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Tom Evans

May 27 • 69 tweets • 9 min read Twitter logo

@Ormskirk_CC

Name a more aesthetically pleasing sport. I’ll wait. @Ormskirk_CC playing host to @SNBCC, and there’s a beer festival on. Neither has really got going yet. S&B batting.

It has been a pretty sedate start; JJ Fielding and Jack Stanley fairly untroubled so far. Couple of edges over or short of slips. Scott Lees and Sam Holden toiling away. 25/0

Holden drops short with successive balls and Fielding pulls and cuts him to the boundary. Jamie Barnes replaces Lees up the hill. Stanley drives him for four. 43/0, bright start for the visitors.

Wow that was even quicker than usual. Sorry. Stanley feathers Barnes to George Lavelle. 43/1

Aryan Juyal starts with a lofted drive for four. He got a century last week, Ormskirk will be keen to not let him settle in. 47/1

Nice start from Juyal. Cover drive and late cut off Barnes - the latter guided behind a fielder out there specially for the shot - have his teammates purring. Lees gets a go down the hill. 73/1 in the 14th over.

@edwardscricket

Early #drinks. It’s that kind of day. @edwardscricket is also here, meaning I think we need to set up a press box.

Toby Bulcock giving it a rip from the bottom end. With Pettman in the S&B XI, this is possibly the first game I’ve covered featuring opposing Tobies.

Barnes coming in from the top end now; lots of chopping and changing from Gary Knight as he looks for a breakthrough. 77/1

Juyal dances out at Bulcock and smacks him for six. It’s gone in someone’s garden. This happens a lot here, more so than at most grounds, and I think we should knock down those houses tbh. 83/1

Fielding drives Barnes to the longest boundary, then Juyal lofts Bulcock for four more to bring up the 50 stand. Another four makes it 100/1

Harvey Rankin into the attack. Fielding lofts him into the nets to reach his 50.

Then he rather gives it away, skewing one miles in the air and taken at cover. Jack Carney the new man; 119/2 in the 22nd.

Bowlers have tightened things up a bit since the wicket. Juyal still going nicely though and brings up his 50 from 46 balls. 143/2

Now Carney climbs into a few short ones from Rankin. Martyn Farrell gets a go in place of Bulcock. 156/2

Bulcock’s turn to change ends after some drinks. It is scorching out there, not a breath of wind. 164/2 after another dreamy drive from Juyal.

Another four, lofted off Farrell. Man at long off but Juyal opened his body to place it wide of him. Then another one goes over the wall 177/2

Juyal has only faced 55 balls in an hour and three quarters - Ormskirk have kept him off strike quite well. But Carney is playing some shots too now. 188/2 from 35.

Another breakthrough for me - Carney chips Bulcock to mid-wicket for 31. Basil Sultan the new man. Chris Cunningham won’t want him to hang around here, need to keep the momentum going. 189/3

Juyal into the 90s and brings up the 200 for S&B with a gorgeous late cut off Farrell. Then he puts another one in the gardens. Will he get his 100 before they run out of balls? If anyone has a better idea of how to stop him, Ormskirk would love to hear from them. 211/3, Juyal 96

There’s his 100… typical shot, this. Beautiful timing. Didn’t even realise it was going for four, so I stopped recording. That’s one more false move than he’s made all day. Superb knock. 226/3 after 41 overs.

Lees comes back on and gets belted over his head. I make that four times, possibly five, that Juyal has done that off the first ball of a bowler’s spell.

Sultan has some shots as well. 239/3 off 42. 13 overs to earn bonus points and the sky’s the limit for S&B.

No chance keeping up with the boundaries here. Juyal is absolutely dominating some high-quality experienced bowlers. He’s on 146, the score 284/3. Still seven overs before the 55.

Juyal’s 20th four brings up his 150, from 103 balls. They’re batting on. Presumably want to take defeat out of the equation and crowd the bat. 296/3 from 50 overs.

Sultan runs Bulcock to third to bring up the 300.

Juyal finally gets one wrong - picks out long off from the bowling of Barnes. So long, Aryan. Fantastic innings. 157. 306/4 and they’re not declaring yet - into the 52nd over.

Declaration comes at 313/4. Support roles from Fielding, Carney and Sultan, but Aryan Juyal’s 157 will live long in the memory. Special knock. I’ll count later how many Comp overs Lees, Barnes and Bulcock have bowled in their careers… they didn’t have a plan.

Ormskirk need 314 to win; more realistically, they need to make sure they get maximum points and close out the draw. Calum Turner has been finding a bit of last year’s form lately; his wicket will be a big one.

Turner and George Politis make their way to the middle. 11am start means last hour will be called at 4.45 (I think) Toby Pettman has the ball.

