Park are 24/0 after six overs, Michael Barnes and Mark Rowland the batters. Rowland just dumped Adam Samouelle back over his head. Adnan Miakhel the other bowler. It is still cold.
Few spots of rain as Barnes flashes Miakhel over slips for four. Rowland nicks the first ball of Samouelle’s next over - 28/1
Raining quite hard now and they’re coming off. Could be one of those days.
Meant to be just a shower, so hopefully we’ll be back on soon. Can see the pitch from the car, which is a massive plus.
After a bit of back and forth with the covers, the players are coming back out in bright sunshine. Miakhel to resume for the hosts. 28/1
Four more through point for Barnes, who’s started brightly. Sam Beadsworth the new batter.
Feel like the bowling has been a bit too short and a bit too wide so far. Couple of misfields too - fielders beclowning themselves. 43/1 as John Richardson replaces Miakhel.
And the change works - Beadsworth edges behind. 43/2
Apologies - Jordan Hampson the successful bowler. Skipper Tom Foster the new batter.
Foster under way with a nice cover drive off Hampson. 56/2
Fielders beclown themselves once more and give away four #buzzers. Bit of spin now courtesy of skipper Charles Taylor. 67/2
Score moving on apace here. Foster punches one down the ground then drives through covers off Hampson. Going along at 4 an over means the rain break might not matter so much. 86/2 from 21
Barnes has hit quite a few in the air but they’ve all landed safe so far - he’s on to 44.
Drinks taken at 87/2.
Barnes moves to 51 by pulling an Aaron Redmond off-break for two. With no John Richardson and no Josh Boyden, feels like Wigan are light in the bowling department. 101/2
Another big shot from Barnes, who looks in the mood, off Taylor. Partnership now worth 67, at more than 4 an over.
Foster pulls Taylor into the car park. Huge. 114/2
Wigan think they have Foster stumped off Redmond, but the umpire is unimpressed. 115/2
Redmond of course is a leggie, not an offie. He’s giving it plenty of air but not getting much joy. 127/2.
Miakhel replaces Redmond, and is immediately slashed twice through non-existent slips by Barnes, who moves on to 89. 154/2 - partnership worth 111.
Just a change of ends for Redmond, as Taylor yields to the former Test man.
Foster guides Miakhel down to third to bring up a fine 50. 163/2, Barnes on 93.
Great moment for Michael Barnes as he pulls Redmond for four to bring up his first century since 2016. Putting his team in a commanding position here. 172/2.
Next over, some hesitation between the wickets offers a chance, but the throw is high. Been a frustrating afternoon for Wigan.
But now there’s a breakthrough as Foster drives Samouelle straight to mid-off for 52. Stand of 137; 180/2 in the 42nd over. Bit cloudy. Park will not want to slow down.
In Safi Abdullah, they’ll hope they have the man to keep a foot on the gas alongside Barnes.
Another shower on the way. Might get away with it. Barnes’ back-foot play has been outstanding, another glorious cut off Miakhel. 187/3
Safi has taken a shine to Samouelle, clubbing three fours off one of his overs. 203/3
A cut shot too far for Barnes, who feathers Miakhel on 112. Excellent innings. 204/4. Alex Harris the new man.
Very “middle overs of a 50-over game” feel to this at the moment - field spread, batters for the most part happy with 1s and 2s. Wigan light on bowling but Park will not underestimate Redmond can do with the bat. 225/4
Safi keen to get what they need, and quick - he pulls Miakhel for six, then heaves Samouelle to cow corner for four more. Batting points in the bag but not enough on the board yet. 236/4
Taylor brings himself back on, and bowls Harris. 238/5. Khalid Wahbi to the middle.
*Ste Hird. Play Cricket’s fault.
Hampson comes back on. Seven on the boundary for Safi. Tough chance goes down at long-on; far from the worst example of some lacklustre fielding from the home side. 248/5
Safi laps Taylor for two to bring up a rapid 50, off just 34 balls. No declaration but it’s not far off. 254/5
Hird bunts then glides Hampson to the boundary; 265/5
Then he goes aerial off Taylor and picks out Redmond at long-on. 265/6; now Wahbi comes out.
Now Taylor bowls Safi, for 50; 266/7. Jon Crofton the new man. A single, and it’s tea - I’d expect the declaration now tbh. 267/7. Fine innings by Barnes, well supported by Foster but helped by a depleted attack and some fielding errors.
We are back. Park have indeed declared. Charles Taylor and Jake Leyland setting off in pursuit of 268 to win. Baker and Harris the two-Alex opening attack.
Baker beating the bat but no edge yet. It’s quite windy out there. Park have two quality SLAs in Safi Abdullah and Ashraf Nawab; will be interested to see when they’re introduced. 8/0
As I hit send, an edge goes to ground off Taylor.
