Thread by @TomEvansCricket

I’m at Cricket Path, Formby, where there are currently no cricketers on the field. There will be soon, though- 11 from Rainford, who won the toss, and two to start with from the hosts.

It’s been a difficult start for Rainford - rained off week 1, then defeats to Ormskirk and in-form Orrell Red Triangle. Running out to hurl themselves against Formby’s firing top order isn’t going to be easy, but there could be some life in the pitch early on.

Josh Procter opens up for the visitors. Ollie Sutton and Ian Cockbain the batters. Says Sam Oldham on TCS but it’s not.

Liam Gaskell from the other end. Keeper Will Threlkeld (brother of Thunder/Originals’ Ellie) up to the stumps.

Procter pulled up in his first over and I don’t think he can bowl the third… Jimmy Davies into the attack instead.

Oh that’s a biggie … Cockbain clean bowled. Davies is delighted, as are his teammates. Weird how these things work out, eh. 9/1

Sam Oldham joins Sutton. They and Ryan Brown have all been in the runs this summer but Cockbain will have been the one they wanted most. Sutton flays Gaskell through cover. 15/1

Three slips and a gully for Sutton, who’s been having a go at a few… another squirts wide of backward point.

Huge shout against Oldham for a caught behind… then the next one from Gaskell keeps low, hits his pad and on to the stumps. Finger goes up for the LBW as well, so he’s out twice. 20/3 (2 really)

Young Lucas Kennedy to the crease amid a fine start for the visitors. Edges one through the slips which aren’t there. 24/2

When Sutton times them, they’re flying off the bat… but he’s not timing everything and a leading edge just evades cover. 38/2

And now he scythes Gaskell straight down deep point’s throat. 39/3

First 10 overs very much Rainford’s. Decision to field looking like a good one - batting doesn’t look easy and the bowlers are sticking to a testing length. 40/3, Kennedy and captain Ryan Brown trying to rebuild.

Oh that is a stunning catch at mid-wicket to remove Brown off Davies. Was hit uppishly but made up a lot of ground with the dive to his left. Ankit Sharma comes out at 44/4 with a lot to do.

Matt Bailey the catcher. Take a bow. Now Kennedy goes, clipping Gaskell straight to shortish square leg. 44/5

Ben Aitchison joins Sharma. Wickets tumbling all around the Comp. Northern five down at Ormskirk; Wallasey half gone against Southport & Birkdale.

Couple of boundaries down leg side break the spell a bit… Rainford still well on top, without John Dotters having given himself a bowl yet. 55/5

Now Aitchison plays all around one from Gaskell and is bowled. Not a pretty shot, or a pretty scoreboard for Formby - 56/6

Andy Davies replaces Jimmy. Archie Davies is the new batter. No idea who’s related to whom. Sharma has to do the bulk of the target-setting here - he belts four through mid-off. 60/6

Wallasey now six down, Northern seven. Some early finishes today, and some of the top sides in trouble.

Not sure Gaskell has bowled a single ball back of a length… as I type, he does and Davies guides it for four. Relentlessly accurate, apart from just then when that happened. 70/6

What Sharma is doing better than his teammates so far is getting a big stride in. Helps to neutralise any funny business from a pitch that is still doing a bit. 76/6

Now here comes Dotters, replacing Gaskell after that one short ball he bowled in an excellent spell.

Drinks. #drinks

Rainford already spreading the field in the hope of keeping Sharma off strike; he’s only on 17. Perhaps a recognition that chasing isn’t going to be easy and every run counts. The pro leans back and cuts Dotters through cover. 81/6

Another cut for four, followed by a booming drive. Two shots that illustrate what he’s doing so well - proper back for the first, proper forward for the second. 91/6. Almost a mini-recovery.

Now Davies gets Davies away for four. Change bowlers have not been able to apply the same pressure as J Davies and Gaskell. 97/6

Rainford’s appeals are bloodcurdling. Dotters hits Davies on the back pad and the noise is incredible… but the umpire unmoved. 98/6

Hundred up for Formby in the 30th over. Looked a long way away an hour ago. Sharma holding it together on 35; 100/6

Dotters brings the field in for Sharma, shouting “let’s see what he does here”… what he does is a forward defence so regal it should be being driven down the Mall in a solid gold carriage.

