I’m at @formbycricket for their match against @Leigh_CC. It is raining so nobody is playing cricket yet. But the forecast is better for later on, and the outfield here dries quickly (I’m told) so fingers crossed…
It does seem to be stopping. 
Leigh’s players are living their best life kicking a football around on the outfield. I’m living mine sitting on a bench tweeting about it.
The covers are coming off, Leigh have won the toss and unsurprisingly chosen to field. Start in 15 minutes.
Outfield looks like it needed the rain, still rock hard. No Mattie McKiernan for Leigh, but Karl Brown is back to lead the side. Formby close to full strength. Calum Turner opening with Ollie Sutton; Finn Hulbert has the ball.
Turner under way with a classic left-hander’s cover drive. Patrick Allan from the other end.
Induces an edge from Turner but it flies over the slips and skids across the outfield/hockey pitch for four. 11/0
Was just about to tweet about how the bowlers were aiming for 5th stump when Sutton had a waft at one from Allan and nicked it to Matty Hurst. 12/1.
Hold-up because, in the words of Allan, “there’s shit on the pitch”. Dog shit, someone helpfully clarified. Once it’s dealt with, Sam Oldham takes his guard.
Oldham’s third ball is a brute from Allan which squares him up, takes the edge and flies low to second slip. 12/2
Indian pro Ankit Kalsi joins Turner with his side in some trouble after that over.
Turner still playing some shots though, strong off the front foot. Kalsi has a bit of a lunge at one from Hulbert but it falls well short of point; he’s looked solid otherwise. 23/2
Kalsi connects with a “not one man move” cover drive off Hulbert. He’s made a massive difference to the Formby side since he arrived and from first impressions (one ball could make an idiot of me here) it’s easy to see why. 30/2
He’s rapid between the wickets, which has almost got Turner in trouble on one occasion. The skipper is happier standing and biffing; he’s biffed his way to 33 so far. Hasn’t been dismissed between 40 and 99 this season. 47/2
Karl Brown is giving himself a bowl in place of Allan. Hurst up to the stumps. 58/2
“Biffing” wasn’t meant to be derogatory re Turner; his technique is extremely sound. Gets a big stride in and shows the full face of the bat.
Adam Shallcross replacing Hulbert from the hockey pitch end. Kalsi leans on one and times it effortlessly through mid-wicket. 50 partnership up. 64/2
Brown has boundary riders out on the off side but Turner bisects them with another thumping drive. He’s into the 40s, the score to 81/2.
Five men on the boundary just an hour after it was 12/2 tells you something about the way this is going at the moment. Turner pushes a single to long off to bring up an excellent 50. 89/2
It’s not really stopping the runs. Kalsi’s angling the ball into the gaps and Turner is striking it so well that the deep fielders can only cover about 20 yards either side before the ball goes past them. Drinks taken at 101/2.
Off-spinner (sorry, Play Cricket not updating and I’ve not seen this guy bowl before) replaces Shallcross. Turner cuts him smartly for four. Kalsi climbs into a pull off Brown. Partnership over 100 now.
I’m going with Harry Church; one of the fielders just slipped up and called him by his actual name. Kalsi scampers two to deep cover to bring up a classy 50. 122/2
Alex Mason, who I do recognise, is replacing Brown now. Still five on the boundary for the two left-handers. Turner drives another four via a diving fielder; some of the groundwork from Leigh has been a bit sketchy. 130/2
Turner smashes Church back over his head for four as the runs keep flowing. Leigh’s best chances are coming from some risky singles; Mason fails to gather a throw with Turner in trouble. 147/2
Kalsi’s footwork against the spinners is great to watch. Two balls from Church; same half-forward initial movement. But he rocks back and pulls the first, then leans forward to clip the second. Both end up at the mid-wicket fence. 166/2
Two leg-side fours off Mason move Turner to 94. One hit away from his fifth century of the summer. Now I have to video every ball he faces. 176/2
Allan replaces Church, change of ends from his first spell.
