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Junior League Secrestary's Report Season 1989
Including Under 18 Representative Team Report
In 1989 the Under 18 Representative team entered both the Manchester Evening News Youth Trophy and the North West Colts Trophy with high hopes of success after the encouraging first attempt in the Inter-League Competition in 1988.
The majority of the players from the League side of "88" were still eligible and most of them played in the first game at Morecambe C C on a humid day in June against the highly rated Ribblesdale League.
It was therefore something of a suprise and a disappointment when we were eliminated from the Manchester Evening News Competition in the initial round.
After winning the toss, the Northern League decided to give the Ribblesdale League first use of the dry track.
Neil Perry 54 their skipper and outstanding player, ensured a respectable total of 186 for 7 inspite of some excellent bowling performances from Stephen Speak (Chorley) 3 for 38, Malcolm Heap (Chorley) 2 for 33 and Lancaster's Gavin Moffat whose ten overs only cost 21 runs.
The score should have been considerably less but uncharacteristic fielding lapses towards the end of the innings helped the opposition to respectability.
With the exception of Matthew Allitt (Preston), who hit an excellent 52 off 66 balls, none of the League's leading batsmen played an innings of authority, the team being all out in the 42nd over for 148.
For the opposition Simon Perry completed an excellent day for the Perry family by returning the figures of 8.5 overs, 2 maidens, 23 runs, 4 wickets.
In the North West Trophy, the League side were drawn to play in Group C along with Kidsons Liverpool Competition, the Bass Lancashire and Cheshire League and the Vimto Bolton Association.
It was obvious in the first game against the Lancashire and Cheshire League that the Northern League outfit were determined the disappointment of the previous game would not be repeated.
The weather was typical of the majority of the 1989 season, hot and sunny, with the Leyland Motors ground in perfect condition.
Batting first, Matthew Allitt (Preston) again got the League off to an excellent start with another half century.Kendal's Stuart Davidson carried on the good work with 26 and Captain Peter Deakin (Leyland Motors) ensured that his bowlers should have a total to bowl at with a quick 46.
In chasing the home side's 189 for 6 in the allotted 45 overs, the Lancashire and Cheshire League side never really got on terms with the required run rate and their challenge ended seventeen runs short thanks to Peter Deakin completing a great all round performance with 4 wickets for 33 runs and Jeff Hacking (Darwen) conceding only 19 runs in his spell of nine overs.
On Sunday the 16th July at Standish C C, the weather was again hot and suuny.
The home side the Bolton Association, won the toss and decided to bat first.
All the Northern League bowlers performed with credit with Nick Melling (Preston) taking 2 wickets for 21 runs and Peter Deakin again troubling the opposition with 3 for 26.
During the Bolton innings, Philip Iddon (Leyland Motors) patrolled the short boundary in a Derek Randall fashion taking two excellent catches and saving umpteen runs runs helping to restrict the score to 149 for the loss of 9 wickets.
He continued in this manner when he opened the League's innings with 50 runs off only 76 balls, paving the way for Stephen Speak 37 not out and Ian Parkinson (Lancaster) with a whirlwind 46 not out to put on a match winning unbeaten stand of 70 runs, overhauling their opponents total with 15 overs to spare.
The team was now running into excellent form and the contest with the Liverpool Competition at Fleetwood C C was looked forward to with great relish.
Unfortunately the Liverpool Competition could not raise a team on the day of the game and although we were awarded the points through default, the players were extremely disappointed at missing what would surely have been a tight and exciting match.
So the Semi-Final at Preston C C and in a season of sun and blue skies the weather took a hand.
The opponents, the Bass Wigan and District League were on the rack, conceding 144 runs for 3 wickets off only 34 overs with Philip Iddon 21, Matthew Allitt 39,Stephen Speak 21 not out and Stuart Davidson 49 piling on the agony when the rains came.
The game was abandoned at 6-30pm and reconvened the following Sunday at Blackpool C C's Stanley Park ground.
The Wigan and District League again won the toss and did not appear to have learned anything from the Preston experience inserting the Northern League yet again.
Superb innings by Malcolm Heap 65, Matthew Allitt 52, Stephen Speak 55 and Peter Deakin 44 saw the League amass a massive total of 281 for the loss of 8 wickets in 45 overs.
During tea, the rains came and again the game ended prematurely with the Wigan League 16 for 3 off 9 overs.
As laid down in the rules, the match had to be decided by each team bowling at the stumps.
This was a experience I wouldn't like to go through on too many occasions but after a few heart stopping moments, justice was senn to be done with the Northern League reaching the Final for the first time.
Liverpool Cricket Club's Aigburth ground was the venue for the Final on the 27th August, the opposition being the Burtonwood Manchester Association who were strong favourites having won the Trophy on two previous occasions.
The Northern League were put in on a very damp wicket and after seven overs were on their knees with 3 wickets down for 5 runs.
However, not for the first time , Messrs Davidson 32, Deakin 57 and Ian Parkinson 31 not out safely saw the team to a total of 145 for 7 wickets.
Outstanding fielding by each and every player, and bowling of an extremely high standard ensured a 30 run victory the Association only managing to reach 115 for 8 wickets.
Jeffrey Hacking 9 - 3 - 23 - 1, Matthew Parkinson (Lancaster) with 9 overs 1 maiden 22 runs 1 wicket shared an opening spell of high quality on a wicket giving little help to pace bowlers at this stage.
The first ten overs saw only 10 runs on the board and Gavin Moffat 9 - 3 - 16 - 3, Stephen Speak 5 - 0 - 19 - 1 and Ian Critchley (Leyland) 4 overs for 12 runs made sure that there was no way back for the Association side.
Captain Peter Deakin was justifiably named "Man of the Match".
Over the years, the Northern League Senior Representative team have built up a reputation as being the team to beat in Inter-League Competitions and it would appear that their Colts equivalent will be thought of in a simalar fashion during the coming seasons.
There is no doubt that the younger members of our League are more than a match for any simalar age in other competitions and I therefoe call upon the individual clubs to enter a team in our Junior League in 1990 thus ensuring that we have a domestic competition in keeping with the best Under 18 Rep side in the North West.
I look forward to next season with great expectations in the knowledge that all but three of the 1989 squad are still eligible for the 1990 campaign plus players of the quality of Gareth Cordingley who has yet to play for the League because of unavailabilty.
To close I would like to thank Leyland Motors C C, Morecambe C C, Preston C C and Blackpool C C for their excellent hospitality whilst hosting the home games in the summer, Fleetwood C C for offering their ground and facilities for the Liverpool Competition match and their understanding when the game did not take place, the Umpires for their services, the parents for their support, John May for his councelling, my wife for scoring, the League Committee and of course all the players for making the summer of 1989 one I won't forget in a hurry.
Clive Henderson
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