Shot of the game so far from Sharma, pulling Dotters for four. 109/6

Jason Login welcomed into the attack with a bludgeon over mid-wicket for four by Davies. Partnership now worth 57. 113/6

Wallasey 66/8 after another Chris Firth five-fer; Northern 77/8 at Ormskirk. Sharma betters his own shot of the day with a back-foot drive off Dotters. 117/6 here

Five men on the boundary for Sharma, who finds a couple of twos off Login to bring up a fine 50. 127/6

DIVERSION: Why are overthrows called “buzzers”?

Gaskell back on; Sharma clouts him for a mighty six. Rainford need his wicket, fast, because he’s just starting to hit his straps. 136/6

Sharma strikes a one-bounce four off Gaskell. 149/6 from 42 overs. 13 left to earn bonus points, 71 runs for maximum.

Andy Davies replaces Gaskell as Rainford search for a wicket. Just been informed Archie Davies, who has played a fine supporting role in a stand of 95, is 15 years old. This surprised me because he is the tallest player on the pitch. 151/6

Dotters changes ends and is dumped over cover by Davies to bring up the 100 partnership. 157/6

Davies lifts his namesake for a straight four. Then Sharma smites a six off Dotters. I’m running out of “hit” synonyms send help. Davies bloots another four. 175/6

Sharma splooshes another six off Dotters… then slices to backward point for 89. He’ll be disappointed but he’s rescued his side here. 188/7 in the 49th over

Tom Mills the new man. Survives an LBW shout. Sharma and Davies put on 132 for the seventh wicket.

Massive round of applause for Archie Davies as he cuts Andy Davies for four to bring up his maiden 1st XI 50. Nervy at first coming in after a collapse, but grew into the innings alongside Sharma. 193/7 from 50 overs.

Davies spelunks Dotters over cow corner to bring up the 200. Four overs to make 18 runs for maximum bonus points.

Four boundaries off an Andy Davies over make it 219/7, bonus points all but bagged. What a turnaround. Rainford have mixed things up and fielded well but you can’t blame their heads for dropping, given how good a start they made.

Declaration comes at 222/7. Davies finishes on 66*. Great turnaround for the hosts; visitors left to think what might have been, and steel themselves for the chase.

S&B getting tucked into their target of 92 to beat Wallasey, they’re 43/1. Sumit Ruikar having his first bowl of the season but his three overs have gone for 27.

Colwyn Bay 174/9 at Wigan; New Brighton 18/3 replying to Rainhill’s 132. Orrell Red Triangle all out 106 at Leigh.

And Ormskirk need 106 to beat Northern

Matt Bailey and Jason Login out to start the chase; Ben Aitchison steaming in with the ball.

Junaid Farooq from the other end. Decent pace but pretty lengths so far, batters happy to ignore.

Login drives Aitchison square for the innings’ first boundary. 8/0 from three overs. No alarms so far.

Bailey wafts at a wide one from Farooq and nicks it to keeper Ryan Brown. He’s not happy. 12/1

*Login

No-one QTs me to tell me I’ve got a name right do they. So biased.

Jimmy Davies under way, punishing a couple of wide ones from Farooq. 26/1. 223 the target. Positive start despite the wicket.

Davies and Bailey seem pretty secure here. Bowlers trying to keep them on the front foot. Davies punches a four. Hell of a cloud looming overhead but forecast looks OK. 36/1 chasing 223

S&B have thumped Wallasey by nine wickets. Bit of #mizzle around Cricket Path. Light also quite bad.

The #mizzle has become #rain and the players are coming off. This is a disappointing development.

The rain has stopped, the sky has brightened and the covers are coming off. This ground is mostly sand so dries very quickly.

