that now and and they didn't in the past. So I think so. I think that different mentality will make it more exciting. Whereas... Probably, if you yeah, if it was five years ago, you'd be like hoping for a draw at this point. But now yeah there's there's a chance of England winning, which is quite mad, considering 370 on a final day would normally just be written off.
Jamie Bowman : But what I do hope happens, Mike, and and as a practitioner of timed cricket, you'll appreciate this, especially if your strike rate. there is a time There is a time and a place to kind of, but if, say, you know, three o'clock, we're six down and still need, I don't know, 150 or something, seven down.
Jamie Bowman : Is there a time to drop anchor and say, you know, a draw is a draw. It isn't a defeat. i mean or Or do this England team just not think like that, do you think? I mean, because I think if there is a situation where where it does become impossible to win, you know, I think especially with it being the first test of the series, it's important.
Jamie Bowman : It's still important not to lose. Is it not? I don't know. ah That seems to be totally anathema to this England team who I think they've lost. They've drawn one, of they? One game art under Stokes, which was the the Old Trafford game where it poured down with rain. So,
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, it would it would be a rarity, wouldn't it, a draw?
Tom Evans: I can't think of...
Mike: Ready.
Tom Evans: I'm sure there have been times when they've been batting in the fourth innings and and they've gone for it and lost. when it When it's been realistic, you a few times in India last winter, they were chasing, nominally chasing 650 or whatever, which they were never going to get close to, um no matter how they batted.
Tom Evans: you know
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Tom Evans: and i don't know.
Jamie Bowman : But this is slightly different, isn't it?
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : if they if they Let's say they bat for two sessions and they get within...
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : I don't know, 100, but they're seven down, eight down. You know, you think, is this, and they're still an established battering, you know, say say Harry Brooks still in or something. You think, is Harry Brooks just going to try and marmalise it and get it on his own or Ben Stokes, for example, or do they drop anchor? I don't know. i I just can't see this team doing that.
Jamie Bowman : And I think that's, I think it's a slight shame. i think there's still, i think there's still some credit for the draw in modern cricket. I'd like to think there is anyway.
Tom Evans: There is. I think it's partly a question of, I think, like like you alluded to earlier, Mike, what what they'd be capable of. you know I would back Ben Stokes to score 150 in a session more than I would to back him to block out a session, if you know what I mean.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah. Yeah.
Tom Evans: I think, especially given that India would prefer to draw than lose as well,
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Tom Evans: I think there's a real chance that you know if it looks like England are going to do it, then in India would start putting the fielders back on the fence. They would start bowling more defensively, um you know which mean would mean they would create fewer chances.
Tom Evans: you know there there's ah There's a defensive aspect to getting as close as we possibly can to the target as well.
Mike: Yeah, I agree. I mean i think if England lose five wickets in the first session, not pretty much all of us will be thinking, just chill out a bit and slow down and at least see where you are at T.
Mike: Especially with it being a test that Bummer is playing and like everyone keeps saying that you want you know he's not going to play all of them, you know a draw on paper would seem like a good result.
Jamie Bowman : And
Mike: and Especially from the position they were in with the conceded 400 or and then ah quite a lot today as well. so Yeah, i would like to I wouldn't mind seeing the draw if it's the right circumstances that England have to play for it.
Tom Evans: Mm-hmm.
Mike: I think a lot of people would do. But whether they will, I mean, we haven't seen it yet, have we?
Jamie Bowman : is top ah Mike, is that one of the trickiest things about being a captain in the comp? You know, you sometimes you have to weigh up, you know, are you going to go for the win? are you going to Are you going to go for the draw? Are you going to, you know, because it's one of the beauties of timed cricket, isn't it, in the comp that you have to make these decisions?
Jamie Bowman : is that Is that one of the trickiest things you face as a captain?
Mike: Yeah, I think it is. I don't think it is in play as much in Division 2 as perhaps the Premier. You guys might know the stats more than me, but we haven't had a lot of draws in last few years, you know in even Division 1 as well when were there.
Mike: I think you know the scores tend to be lower and people don't last as long and and and therefore it isn't in play as much.
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Mike: But I do think it does still comes into play, but when especially later on in the season when you're Know what opposition you're playing, whether it you know you can risk losing and little bit more and you know because you're not competing with them, for example. So, um ah good good question. a I think it it is a beauty and it is a test of a captain, ah which you wouldn't get in in just straight 50 over stuff that other leagues play.
Tom Evans: Good stuff. But yeah, all told, whatever happens. Whatever happens to me, it's been a fantastic test and lots of lots of great individual performances. But I've got to say, um I was lucky enough to be there on on Saturday. Yeah.
Tom Evans: And to see Jasprit Bunber's opening spell of England's innings, that first over in particular to Zach Crawley, where he had him on a string and eventually dismissed him out of mercy almost with the last ball that first over, that was that was an absolute privilege to watch. That was some of the most compelling cricket I've ever seen.
Tom Evans: um Zach Crawley is never the most technically sound of openers, but you could tell you know he is an experienced international cricketer and e He couldn't get bat on it without it going towards or through the slips.
Tom Evans: It was an absolute pleasure to watch, even if it was a slightly bitter one with it being um an England player who was being toyed with on this occasion. um But yeah.
Jamie Bowman : ah seems to be There seems to be a lot of clamour about calling him the best fast bowler ever, doesn't there, this week? It seems to have suddenly just become... He's arrived in England and everyone's suddenly realised how good he is.
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Tom Evans: Yeah, I certainly think in the three-format era, there's a there's case to be made in terms his performances across all the formats. um It's impossible to say whether he's whethery how perform in the old days when they didn't have the fitness regimes they have now, but when the wickets weren't covered. and you know it's ah There's no point in comparing across eras, but certainly at the moment, he's, I think, streets ahead of anybody else in terms of terms of fast bowlers.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, I think we're just lucky Shammy's not there with him, aren't we?
Tom Evans: Yeah, certainly it seems to be what they always say about Richard Hadley in the 80s for New Zealand. He was playing a World XI from one end and a Village XI from the other, which think obviously unfair on the rest of the New Zealand bowling attack.
Jamie Bowman : That's tough on Jeremy Coney.
