Skelmersdale Cricket Club still in search of first home win of the season

Jun 11 2009 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

AFTER three wins on the road, Skelmersdale are still searching for that elusive first home league success of the season.

Several times against league leaders Wigan on Saturday Skem threatened to give the Scott Rees Park faithful something to cheer, but just couldn't close the deal.

A wonderful bowling perormance from Jonas Smith (7-25) had the visitors in dire straits, first at 35-6 and then at 71-7. But Wigan's last two wickets managed to double the score to a more challenging 143.

Mark Adams (38) took up that challenge and, at 70-3, Skem were once again on course for victory. But his dismissal sparked yet another extraordinary collapse, Skem losing their last seven wickets for just 23 to go down by 50 runs.

24 hours earlier, Skem did finally break their home duck with a sensational Twenty20 knock-out victory over Southport & Birkdale.

At 40-1 from just six overs, the visitors looked set for a big score until Andy Birks (2-23) and Kyle Till (2-26), supported by some wonderful ground fielding, pegged them back to just 114-6.

Mohammad Azam (29) gave Skem the perfect platform and man-of-the-match Birks finsished the job, smashing 42 to steer Skem home with two wickets to spare.

With the second team's game at Newton-le-Willows a victim of the weather, all eyes turned to Tarleton and Skem thirds' top of the table clash.

New ball bowlers Ian Morris and Andy Griffiths threw everything but the kitchen sink at the home side, but the hosts weathered the storm to reach 179-6 from 50 overs.

It looked at tall order, even more so after the loss of Michael Forster and Pete Davies in quick succession left Skem reeling at 63-5. But veteran pair Andy Donnelly and Steve Griffiths gradually wrestled control away from Tarleton with a sparkling century stand for the sixth wicket.

With the finishing line in sight, Donnelly was bowled for 32 and a flurry of wickets left last pair Griffiths and Carl Welsh needing six from two overs. But Griffiths, with a magnificient half-century already under his belt, held his nerve to get Skem home with just one wicket and one ball to spare.

Skem's Sunday team were on the losing end of a thriller with Charnock Richard, the visitors squeezing home with just one wicket to spare after Andy Birks (41) had helped Skem reach 141 al out.