And just like that they’re playing again. Farooq continues to Bailey, then Ankit Sharma gets a go on the drying wicket. 43/1

Mark O’Connor is playing his first 1st XI game since 2017. His first ball gets big on Bailey, who can only glove it into the slips. 49/2

Davies has picked up where he left off, showing some intent against Sharma’ left-arm spin. The left-handed Paul Farrar is the new batter. 57/2

O’Connor gets Davies for 39 with a brute that kicks up from back of a length. Can do little but edge it to slip. 66/3. Still 20 minutes until the last hour, reckon we’ll get a result here. South African Corne Nel the new batter.

Nel skews Sharma in the air… point can’t quite hang on. Tough one, dropping over his shoulder as he ran back. Drinks at 70/3.

Couple of fours for Farrar off O’Connor. Plenty of life in this yet. Last hour will be delayed by the rain. Sharma not getting any joy so far, ball will be wet. Nicely poised at 80/3, 143 required.

Aitchison back on from the hockey pitch end. Farrar cuts, then drives him for fours. Then the next ball beats his defence and bowls him! 89/4

Captain John Dotters next in. Looks busy to start with. I was wrong about the last hour being delayed, they’ve called it… 20 overs, 131 runs, six wickets.

Two from Sharma’s over; from the next, Nel runs Aitchison down to third for four to bring up the hundred. 123 needed from 18 overs.

Two more overs pass uneventfully… don’t think Rainford can pass up the opportunity to push for a win, but for the moment they’re content to stay in touch and preserve their wickets. 106/4

Wicket for Sharma - gets his rival overseas Nel LBW on the front foot. 109/5

Mark Potter the new man. Reckon the win is pretty distant for Rainford now. 114 needed from 15 overs.

Change of bowling as Formby seek another breakthrough - Archie Davies’ off-breaks get a go. Doesn’t seem to be much threat out there unless the batters create it for themselves. 111/5, 12 overs to be bowled.

Dotters reverse-sweeps a four off Sharma. Aitchison takes his mark and the batters get their helmets back on - we ain’t getting more than 20 overs in today. 11 overs left.

Frustration for Formby here… they claim a bat-pad catch at short leg but Potter is unmoved. The umpires confer, suggesting the issue is whether it carried, and they decide they can’t say for sure it did? 122/5 with nine overs to go.

Eight overs to go and five wickets looks like a lot for Formby. Potter lofts Sharma for six over mid-wicket to compound their frustration. 132/5

Ollie Sutton getting a go with seven to go.

As many wickets have fallen in the past five and a half hours as did in the first 70 minutes. Not seen much to suggest another five will go in the next six overs. 140/5 as Potter flicks Sharma for six into the nets.

THEN AGAIN… Dotters mistimes a drive off Sutton and picks out cover. Four wickets needed from four and a bit overs…

Will Threlkeld is the new batter. He’s equal to the rest of Sutton’s over. Three more to come…

Sharma’s penultimate over yields a single and a huge six from Threlkeld, into the tennis courts. I miscounted earlier - NOW it’s three left.

Another wicket to keep us interested… Threlkeld nicks Aitchison behind. And that’s over - three wickets needed from 12 balls. Sutton to bowl the 19th.

Stung by my “go home, nothing to see here” nonsense, Sutton pins Andy Davies with the second ball of the over. 10 balls, two wickets.

Actually not sure if Josh Procter can bat… Liam Gaskell is out at 10.

By “out” I mean out to bat, not “out” out. Sure there’s a tea towel nearby that can explain this.

Gaskell smears a four through square leg to secure another batting point for Rainford. Aitchison to bowl the last over.

Procter, who pulled up lame bowling, is padded up. First ball yields a single.

As does the second. Potter back on strike.

Dot and a four through gully… has to be two wickets from two now or it’s a draw.

It’s a draw.

Both sides will feel a bit frustrated by that - Rainford for not being able to press home the advantage after reducing the hosts to 56/6; Formby for not being able to break up some stubborn batting until it was too late.

Stars of the day were Ankit Sharma and 15-year-old Archie Davies, whose stand of 132 rescued the hosts.

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