Tom Evans: But it's got a poor Jeremy Coney and James Bracewell as a spinner, the offie.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Tom Evans: Yeah. ah Very faint memories of that. But, you know, it's slightly unfair, slightly exaggerated, but, you know, you can see the difference in the England players' approach, both in the first innings and in that little mini-session tonight, when they weren't playing Bum, where they seemed sort of more...
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Tom Evans: aggressive and that's probably probably rightly so because that's where the scoring opportunities, I mean by the time anyone's listening to this, um England might have taken Bunra for 300 in a session and and and won the game so you know, you never know but it's been a cracking test so far and it was a pleasure to be there um um on Saturday um so yeah, all good.
Jamie Bowman : You're lucky you got a ticket, Tom. Well done.
Tom Evans: Well, it's funny you should mention that, yeah. and I was contacted out of the blue and and and offered a place in there and hospitality at Headingley. I don't get as many... Journalists don't get as many freebies as people think they do, so I was reluctantly accepted.
Jamie Bowman : Not anymore.
Tom Evans: It was a bit of a long drive, you know and like you say, it was very hot on Saturday, um but you know the in a Toyota, it was an absolute breeze, let me tell you.
Jamie Bowman : yeah
Tom Evans: but but They are great cars, let me tell
Jamie Bowman : have we got have we got a new sponsor all right
Tom Evans: it's so i and The England cricket team have got a new sponsor, yeah. and I was also very comfortable in my in my West Coast workwear apparel. ah
Jamie Bowman : excellent always on brand always on brand
Tom Evans: In my high-vis. i it I kept getting mistaken for a steward. but
Tom Evans: So yeah, that was... a That was great. Looking onto um slightly more local cricket, Lancashire are currently halfway through their four-day game at Blackpool against Kent with a promising young upstart as captain by the name of Anderson. um It's been a struggle for Lancashire so far.
Tom Evans: With a bit of help from the weather, they have batted for the best part of two days, put on 300 and odd. It's really, you think, difficult to force a result from here. What do you say, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, it looks like it, doesn't it?
Tom Evans: Yeah, it looks like it, isn't
Jamie Bowman : I mean, I was hoping, obviously, with...
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : I mean, one of the main issues... in in this season recent years has been forcing the result at Old Trafford so I hoped maybe going to Blackpool and an outground might might might help a bit but it but it does seem quite a flat deck there and not um not an awful lot happening so yeah looks like a draw odds on but you never know the skipper might pull out a magic spell at some point he certainly needs to but Yeah, looks like it's going to be another disappointing outing for Lancashire.
Tom Evans: yeah
Jamie Bowman : And yeah, apart from apart from their form in the blast, it's been a disappointing season so far.
Tom Evans: Yeah, they're going well in the blast at least, which is but is something. um what but What do you make of Lancashire's form so far this season, Mike? Have you you seen much of them?
Mike: Yeah, I've seen little bits. I think it's just clearly improved since Croft's taken over, to be honest. ah and and And that's also coincided with the with the different format coming in the blast. So, you know, I think that was fairly long overdue. It seemed like the the previous bloke wasn't too popular with with the fans and wasn't getting results. So and it made sense to bring Croft in. We actually played in the season in the Cup and he was such a great bloke, really... yeah you know talk talk to a really nice guy you know i did catch him out so maybe i uh caused his retirement a little bit earlier than he planned yeah thought you did well though right um but yeah no um
Tom Evans: Well, well done for getting that We've got our running order and Mike's got his own things he wants to get in as well, clearly.
Mike: yeah i thought i might actually
Jamie Bowman : that's a great That's a great name drop or name catch. Yeah, that's great.
Mike: Exactly. and But yeah, it was hot-blood. I mean, they they won the game and they were a step ahead of us. But it was nice to actually test yourself against a player i've watched you know on telly for 15, 20 years. so And kudos to him that he's taken that role and and done really well so far. So hopefully it continues.
Tom Evans: Good stuff, yeah. Also, this this week, or last week, the yeah the England Mixed Disability XI got their series against India underway, which is a fairly new innovation, I think. can Obviously, yeah one of the players, someone you'll know well, Mike, Chris Edwards, formerly of Calde, now of New Brighton, by all accounts had a very good game in the first and the first game and helped England to win. um have you Have you spoken to Chris lately about this series? Yeah.
Mike: Yeah, I know he was really excited course since he's gone there in terms of that. But yeah, I knew he was really excited for it. And that's a big part of this summer is this sort of groundbreaking series for the for the disability side. So yeah, hopefully he continues to do well. And he's always dominated at that level for England. It's it's quite amazing how how he does it every year and how he's done it for so long and in such a key leadership role as well. So yeah, and no surprise, but yeah, good on him.
Jamie Bowman : And we should mention Jimmy Dixon's in the squad as well, shouldn't we? He didn't he didn't play at the weekend, but I'm sure he'll be getting a chance at some point.
Tom Evans: yeah
Tom Evans: Of course, yeah. Great to see yeah some ah some local players flying flying the flag for the region.
Mike: Thank you.
Tom Evans: um Looking on to more local stuff, it's been three weeks since we've recorded, but looking at the league tables, not much has changed since then. Holmeskirk is still clear at the top of the top of the Premier Division after their draw with Northern on Saturday. I think this sort of goes back to what we were talking about before with the the draw in time cricket. There was a bit of weather around on Saturday. um i I couldn't be there. I would have been there, but, you know, Toyota, Headingley, all that hospitality.
Tom Evans: and ah But, you know the The rain sort of came early on and Omskirt were batting well. They were in control of the game and they had no real reason to make a make a sporting declaration and give Northern the chance of, on what was by all accounts a pretty flat deck, to give them the chance of putting a chase together and you know getting what could have been a really significant win.
Tom Evans: um But you know it it it is part of the game, isn't it? Part of the beauty of time cricket is that you have to take 10 wickets. if if if if you want to win um bowling second. So, you know, that's ah but so part all part of it, isn't it, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : It is, but do you not think it's a shame? we we They often seem to have these games, Ormskirk and Northern. It's like, I always remember, it's like when people hype up Liverpool Man United or something, isn't it? or And it's a nil-nil.
Tom Evans: You're showing your age there, I think. so <unk>ll tend That tends not to be close.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, years ago. Not so much now, but in but in the old days, you'd get all these this hype around a game, wouldn't you? And then it was nil-nil and it it feels slightly disappointing. You sort of want to...