Chris Firth from the other end. Not much happening so far.

Pettman currently assisting in my thesis, which will be called First-Class Seamers Always Start Off Too Fast, Too Short And Too Wide When They Play Club Cricket. 8/0

He’s finding his range now but it’s been a confident start by the batters. 27/0

Turner and Politis going through the gears… 58/0 now. Game on? Firth and Cunningham eliciting the odd shout but little else.

Turner lofts Firth for two fours in an over. The hubbub from the beer tents raises in volume a little.

Firth gets Turner, well held at slip by Jayal. Exactly the opening partnership Ormskirk needed though. 79/1

Pettman back on. Politis leans back and slams him back over his head for four. Intent. 83/1. It’s an all-George affair with the new man Lavelle.

Lavelle had the best seat in the house for Juyal’s innings, and he’s been Ormskirk’s best batter this season. Started brightly. 93/1. 221 needed from maybe 30 overs? All four results possible. But taking wickets does not look easy.

Politis reaches an aggressive, purposeful 50 from 72 balls. Plenty of life in this. 100/1

Lavelle pulls Cunningham for six just over the boundary fielder. Ground filling up nicely. 112/1. 20 minutes until last hour.

Lavelle straight into his work here, cutting and slapping Cunningham for fours. He’s raced into the 30s. 124/1

Henry Eccles getting a go now. Risks being a very hairy last hour for S&B if they can’t find a way to put a bit of doubt into the batters.

Mid-wicket gets a hand to a firmly struck pull but can’t hang on - more a saved four than a drop. 130/1 with the last hour (I think) 10 minutes away; 183 needed.

Lavelle sweeps Cunningham on to the road. S&B in defensive mode now, hosts making a brilliant job of the chase. Cranking up #TomViz for when last hour is called. 145/1

Another sweep for six brings Lavelle to 50 from 35 balls, excellent stuff.

Now Politis takes a shine to Eccles and dumps him for successive boundaries. LAST HOUR CALLED at 165/1, 149 needed.

#TomViz 40-50-10 (H-D-A)

No boundaries off Cunningham’s over. 170/1, 144 from 19

Firth back on up the hill. Fielders all round the boundary. Lavelle sweeps four; LBW shout against Politis, who pulls four into the leg-side gap. 181/1. 133 needed from 18.

#TomViz creeping up for Ormskirk. 50-45-5 now. Cunningham’s over yields a picket fence (111111). 127 needed from 17.

Six on the boundary for Firth. Lavelle hits him on to the stage, where thankfully there isn’t a band playing yet. 197/1; 117 from 16 overs.

200 up but some good work in the field that over. Politis into the 90s. What a stand this is. 110 needed from 15. Pettman coming back on. S&B need to break the stand, but pace on the ball is risky on this outfield.

Lavelle HOLES OUT to long on for 74. 205/2, Gary Knight to the crease. Stand broken.

HUGE over for S&B. They’re not going to win, but they’ve made the chase that bit tougher. 205/2, 14 left, 109 needed.

Cunningham keeps it tight, restricts Politis to a single. 206/2, 108 from 13

Politis sweeps Cunningham to bring up his 100. Excellent knock; could yet be a match-winner. Knight then belts a six over the wall. 226/2 with 11 overs left; 88 needed.

Another good over for the batters, two more boundaries… 238/2, 76 needed from 10 overs. They’re up with the rate.

Umpires confer and Knight has to go, caught by Carney off a top-edged reverse sweep. Some discussion, as the keeper knocked the bails off in taking the catch. 240/3, Sam Holden the new man. 74 from 9. Cunningham has been excellent.

JJ Fielding, who was earlier batting, is now bowling. Sam Holden the new man. Just 5 off the over. 245/3, 69 needed from 8 overs. Cunningham continues.

Two fours for Holden. 256/3, 58 needed from 7

Firth returns from the bottom end. Politis whacks a full-toss for four; then skews one straight to backward point! Gone for a brutal 131; will it be enough? Harvey Rankin joins Holden. 262/4

36 balls to go; 49 runs required. I have no idea, honestly… but the set batters have gone. Cunningham continues. Holden biffs a huge straight six. 274/4; 40 needed from 30 balls.

Tight over from Firth. 36 needed from 24 balls. Pettman replaces Cunningham.

Two streaky boundaries for Holden, and it’s Ormskirk’s to lose from here. 290/4, 24 needed from 18 balls.

Huge six from Rankin. There have been a lot of sixes in this match. Then one from Holden skips off the turf and beats the fielder. 300 up. And another six, from Holden. The band are tuning up. Not now, band. The ball has gone. Chaos. Just seven runs needed.