Thread repair job
https://twitter.com/tomevansecho/status/1550841783499849728
Anyway it’s 193/2. There’s some more rain about, and it’ll take quite an effort to force a win from here, but for all but the 11 Leigh players this partnership has been a joy to watch.
HUGE from Turner as he slog-sweeps Mason into the pavilion. 200 up in the 38th over. 204/2.
Kalsi into the 90s now with a lovely late cut off Allan. But two balls later he’s strangled down the leg side - a breakthrough out of nowhere and an end to a magnificent partnership. Gone for 90, the stand worth 198. It’s 210/3.
Ryan Brown runs a single down to third - the first run off the bat scored by anyone other than Turner or Kalsi. 212/3
I know I said he was finding the gaps but this is ridiculous - Turner sweeps Mason for a four that goes through the open single door into the clubhouse. 217/3
The bonus points are in the bag, so it’s just a time v runs equation now for Turner; a skewed drive lands just short of deep cover. Brown uses his feet to attack Mason and keep the momentum going. 235/3, Turner on 130.
Lovely from Brown, who kneels and scoops Allan for four to bring up the 250. Then he tries again and is caught behind for 22. Steve Lazars joins his captain. 254/4
Think they’ll go off for tea after this over, the 46th.
Lazars launches Mason for six and they come off. Declaration I assume, as well as tea. Turner 141*, a chanceless knock that looked inevitable from very early on. Ably supported by Kalsi. 265/4 the total.
Allan made the early breakthroughs then stuck to his task and finished with 4/66.
Calum Turner is eating a butty in his pads. He has not declared. I guess the thinking is if the rain sets in, it’s a draw regardless of where we’re up to. And if it doesn’t rain, they possibly don’t have enough given the way teams have been chasing lately.
This is further confirmation that captains should be issued with a flare gun which they have to fire in order to declare. Too much ambiguity otherwise.
For too long, hard-working cricket reporters have had to resort to “noticing someone is wearing pads still while eating a butty” and “asking the scorer who they bowled with a dreamy off-break several years ago and no they have not forgotten”.
Now, after a wander to the middle and a chat with Kalsi - and possibly a look at the forecast - Turner has declared.
So here they come after tea. Tom Grundy and Sam Dorsey with the job of kicking off the Leigh innings. Sure they’ll be viewing this as a chase rather than simply waiting for the rain. To win, Formby have to take 10 wickets for the first time this season. George Burrows to bowl.
Good pace to start with, past the bat a few times. Dewi Jones from the other end.
Dorsey underway with a drive and a cut off Jones. 8/0 from 4 overs.
Someone just shouted “let’s give Tom something to tweet about here” and I am not comfortable with this development. Boundaries, guys.
Nothing to tweet about.
Grundy digs out a Burrows yorker. Then Dorsey creams a cover drive, bended knee and everything. Lovely shot, followed by an equally nice on-drive from Grundy. Worth tweeting about. 26/0 from 7 overs.
Grundy finds the off-side fence twice more, then Dorsey clips one fine. Both batters look very comfortable, and scoring freely. 43/0 from 9
Change of bowling at 49/0 - Steve Lazars getting a go.
Still nothing doing - opening stand up to 56 with few alarms, in 12 overs. The ball is racing across the outfield.
Out of nowhere, Dorsey drives Lazars to Sam Oldham at mid-off, who holds on low down. No need for that to happen. 61/1
Matty Hurst is the new man. The #chat has picked up a notch since the wicket. Grundy pulls Jones for an enormous six. 67/1
Problem the seamers have is that there’s no threat to the wicket unless the ball is very full, then they get driven. Still very little happening to encourage the idea Formby can take 10 wickets, or defend the total. The forecast has improved too. 74/1 from 16
Yeah spin’s the thing… Lazars straightens one into Hurst’s pads and gets the verdict. 79/2 as Karl Brown comes out. Big partnership, this.