Jamie Bowman : an all guns blazing kind of clash of the titans, don't you? But yeah, I mean, it's totally their prerogative, isn't it? You stop the other team winning and keep your lead.
Jamie Bowman : But yeah, i think it's a shame in a way, but that's such is a beauty of time cricket.
Tom Evans: Yeah, in the last 10 games between between those two, that the comps, two leading sides, I think it's fairly safe to say over the last few years, and in the last 10 games, there have been five results.
Tom Evans: The rest have been draws, and those five results include the game. It was the last game of last season, which was shaping up to be a title decider. Then Ormskirk ended up winning the league before it, and both they both had cup finals the following day, um and it was a complete dead rubber on last day of the season.
Tom Evans: So they they showed up and agreed to a 20-over thrash, basically. Ormskirk won that one, but you know that that that's one of only five of the last 10 that have had a positive result. And if you look at... you know The draw is always part of the game, but they're not that frequent when there's not weather around.
Tom Evans: And I think that does say something that you know both both sides are going to be understandably cautious when it comes to playing one of their main rivals. um Elsewhere, locally...
Tom Evans: and The same two sides meet again on July 6th in the last 16 of the national knockout. Obviously a tournament where Northern beat Ormskirk in the quarterfinals last season on the way to the on the way to the final.
Tom Evans: um So that that should be a an interesting one. um The local finals day of the ECB T20 features Ormskirk, Formby, Wallasey and Rainford.
Jamie Bowman : Thank you.
Tom Evans: They will... ah They all fight it out the week after on July the 13th. So, you know, we sort of get into the business end a few of the cup competitions, even though we're barely halfway through the season. um Speaking of Wallasey, very impressive performance by their new-ish all-rounder on Saturday, wasn't there, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, nine wickets for Seb Boats. I mean, it just a fantastic performance. Nine for 41, think it was.
Tom Evans: yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, yeah. So, yeah, fantastic. What a signing he's proved to be. I think ka everyone knew he was a very good player. And yeah I think, yeah, he's just proven that. But nine wickets, yeah, and that must be the best figures in the comp for a while, I'd imagine.
Tom Evans: Yeah, I know Sam Marsh last season.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: I think he got the best figures in the whole country, Sam Marsh. He got nine for 18, I think it was.
Jamie Bowman : no fantastic fantastic
Tom Evans: ah and i can look this up and do some clever editing tricks to make like make it look like I did.
Mike: Thank you.
Tom Evans: Confidently pluck it out the top of my head.
Jamie Bowman : you
Tom Evans: bath and No, I'm pretty sure it was something like that. Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : got you got some more you got some uh you got some more wickets and runs the next day as well in the cheshire cup so yeah good weekend for seb so well done good bowling and uh They kind of needed that as well, haven't they?
Jamie Bowman : They've been kind of bit stop-start this season towards the bottom of the table.
Tom Evans: Yeah, that the the Prem does seem to be sort of splitting into two groups. i mean, obviously, there's a lot of time for it to change, but if you look at the points totals, there's a top five at the moment, and there's the rest.
Tom Evans: And, you know, you feel like the rest could be quite fluid and move around quite a lot. um I'm scared Northern... Rainford, Formby and Lee are all, you know, you feel like they're the five strongest teams. They're probably going to stay in the top five positions. ah I'm willing to be proved completely wrong and I'm sure um captains of the other clubs in the Prem will be, if they're listening, will be very keen to prove me wrong on that.
Jamie Bowman : They'll be putting this up in the dressing rooms, Tom.
Tom Evans: um They will be somehow, yeah, they'll be recording it onto a device and... ah onto a USB stick and plugging it in in the dressing room, whatever the modern equivalent of that but cliche is. That's why I tend not to go in writing with these things anymore, because they really can come back to bite you.
Mike: smart
Tom Evans: i'm In Division 1, Springview still going very well. um and And also Sutton, who you mentioned last time, Jamie, as a surprise package.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: They got a really good win over Sefton on Saturday, didn't know they? ah
Jamie Bowman : They did. They did.
Tom Evans: They dominated that one, didn't they?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : They did. They certainly did. I mean, sp I think Spring, you know, Springview and Sutton, two pretty recent additions, aren't they, to the to the competition? And they could, you know, they could be premier division teams next next year. is it's It's shaping out to be quite an astonishing story ah if they do maintain their good form at the moment. So definitely one to keep an eye on the top of Division One.
Tom Evans: Very much so, yeah, which ah brings us nicely to the top of Division 2, where um our guests might have but might be able to have some input here, because Caldie and Ainsdale are pretty much neck and neck, aren't they? um Caldie are unbeaten, but Ainsdale are actually slightly ahead on points, aren't they? That's right, isn't
Mike: Correct. it's It's kind of crazy that we we feel like we've won eight games and we haven't chosen to fall first and we're not even top. So it shows how well Ainsdale have done as well. and And also Northropal just behind I think there's only been one loss out us three to basically the rest of the league, which was when Aisdell declared quite early Sporting League, which i thought was a good move at the time to try and force a result when when everyone else was rained off.
Mike: So it shows that it's going to you know if if we carry on with this form, it could be some some battle with a really high points score that might be needed to to actually fill those two spots.
Tom Evans: it's
Tom Evans: You must have seen most of the teams in the division now. Do you feel like did you feel like you're there you know for the for the right reasons? you feel like you're there on merit and you've got what it takes to stay?
Mike: I think so. I think you know we we were there last season. you know We were you know one catch-off and I feel we are a better team than last year.
Jamie Bowman : Thank
Mike: We're certainly scoring more runs and they're being more evenly shared out as well. where Last year we were sort of relying on a couple of lads to score the runs and a few guys weren't but didn't quite and you know to do what they thought would do and but now we're making up for that this season.
Mike: so and yeah ah i think the we but we've also had a sort of more dominant wins than we did where won some ridiculously close games on last ball last year. It was really tough on the heart, whereas this year it hasn't.
Mike: Although we've been in the some difficult situations in a few games, especially the first couple, and it hasn't quite been as nerve-wracking as last year, which sort is a good sign going forward. Hmm...
Jamie Bowman : Did that disappointment of last year, has that really spurred you on? Because you were incredibly close, weren't you? I mean, as close as you could get, really. is it Because it could have gone either way, couldn't it? i mean, you know, some some some sides just feel a bit sorry for themselves the next season, don't they? But you seem to have used it as a bit of a bit of a motivational aid.