Batters starting to hit their stride, a couple of nice fours either side of the wicket. 16/0
Runs coming easily - sure enough, here’s Safi. 45/0
And he strikes first over, hitting the top of Leyland’s off-stump from round the wicket. 42/1 (the scoreboard here is… challenging)
Baker has a short leg to new man Joe Burrows, after Taylor punches another through the covers. Possibly 53/1
Burrows hits Baker for a couple of fours but then spoons the last ball of the over to mid-on. 61/2 and Aaron Redmond, on whom a lot hinges, comes to the crease.
Ooh and there he goes - pushing forward to his first ball from Safi and nicking to slip. Big moment. 62/3.
Daniel Yates goes first ball, caught bat-pad! Safi on a hat-trick and Wigan in trouble. 62/4.
Adanan Miakhel is the batter, with plenty of company… he leaves it alone safely.
Gone a bit quiet since Safi’s burst. Taylor still playing some shots but conscious of the need to rebuild. He’s on 36, it’s 70/4 in the 20th over. Maybe about 30 left.
Khalid Wahbi replaces Baker after a long opening spell. 82/4 after 22 overs.
Miakhel lofts Safi for six over mid-wicket. Looking like Wigan will need more than 150 from the last hour, which will be tough. Time for drinks. 88/4.
Miakhel goes for a big shot off Safi but can only find the sky, followed by the hands of Baker at deep mid-wicket. 102/5 and Park will fancy this now. Taylor standing firm on 46.
Jordan Hampson drives Safi JUST short of Baker at cover. Into the last hour and the target is a distant 164 runs away - it’s all about the 5 wickets.
Right on cue, here’s Ashraf Nawab. Taylor scampers a couple to bring up his 50 but he barely breaks focus long enough to celebrate. Hampson puts away a full toss, then launches a huge six over long-on. Then a sweep for four more. 123/5, 18 overs left.
Safi is flatter than Ashraf and harder to get away, but you sense Park won’t mind a few aggressive shots right now. 126/5, 17 left.
Big sweep for four off Ashraf from Taylor, then a drive for four more - they’re having a go, here. 136/5 - 16 overs, 132 runs, five wickets.
The over counter on the board has just ticked over an extra one to 6. All I have to go off, apologies for any confusion. I’ll assume this is the sixth of the last hour.
ALL-RUN FOUR. Congratulations to Wigan on winning the Love Lane Liverpool Competition, via the little-known All-Run Four Rule. They’re still playing on, for some reason, even though club cricket has been completed. Etc. 140/5
Back in the real world, Hampson plonks Ashraf for a straight six. The veteran keeps tossing it up though. 13 overs to go, 121 to win, five wickets.
Just two singles from Safi’s over. 12 to go.
Ashraf is going for runs here, and not creating chances - Tom Foster has a decision to make. Hampson and Taylor’s sweeping has been excellent. 11 overs to go. 107 needed, five wickets left.
Safi yields five runs, Ashraf continues… and the decision to keep him on is immediately vindicated as Hampson runs past one and Ste Hird whips off the bails. 165/6 in (I think) the 11th over of the last hour.
Patrick Howley survives an LBW shout first ball, then another second ball. On the sweep both times. Connects with his fourth ball for a four. 169/6. 99 runs, 9 overs, four wickets.
Taylor prods one through short leg’s hands, then Howley slog-sweeps Safi for four. Seven from the over. 92 needed from 7, four wickets left.
from 8 sorry
Now Whabi replaces Ashraf. Four byes then a big sweep for four from Taylor make it Wigan’s over. 190/6, 78 needed from 7 overs.
Howley takes on deep square leg… and wins, with a six followed by a four. And Taylor heaves another six into the car park. 207/6, Taylor on 89. Six overs, 61 runs.
Ashraf comes back and has Howley held at slip! 207/7. Good cameo from the wicketkeeper but it’s up to Taylor and the tail now.
New batter is Stephen Power. Plays out the over. 209/7. 59 needed from 30 balls.
Taylor into the 90s now. 8 from the over. 51 from 24, three wickets.
Ashraf gets Power skying one to Whabi at mid-off. 217/8
Two fours take Taylor to a brilliant, defiant century. Three more overs to go, 225/8.
12 balls left. Forget the 41 runs, probably. Two wickets. Timed cricket, eh?
Taylor takes a single, exposing Anthony Whittaker to Ashraf… he belts him for four. Then he’s caught, cutting to Baker at backward point! All down to the last man, Adam Samouelle.
Taylor to face the last over, and the target is out of reach, so Samouelle’s main job should be to keep hold of his bat. Safi to bowl.
Big lbw shout off the last ball is turned down. And it’s a draw. Cracking finish. What an innings from Taylor.
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