Jones has improved as his spell has gone on, hitting a much better length now. Which is a shame as he must be getting tired. Brown clobbers Lazars through mid-wicket. 85/2
Another big shot over mid-off, then a MASSIVE straight six on to the footpath. Taking the attack to the danger man. 95/2
Burrows back on for Jones. Needs to be a bit fuller than his first spell. Drinks at 97/2 from 22 overs, 15 minutes until the last hour.
Lazars sends the straight fielders out to the rope for Brown. Next over, Burrows packs the leg-side fence. Match nicely poised. 100 up with a quick single; 100/2. Probably one more over before the last hour (5.45, given the declaration did come at tea).
Lazars has a silly mid-off in for Grundy, but a long hop disappears to the fence. 106/2 and the last hour begins. 160 runs from 20 overs.
Burrows bowls an over of short stuff, which yields four runs. 156 needed from 19 overs (or more; I’ll just say that once cos it almost certainly won’t be).
Grundy punches Lazars through cover to bring up a nicely paced 50. Outfield still very quick. 114/2; 152 from 18 overs. #TomViz 10-35-55
Brown pulls Burrows for an enormous six; he was only on strike because of a misfield. Four more through the covers, then a tickle that just evades Luke James’ dive… massive over, 17 from it in all. 131/2, 134 needed from 17.
Lazars continues and BOWLS Grundy, aiming for a big shot which wasn’t really on. Played very well for his 53 though, and helped set a potentially winning platform. 134/3 and that’s the over; 132 needed from 16.
Jackson Darkes-Sutcliffe replaces Burrows. Brown carves his first ball through the covers. Adam Shallcross is the new batter; he gets under way with two fours through extra cover. 14 from the over. 148/3, 118 needed from 15 overs. Leigh major favourites now, 10-25-65 for me.
Lazars yields two singles. 150/3, 116 needed from 14.
Ankit Kalsi gets a go with his left-armers. Couple of singles. 152/3, 114 from 13.
Shallcross mows Lazars through mid-wicket for four. Seven from the over; 159/3, 107 needed from 12 overs.
Now then … Kalsi sneaks one through Brown as he plays back and is bowled. Gone for 46. It’s up to the middle and lower order now. 159/4
Darren Low pulls a drag-down for four. 163/4, 103 from 11 overs. 20-20-60
Some excellent close fielding as Shallcross can’t get Lazars through the off-side ring. 103 from 10 overs. Leigh still favourites but it’s narrowing. I don’t know how much more batting they have, to be honest.
Some non-excellent fielding allows Low a four off Kalsi; then he chips another over mid-on. Not totally in control but eight from the over. 171/4, 95 from 9 overs.
Low chips Lazars to Kalsi at mid-wicket. 172/5. Last hours, bloody hell.
And another! That’s five for Lazars as the new batter (too quick for Play Cricket, all this) plays around his pad and is LBW. 176/6 at the end of the over; eight to go, 90 needed. Formby favourites. For now.
Shallcross belts Kalsi for four. Then Finn Hulbert is bowled first ball. 181/7. Not that I want to add anything else to the mix, but it’s getting gloomy.
Lazars gets Alex Mason, top-edging an attempted pull. All of a sudden this is nearly done. 182/8, an illusory 84 needed but really it’s two wickets from six overs.
Nathan Graham cuts Kalsi for four, then calls Shallcross through for a tight single. 188/8, five overs to go.
Graham agonisingly close to giving a return catch to Lazars, but it’s just out of his reach. Four overs to go.
Kalsi leaks six runs; runs are all but out of the equation now though. Three overs to go. Draw maybe favourite now?
HUGE appeals for a front-foot LBW but not out. Just two overs left now. Feels like both sides have let this slip. Burrows comes back for the last over from the hockey pitch end.
Cricket does funny things to people. Citation: My entire life; also Nathan Graham, who just slapped a long hop straight to cover. 203/9. 11 balls to go.
Burrows hurls himself at Patrick Allan… it is starting to rain because of course it is.
They’ve had to come off. It is proper throwing it down. Fascinating match ends in a draw. Doesn’t feel right because of the rain, but there was only one over lost in the end.
Technically a No Decision, I think? Not 100% sure on that.
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