Mike: Yeah, I think so. I mean, it's it's quite that mainly a different team, which is strange. becauses Obviously, a lot there's a lot comings and goings in club cricket, especially Division 2 at the moment. So, and I don't know how relevant that is when you've got lads coming in from other clubs anyway. But yeah, I think for that so the ones that are still there, myself obviously included, you know, that hurt a little bit. I mean, I thought...
Mike: To be honest, we probably weren't in the best two teams last year. I definitely thought Sutton were the best and um um they were so close to not going up and look where they are now. So, and you know, fair play to them. I'm not actually that surprised that they're that they're doing that well because they're a really good batting team and they just probably added a better overseas and and look where that gets you.
Mike: and So, you know, that that that probably is the ballpark for everyone else to to try and follow.
Jamie Bowman : How's the vibe around the club in general? Because i would obviously i I write for the Wirral Globe and there seems to be a lot of positivity about Kaldi from the rugby side of things. Does that rub off on the cricket side at all?
Mike: and Yeah, a little bit.
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Mike: i mean, we mix and match. we We go to their games a lot more than they come to ours. So it's hard to say how how relevant that is and how much they're... But yeah, they've been in the Championship, the second division for...
Mike: ah for three years now, which is quite amazing for a club of that size competing with you know professional teams.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Mike: So very different for us. We we know we're not the main part of the club in terms of revenue and and sponsorships, et cetera. But we're quite happy to be that.
Mike: you know We get along with it those guys and and they you know they make concessions for us even when people might not think that. So, yeah, I think i think it's you know a positive place to be where you know there's plans to to and upgrade the clubhouse to something really modern. So hopefully that gets passed and goes through and then it you know really look ah ah you know amazing, I think, you know going forward for for both sides.
Jamie Bowman : And if if you did go up this season, do you think you'd be better suited this time round? Because obviously it was a bit of a struggle last time, wasn't it?
Mike: Yeah, we we we had we had two years, which I think was was
Tom Evans: I was
Mike: you know they I was quite happy that we didn't go down in the first year, and and although that was by the skin of our teeth with with a ridiculous chase of 2.30 on the last day at Lytham. Just one down, which was just ridiculous close to watch, to be honest. but and But the second year was tough.
Mike: and you know we didn't have an overseas for the whole year and and um it's very difficult to win games without a pro you know when when everyone else sort of has won in Division 1 so and I thought it was probably maybe the right time for us to go down and and regroup and i and and and enjoy our cricket a little bit more and and and then potentially go off at the start of the season I would have taken top 6 our form has been quite amazing from what I thought maybe i was a bit negative in that preview time and But, and you know, if we keep playing like this, then I think we you know we could could do similar to what Sutton are now. We won't see, obviously.
Tom Evans: Speaking of overseas pros, Rohan's certainly enjoying a good a good season fit for you guys, isn't he? Rohan Sanjaya, your overseas spinner.
Mike: Yeah, it's quite fun to watch, to be honest. I feel for any right-hander that comes in because ah I haven't really seen anyone did you know Maybe Andy Taylor pressed that in better really well and maybe Croft got a couple of free hits away in that cup game. But other than that, it it's just like it's you know you're expecting the inevitable to happen because you know it just it doesn't look much fun. He's also a great lad to have a around. He's a nice guy. so yeah i mean If he keeps playing like this, you know the rest of the team only really have to get five wickets or so a game and that makes your task a lot easier.
Tom Evans: Off the top of your head, what's he averaging for the season in the league?
Mike: it's Probably like, probably about seven.
Tom Evans: It is 6.88.
Jamie Bowman : Blimey.
Tom Evans: Yeah, his 40 wickets have come at a cost of less than seven runs each.
Mike: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : ah
Tom Evans: So ah obviously a great start for him and a great great start to the season for Caldery as well. Long may continue. Obviously there's a few other teams on the Wigel, isn't there? The Wigel's quite a hotbed of cricket, There's a lot of teams in quite a sort of Small geographical area, do you feel like it's, um you know, it's it does does it feel like an area where cricket's a big deal compared to other parts of the region, Mike? Yeah.
Mike: and Yeah, I'd say so. I you know i don't really know what why that is. But yeah, there's lots of big clubs. If you look at the Cheshire League too, obviously they've got Oxford and Eston, etc. So and yeah, I guess it's maybe due to the schools that actually play a big part, you know are actually promoting it.
Mike: know Because I went to Caldé school and you know we we used the Caldé back pitch there and and played a against a lot of the other schools in the area that also had cricket teams so maybe the other parts of Liverpool and Lancashire don't didn't quite have that um which is a shame
Jamie Bowman : How do you think the Cheshire Prem sort of, or the Cheshire set-up matches up to the Liverpool set-up? if you Have you ever been tempted to move over or or go back or...?
Mike: and Personally not. i i think were we like where we are, with time cricket, we like you know what we're used to. I can see the benefits are there and and I think I flirted with both and I can see why. There's there's probably pros and cons with both. i mean They have some big trips travel-wise as well. it is Logically, ah the league doesn't neither league really makes sense in terms of geography.
Mike: and especially when you go down to third team level and you're still travelling an hour, it doesn't make that much sense. But yeah you're kind of stuck with what you are now, really, aren't you? So, and yeah, good question. I think that's also a strong league that, you know, the Chester side, they perform well in the Nationals, you know, similar to Northern Ormskirk. So it clearly is an exciting setup. And they play a bit of a weird hybrid format where there's sort of pink ball coloured clothes for half the year and and win loss for the rest. So some people might like that. I get that.
Tom Evans: been a bit of a mixed start the season for a few of the Wirral sides in the in the Cheshire County League, hasn't it, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, ne ah you mentioned Neston and Oxeton, both lost at the weekend. Both, I think Neston in the bottom two, actually. So, yeah, sort of slightly worrying times for two clubs that, you know, traditionally we think of as obviously...
Jamie Bowman : Not comp clubs, and but we shouldn't think any less of them because they're big clubs and, you know, successful clubs. And, yeah, Neston look like they're in a bit of trouble at the moment. But one team that's doing well, ive put Sunlight a second in there Division 1.
Jamie Bowman : And I saw them beat, I watched them beat Sefton Park recently in the Echo knock out And they looked they look very youthful outfit, actually. Looked good. it's I always find it intriguing to watch the...
