REDMOND VERY MUCH AT HOME AT WIGAN

Date: 29th August 2014

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

Bull Hey men ready for next four weeks

That most humane of cricket writers and broadcasters John Arlott once said that one of the great joys of life was to have experienced the best and to have known it for the best. I think he was talking about champagne at the time but I reckon everybody got the point he was making.

One of the many strengths of the Med Imaging Liverpool Competition is the calibre of cricketer it attracts. Even as my own playing days retreat rapidly into history I still treasure the chances I had to pit my paltry skills against those of so many fine players – even if monstrous humiliation was the inevitable consequence.

Few cricketers, however, have made this league their home in the way the Wigan skipper Aaron Redmond has. Having played Test cricket at Lord’s, Trent Bridge, Adelaide and Brisbane, the Wigan skipper is an adopted son of Bull Hey and in his first season as skipper he has taken his young side to fourth place in the First Division.

And with games against Orrell Red Triangle, Liverpool and Northop Hall being the next challenges for Wigan before an intriguing little clash with Formby at Cricket Path on the final day of the season, this year may get even better for Wigan, who fought out a derby draw against their promotion rivals Highfield last Saturday.

“Yeah, but everyone seems to be rolling each other over at different times,” responded Redmond, citing his own club’s defeat at the hands of Sefton Park earlier this month as an example. “I don’t think who you play in the run-in is that important.

“What is maybe more significant is that in recent seasons we have been fighting to avoid going down to the Second Division, so it’s great that we have the opportunity to win promotion and I just want our players to enjoy it.”

Redmond may know that the end of the season will be all the more enjoyable if his predominantly young team has ECB Premier League cricket to look forward to next summer but for the moment he is happy that they are playing as a team and doing well.

His own 742 runs have been vital to his side’s success but so have Matthew Critchley’s all-round efforts (373 runs and 30 wickets) and Ryan Parry’s 28 wickets. Redmond, though, remains silent about specific players, preferring to talk about the team’s success. It is an attractive trait.

Indeed, he has enjoyed his first year as skipper, particularly because “everybody’s done something and somebody’s always put their hand up” when Wigan’s cause required it. As for his own cricket and his 119 first-class appearances, he simply tries to keep his own standards high whenever he plays the game. “There’s not a lot of adjustment needed,” he adds, “because I enjoy playing and I’m determined to do my best.”