ST HELENS TOWN LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

Date: 13th June 2014

A Paul Edwards copyright exclusive for L&DCC Official Website.

Ruskin Drive on the up

Surely no town’s cricket has been so affected by the changes in the recreational game over the past two decades as St Helens. Nevertheless, perhaps it is now time not to brood on what has been, but instead to consider what is.

For the club now called St Helens Town, the present appears very satisfactory indeed and the future looks very exciting. While they may be playing football on the old ground across the way at Windleshaw Road, Ruskin Drive is a centre of activity, with Craig Woods’ team leading the Second Division of the Med Imaging Liverpool Competition and a huge sports village to be built at the venue next year.

“We’re looking forward with optimism,” said Woods, whose team lead the table by 20 points from Prestatyn. “The new complex will have state of the art stuff and the cricket wickets will be relaid.”

Given that the very future of any sort of cricket at Ruskin Drive was under threat only a few summers ago, such plans will be heartening indeed to Merseyside cricketers, for whom a visit to St Helens was a cherished day in their summer.

Yet Woods seems intent on ensuring that state of the art facilities get a state of the art team. His side’s five victories, one or two of them featuring his own fine batting, have encouraged hopes that St Helens Town will be back in the Competition’s second tier come September.

So far, so good. Woods is the first to pay tribute to the seam bowling of Phil Murgatroyd, Michael Starke and James Davis with the latter’s recent performances with the old ball being particularly praiseworthy.

Yet the skipper’s still not satisfied. For all that the 2014 campaign began with four good wins, three of them fairly comprehensive, recent weeks have seen weaknessess in the St Helens batting.

Chasing 118 against Burscough, Woods’ men crept over the line with one wicket to spare; in last week’s rain-affected contest at home to Skelmersdale, Davies and Murgatroyd shared six wickets as the visitors were dismissed for 100, only for the home side to be faltering badly at 84-7 when the game ended.

“Only myself and Dave Gaskell have started well with the bat and I want more runs from the rest of the team,” said Woods. “At the same time, it is pleasing that we have a strong set of young players and the only weakness in the bowling is that we have to employ part-time spinners.

“Our aim is definitely to be promoted from the Second Division this summer. We have no overseas professional and it is pleasing that virtually all these lads have played either at St Helens Town or at St Helens Recs.”