Jamie Bowman : Because obviously we we we do tend to watch the comp games more, don't we? Because of the clubs we're associated with and the jobs we do.
Tom Evans: Mm-hm.
Jamie Bowman : But the the yeah, it was really interesting to watch Port Sunlight. They look very, very effective. And yeah, they theyre they're second at the moment, I think, in Division 1. And there's Maritime as well in Division 1, who I saw had a good win on Saturday as well.
Jamie Bowman : Another interesting club who seemed to be doing well. They came up this year into Division 1 and seem to be more than holding their own. So, yeah, I think i think there's a lot going on in Wirral cricket. And, you know, sometimes we do need to look beyond the...
Jamie Bowman : the obvious names and and look at, look at what's happening in all the leagues. Cause of course you've also got the Cheshire, there's teams in the Cheshire league as well, isn't there? And there's teams in that the Southport and district as well.
Jamie Bowman : So there's plenty of.
Tom Evans: You're right.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: yeah Mike, you're right. that this This whole structure makes no sense, does it?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Mike: I'm
Tom Evans: There's a league called the Liverpool Competition, which has got hardly any teams from Liverpool in it.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: that's the The Cheshire League, which is much too big an area to have. you know Geographically, you have teams from Didsbury, playing teams on the Wirral. And then you have the Southport and District League, which has got some teams from Southport in, but you know it goes down because down as far as, well, Mosley Hill.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: You know?
Jamie Bowman : Birkenhead, Samarians.
Tom Evans: Cheshire Lions and Allerton.
Mike: not gonna add, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah. Cheshire Lions.
Tom Evans: Birkenhead, of course, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah. Yeah. it's its but But the structure is going to change slightly, isn't it?
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Next season, isn't it?
Tom Evans: Of course, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : No.
Tom Evans: Next season, yeah, the Southport League is going to be integrated into the Liverpool competition. I know a lot of ah lot of people working very hard behind the scenes to to make sure that goes off without a... without a hitch. So, yeah, it should be interesting.
Tom Evans: But again, like you said, we talked about Sutton, we talked about Springview, who've relatively recently made the move to the comp. Norley Hall another one they've established themselves as a decent competitive side in Division 2, having come up from the Southport League. And, you know, it shows that the sides can compete if they get the chance to make the step up. So...
Jamie Bowman : And more more places to go to, isn't it?
Tom Evans: so
Jamie Bowman : I mean, I enjoy playing at different grounds. You know, I don't know about you, Mike. I think it's always interesting to go somewhere different, isn't it? As long as it's not too far away.
Tom Evans: um
Mike: Yeah, and you you get used to it. I think especially if you're playing at a higher level, you you accept a little bit more of a trip and you accept to sit there and watch it rain on certain days.
Mike: but um
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Mike: So yeah, it's but it is what it is. We're we're all used to it now.
Tom Evans: Speaking of potential cricket annoyances, I think it's time for for Mike to ah come up with his submissions for Dressing Room 101, don't you?
Tom Evans: which is the segment of the podcast where we ask our guests to ah so submit their niche cricketing irritations and bugbears.
Mike: OK.
Tom Evans: And me and Jamie will rule on whether they they are admitted to the the pits of hell that is dressing room 101.
Jamie Bowman : ah hope one of them I hope one of them isn't freeloading cricket journalists, Tom.
Tom Evans: So Mike,
Tom Evans: if it is, then it was just gonna be a no, because you know but my podcast, my rules. I'm very seldom freeloading, I'll just say as well.
Jamie Bowman : I know, I know.
Tom Evans: I jumped at the chance to freeload.
Jamie Bowman : I'm just jealous. I'm just very jealous. ah che very
Tom Evans: and Anybody else wants to offer me the chance to freeload, by the way, my my my DMs are open. um Contact details at the end of the show. Go on, Mike, what have you got for so
Mike: Right, so my first one is ah time cricket.
Jamie Bowman : Oh.
Mike: I'm only joking. I'm joking.
Tom Evans: us? yeah
Jamie Bowman : Oh, Mike.
Tom Evans: You had me in the first half, not going lie.
Jamie Bowman : now
Mike: No, I need a place in the team. yeah Seriously. I've got a couple. out Obviously, a few have been used, so we'll see what what you make of these.
Mike: So my first one, maybe is a bit brave.
Tom Evans: I'll be.
Mike: I don't really don't want to piss off umpires and I one I put it on record that I really appreciate all they do and and and we wouldn't have a game without them and it's a really difficult job, especially on their little thin edges and and dealing with certain characters and and and you know in the game. But the one thing that slightly annoys me is I think and maybe it's my advice as a match, a little bit of of guessing with with LBW decisions that that come into play, like the amount of times I've heard you know, a plight inquiry and they might say something like, oh, I think it was clipping leg and it was feels like the benefit they dealt for batsmen may have gone out of the window. So please don't um take this out on me.
Mike: But and
Jamie Bowman : So you just go you what is it? Is it just umpires or is it indecisive umpires?
Mike: it's not
Tom Evans: Just umpires who give you out.
Mike: it's the it's the yeah it's
Tom Evans: Right. Right.
Mike: it's not
Tom Evans: Okay.
Jamie Bowman : Umpires who understand the LBW law?
Mike: going to define it, I'd say it's the umpire's guessing on close LBWs and i'm i'm giving them out.
Tom Evans: thy
Jamie Bowman : So no longer giving the benefit of the doubt.
Mike: and Yeah, I think that might be a thing post DRS where people, they see it clipping on the screen and um and say that's out, whereas I don't think, although I didn't actually play and club cricket 30, 40 years ago, from what I hear, that was ah that you know the benefit was given a lot more.
Tom Evans: right okay
Jamie Bowman : Do you ever sweep, Mike?
Tom Evans: Okay. yeah
Jamie Bowman : Do you ever sweep? Do you sweep them?
Mike: and Not really, no because as well when when I was younger, people used to say, if you if you miss a sweep, don't look up, you know. as
Jamie Bowman : Well, that yeah, because that's what that that's become a motto at our club.
Mike: like yeah
Mike: with
Jamie Bowman : you Don't sweep in the comp. Don't sweep in the comp. So, yeah, yeah. But, yeah, I mean, I'm i'm not a badder, so I can't really, you know, I'm just, I'm glad if it hits anything these days. But, yeah,
Jamie Bowman : ah
Tom Evans: and I get get your point.
Jamie Bowman : I can understand your annoyance.
Tom Evans: I get the point about DRS because I think that has changed the game at levels that don't have DRS. You look at the county championship, you see particularly to spinners, particularly on the front foot, I think DRS and ball tracking has opened umpires' eyes a bit to exactly how how often the ball is hitting. I think the stumps are...
Tom Evans: wider and shorter than umpires used to think they were. I think in the early days of DRS, you got a lot that were given that were going over the top. And you got a lot that were given not out that were, like say, clipping leg or hitting leg in some cases.
Tom Evans: And I just think it's almost changed LBW as a dismissal because it used to be that if you were hit... in front, when you haven't got a proper stride in, if you were hit on the pad in front of the in front of middle and off, then that that was what LBW meant.
Tom Evans: Whereas now it has become much more kind of an exercising prediction, I think, and sort of trying to actually you know mentally project where the ball's going to go. um Which I think comes back to my main issue with this, which is, it of course it's guesswork. It's the only way of giving LBWs, isn't it?
Mike: Yeah, well, what what I'd say in a positive light is we we had a decent shout for LBW on Saturday and and one of our guys partly inquired with the umpire and, you know, I really respect what he said. He said, yeah, but it was really close. That could have been out, but, you know, it might have been a little bit leg side and and I wasn't sure, so I'm not going to give it. And I just thought that was a really good example of ah maybe how a couple more could think.
Mike: and you know i think most captains you know when they're marking umpires etc and and discussing after the game I think most people would err on the if less decisions were given it might have been a fairer game and and and and and for equal opportunities for all sides and um um um the right decision maybe more often than it than it is given at the moment
Jamie Bowman : Are you finding younger players just appeal for everything? Because that's something I'm finding.
Mike: Yeah, and people don't know the rules about hitting in line and all that.
Jamie Bowman : But i've got i am I mean, i I tend to bat because I tend to bat number 10 or 11 at third team level.
Mike: It's, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : ah yeah I tend to do a lot of umpiring. I was umpiring a few weeks ago and there was ah a teenager bowling and he was bowling from really wide, the stumps, really wide and just slanting it across a right-handed batsman.
Jamie Bowman : And every time he hit the pad, he appealed. And I said, look, look where you're bowling. I took him aside at one point. He said, look where you're bowling from. Look where the wicket keepers ended up. And look where the balls ended up after it's hit his pad.
Jamie Bowman : And he was like, he got really angry and where he finally did, he bowled someone and, um and he said, he's he appealed for it, bowling him, you know, and laughed, which annoyed me a bit.
Jamie Bowman : But yeah, but there you go. It is. I think, I think, I think the, ah I think, uh, ah they must watch DRS and think, oh, that must be just clipping leg. Yeah, you're right.
Jamie Bowman : It's a tough one, isn't it? But I don't think we can put this in 101, really.
Tom Evans: i think it is, but
Jamie Bowman : LAUGHTER
Tom Evans: i don't I don't think we can. And honestly, I think any St. Helens Town bowlers who are listening to this, um you're playing against Mike on Saturday. um If the ball goes anywhere near his pads, appeal.
Tom Evans: because Because the umpires are going to have it in for now.
Mike: I really hope they don't listen to them.
Jamie Bowman : They'll be putting this up on their wall.
Tom Evans: but but I will be pinning this up. Yeah. I'm putting up a transcript on Lowell. Yeah, no, I agree. I think, you know, um obviously you're actually you're not having a go at umpires. You've accepted yourself that it's a it's a difficult job and without them there'd be no game. And I appreciate what you're saying, that um you feel like there's guesswork involved and you feel like the benefit of the doubt isn't going to the batter.
Tom Evans: I also feel like that's just the way that the game has evolved since... ah since DRS has come in in particular and since there's been more sort of scrutiny on umpiring decisions on television, you know.
Jamie Bowman : I mean, even even at the top level, you see some absolutely ridiculous, let's let's send this upstairs and have a look, don't you? You see some terrible decisions. So it just shows, isn't it, that there's so much guesswork involved.
Tom Evans: so one on There one on the first day at the Test match, wasn't it?
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, yeah.
Tom Evans: It was Jais Wilder's batting the left-hander, and it was a right arm around the wicket. if was tongue or cast.
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Tom Evans: um hit him with one that was swinging into him and it hit him outside the line of leg stump.
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Tom Evans: And so was obviously, it was only going further down and they sent it straight upstairs, which, you know, it's it you they've only got three reviews and they burned one on that.
Jamie Bowman : Hmm.
Jamie Bowman : Mm-hmm.
Tom Evans: So they but they obviously don't know either. um yeah, I think, I think it's only fair to say, not not least because, you know, I don't want to upset some buyers myself, but, um you know, i think I think, I think we're going to have to say no to this one. So,
Tom Evans: So do you have another another submission for us, Mike?
Mike: Yeah, another quick one. Again, this isn't too serious. so I'm not mad about this or anything. But one thing I'd like to see bit more is live scoring on play cricket at first team level. and I think most clubs do do it. um I don't think it's that difficult for sort of you should have two scorers there. one at At least one of them sort of does it live. and I think it's fair for everyone that everyone knows what results going on, especially if it gets to the end of the season.
Mike: um I think I'm sure it'll be helpful for you when you're doing your live tweets at the end of the season.
Jamie Bowman : Yes, yes, yes, you're preaching to the converted here.
Mike: and
Tom Evans: Absolutely.
Jamie Bowman : but say
Tom Evans: so So just to be clear, what what you want to put in dressing room 101 is teams not life scoring when they have the opportunity to.
Mike: Yeah, yeah, yeah. To phrase it like that is is it's putting it on, play cricket. day or even ridiculously late at night on that Saturday. So I've been to call people to see what the team's results were, as in like the old days, I presume.
Mike: and But yeah, I think we now we've got that technology.
Tom Evans: Yeah.
Mike: Why not use it?
Tom Evans: No, I agree. From my perspective, I never quite know whether it's that a team isn't scoring it live or whether play cricket has crashed again.
Mike: Hmm.
Tom Evans: Because on a Saturday, and that they they keep...
Mike: Yeah.
Tom Evans: it seems to me that they keep being surprised that there's a high demand on Saturday and the website just crashes every Saturday afternoon. Um, which is certainly one of, one of my bug bears, but yeah, definitely if the, uh, if the technology is there, then, then you should use it. Shouldn't you? I mean, you know, it's, uh, it's very helpful to everyone who's following, following for whatever reason, whether it's a whether it's someone who's reporting on the game, whether it's a rival team wanting to know how how a promotional relegation level is getting on. Um,
Tom Evans: or a player or supporter who's away for the weekend or whatever. you know There's lots of reasons why he'd want to keep in touch with the game from afar, and we've got the technology now to do it, so people should take advantage of it.
Jamie Bowman : But let's not forget let's not forget how brilliant play cricket has been, isn't it? I mean, goodness me. It's helped us, Tom, isn't it? And I'm sure it's helped everyone.
Mike: Hehe.
Tom Evans: Yeah, yeah. No, yeah obviously it's a great service. um I just wish it didn't crash quite so often on Saturday afternoons.
Jamie Bowman : when i when i started
Tom Evans: um um Which I'm sure they agree with. I'm sure they'd rather it didn't crash so often on Saturday afternoons as well.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, when i started when I started reporting, there were certain clubs you had to ring up or captains you had to ring up on a Sunday morning. And speaking to many cricketers on a Sunday morning is not a good idea.
Tom Evans: Yeah. Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : And ah yeah, it was it was it was complicated. And um so i play cricket has been, yeah, an extraordinary resource for all of us, I think. But yeah, I know what you mean. I think it can be very frustrating if someone's not put...
Jamie Bowman : put things up. So I'm all, I agree with that one.
Tom Evans: Absolutely, yeah.
Tom Evans: Always nice to hear both ah both reaction reaction clips. um Right, now it's time for Mike to stump the hosts where he tries to ah come up with a piece of cricketing trivia that that Jamie and I do not know the answer to.
Tom Evans: Go on, Mike.
Mike: OK, guys, so I think this will test you both. but Let's see. So what I want you to do is name the winners of the Liverpool comp.
Mike: So going back, so you go each year in turn and try and say who who won that. ah division So maybe we start with the Prem, for example, and you go back as far as you can. I'm happy to give some clues.
Mike: Maybe you confer and then a couple of lives.
Tom Evans: Okay.
Mike: So strikes, pre-strikes in your route, for example. and
Jamie Bowman : No,
Mike: And see how we...
Tom Evans: Shall we do it like ah like a penalty shootout where I do one and Jamie does one and I do one and Jamie...
Jamie Bowman : i'll po you no don't do that.
Mike: We could, we could. It depends how you want to play it. I'll allow and whether you want to team up or not. That's up to you.
Tom Evans: Okay, well, i think I'll find the Prem easier. It's obviously fresher in my mind, you know. um So, I mean, Ormskirk the last two seasons. So, 23 and 24, Ormskirk.
Jamie Bowman : so
Mike: Yeah.
Tom Evans: 22 is Wallachie.
Jamie Bowman : 23 what policy
Mike: Yeah.
Tom Evans: Wallachie 22, the hot summer.
Jamie Bowman : yeah
Tom Evans: 21 was Northern. 2020 doesn't count.
Mike: Yeah.
Tom Evans: No one. Yeah, there was no there's no comp. 2019 was brutal because they were relegated as defending champions in 21.
Mike: yeah
Tom Evans: 17
Mike: yeah
Tom Evans: was Ormskirk, and now I'm struggling.
Mike: who
Jamie Bowman : six 16, Livam?
Tom Evans: I feel like you might have been Lytham, yeah.
Mike: No, no.
Tom Evans: Lee.
Jamie Bowman : Lee?
Mike: Do you want a clue?
Tom Evans: 15 was New
Jamie Bowman : Lee?
Mike: Lee is correct.
Jamie Bowman : i
Mike: Yeah.
Mike: Correct.
Tom Evans: So 14, I know 14 was Northern.
Mike: that your final answer?
Tom Evans: Was it?
Jamie Bowman : I thought there's a Livam in there somewhere, isn't there? I'm sure there is.
Tom Evans: There is a Lytham. I feel like Lytham was a bit earlier though.
Jamie Bowman : Oh, is it? Okay. Okay.
Tom Evans: I think there's two Lytham.
Mike: So 2014, if you want a slight clue, it's not that easy, but they also won the Langs knockout that year.
Tom Evans: I think...
Mike: So a big double.
Tom Evans: um
Tom Evans: It wasn't Lytham.
Mike: No.
Tom Evans: Lytham won the Langslock out.
Tom Evans: Boots will have, but it wasn't them because they hadn't won it for some years before. They hadn't won it for like 10 years before they won it in 2019.
Tom Evans: I'm going to go Northern.
Mike: No, it was Orbskirk.
Tom Evans: I'm scared. Right.
Mike: One of two,
Tom Evans: Right.
Jamie Bowman : you know i remember do you know i bloody remember reporting on that as well the top final yeah that was my era
Mike: Still got another the couple of lives if you want to carry on.
Tom Evans: 2013 Northern.
Jamie Bowman : yeah
Tom Evans: um I'm pretty sure it's northern twenty thirteen
Mike: Yeah, that's correct.
Jamie Bowman : Well done. Well done, Tom.
Tom Evans: Leather.
Jamie Bowman : Live them.
Mike: Yeah.
Tom Evans: 2011 now.
Jamie Bowman : Boot?
Tom Evans: Going way back here. This was my first year as on the Echo's sports desk, 2011.
Jamie Bowman : Boot?
Tom Evans: twenty eleven and
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, and I just joined. amoo
Tom Evans: So you were covering cricket for a regional daily newspaper at the time, is what you're saying?
Jamie Bowman : Boot or possibly? No.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, it was a long time ago. Bootle?
Tom Evans: No.
Mike: and No, I'll give you a clue. that The top wicket-taker for them that that year still plays for them.
Jamie Bowman : Oh, is it Colwyn Bay?
Mike: But no.
Tom Evans: No, so it's Litham again.
Mike: Not in 2011. No.
Tom Evans: no it wasn't, no. Because Mulligan...
Mike: He still plays for them, but mainly twos now.
Tom Evans: Mulligan top was the top wicket taker for Lytham when they won the league one. Yeah, I know that. And he still plays for them.
Mike: Yeah, it is a good guess, but that is wrong. right
Tom Evans: um
Tom Evans: Was that Lee? Was it Lee in 2011?
Mike: No.
Jamie Bowman : No, ah um I'm stumped on that one.
Tom Evans: No.
Mike: You're done. Yeah, 2011 was Ormskirk again. They feature a lot.
Tom Evans: It was Almskirk.
Jamie Bowman : And who's the player?
Tom Evans: Who was the wicket-taker?
Mike: Martin Farrell.
Jamie Bowman : Oh, of course.
Tom Evans: Oh, of course, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Sorry, Martin.
Tom Evans: Yeah, he plays a lot of lot of Sunday cricket as well.
Mike: like
Jamie Bowman : Yeah, good bloke.
Mike: and And you're on the right line to 2010, which was also 11. and So yeah, the Ormskirk sandwiched them in that early year.
Tom Evans: Brutal 2009, because...
Mike: Correct.
Tom Evans: Yeah. But we've run out of lives, haven't we? So...
Jamie Bowman : Did I imagine, when did I imagine Carwin Bay ever winning it in the noughties?
Mike: Yeah.
Tom Evans: I don't...
Mike: I haven't gone that far back to know if they did before.
Tom Evans: I'm not sure they have.
Jamie Bowman : Maybe I imagined it.
Mike: Maybe you think it...
Tom Evans: They did win Division 1 last year, if we're going to do Division 1 now.
Jamie Bowman : No, no, let's not.
Tom Evans: LAUGHTER
Tom Evans: um
Mike: Yeah, I mean, that but ah that was a pretty good effort. I'm quite impressed, to be honest. I didn't think you guys would go that far back.
Tom Evans: of
Mike: I mean, that's how I only went back to 2010 because I thought there's no way. and So, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : No, 15 years. yeah Yeah. Well, we kind of both started out about then, didn't we, really?
Tom Evans: Yeah, yeah.
Jamie Bowman : suppose. Yeah.
Tom Evans: See, I know...
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: of Who was it 2008 then? Because I know it was Boodle 6, 7 and 9. Because 6, 7... Before last year, 6, 7 was last time anyone had defended it.
Mike: Yeah, 08 was Ormskirk. They beat Bootle by five points.
Tom Evans: Right. Okay. then before then, you're getting into... Talking about 20 years ago before then. So, yeah. harvard master yeah I don't feel s stumped. Do you, Jamie? Yeah.
Jamie Bowman : Stump-ish, but yeah.
Tom Evans: Stunk dish.
Jamie Bowman : i would ah felt and I felt stumpy.
Tom Evans: A foot's on the line and it's like the kind of...
Jamie Bowman : I feel
Tom Evans: You know, I'm going to be i'm gonna be generous to us. I'm going to say we got that.
Tom Evans: Because Mike didn't expect us to do that well. So i think that's a measure of it.
Jamie Bowman : Well done.
Mike: Yeah,
Jamie Bowman : Well done, Tom. you You certainly took the lead on that one.
Tom Evans: No problem, I had some help. im Thank you for coming on. All I'm going to say is thank you for coming on, Mike. St. Ellenstown away on Saturday, is it ever you know is often tough going to teams where they're struggling a bit, you know as I'm sure everyone at St. Ellenstown would agree they are? Do you feel like the expectation is on you to make all the meol running? and you know can you Can you come a cropper when you're in that kind of situation, do you think?
Mike: yeah definitely. i I'm pretty surprised that ah sort of down there to be honest. It looks like they've had ah a lot of draws from good positions where they've had off those nine downs.
Tom Evans: no.
Mike: So I think it's a little bit of a false position, and which I'm sure they'll they'll climb well out of. So yeah, I think it is a difficult place to go. It's one of those away trips, especially at the start, that you think that you know that's going to be a tough one.
Mike: So um yeah, what we'll see. We'll keep trying and play our sort of positive brand of cricket, except myself, obviously. Let the others give it a whack around me. So and ah you know Hopefully it carries on working. But yeah, I do think it will be a tough game.
Tom Evans: Nice one. What's your weekend schedule like, Jamie?
Jamie Bowman : um Well, you know what? I've not played for three weeks due to various rain and teams crying off. So it'd be nice to have a game. But ah suspect because my wife is on a hen do, I won't be playing.
Jamie Bowman : Not her own
Tom Evans: No. yeah
Mike: Just clear that out.
Tom Evans: Good stuff. Well, I'll be
Jamie Bowman : Hopefully I'll be sitting on the sidelines with something cold and yeah watching watson yeah following all the gate the live games on play cricket berating umpires for making things up and don't yeah
Tom Evans: following the other games on Play Cricket if it if it doesn't doesn't crash. We're waiting on buyers for doing the job they're supposed to do.
Tom Evans: mean,
Jamie Bowman : and generally generally shaking my fist at the sky but yeah
Tom Evans: And unless anyone else comes along and wants to take me to take me to the test match for a day and ah you know feed me and and water me, then I will be i'll beit at a local cricket match. and So, you know like i say, my DMs are open and any brands want to get involved.
Tom Evans: and So yeah, thank you very much for coming on, Mike. um Thank you, Jamie. Thank you, everyone, for listening. ah Please like, subscribe, share as much as you like. We're really trying to get something going here.
Tom Evans: We're six episodes in, which I think, like I said last time, is longer than most podcasts make it to. So I ah feel like we can ah we can keep building this.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: And yeah, lots of fun.
Jamie Bowman : Yeah.
Tom Evans: Thank you.
Jamie Bowman : I thank you. to yeah I also want to say thank you. I've had quite a few people come up to me and say how much they're enjoying it. And, you know, is it's lovely to hear. So thank you, everyone who's who's ah you been listening and ah appreciating what we're trying to do.
Mike: Perfect. And just just quickly, thanks and thanks for having me on, guys. And best luck to Waver Tree with their fundraising effort. think that's a you know a real good call. So hopefully people get behind that.
Jamie Bowman : And we didn't even talk about the Solstice game anyway, but never mind.
Tom Evans: Absolutely. Jamie wanted to talk about the souls this game.
Jamie Bowman : We got up at half four, well, half three, played at half four on a Saturday and ray you know did our usual thing at Sefton Park. So check out some great pictures on the Liverpool Echo website, actually, of of the game.
Jamie Bowman : So check those out. And thanks to everyone who played in that game. Long may it continue.
Tom Evans: Good stuff. Thanks, everyone. Bye-bye.
Mike: in this case.
