NEW BRIGHTON CAN STILL CHALLENGE FOR HONOURS
Date: 25th June 2010
CLUB NEED TO CONSOLIDATE ON DEFEAT OF BOOTLE
New Brighton skipper Tim Watkins has called on his players to ensure their stunning victory at high flying Bootle proves to be a turning point in their season. Last Saturday’s morale boosting five wicket triumph was the Rake Lane outfit's first win in the ECB Premier League since the opening day of the season. It also ended Bootle's unbeaten record and was New Brighton's first success at Wadham Road since 1999.
Now Watkins is demanding more of the same at Ormskirk tomorrow."It was the first time for two months that we’ve played well," Watkins admitted. "We have struggled with the ball and haven't been able to bowl sides out but last weekend everything clicked. I knew we had a side capable of competing with Bootle but it surprised me how easy the win was."It had been a long time since we last won there and I'm the only one still around who played back in 1999. We've had a whole generation of cricketers who have come through who had never won there so to finally get a result there was very enjoyable. Just getting a win was important but to beat a good side like Bootle gives you an extra sense of achievement. Now we have to build on it and ensure this is the start of something."Bootle were blown away for 145 last week as Sri Lankan Chinthaka Perera (3-53), Martyn Evans (4-59) and Ashraf Nawab (3-28) wreaked havoc.The captain was delighted with the efforts of his attack. "Martyn was outstanding," Watkins added. "He bowled 18 overs on the bounce at a sustained pace and with good control. He was unlucky not to get six or seven wickets. Chinthaka has settled in really well but is still coming to terms with the length he has to bowl in this league."Last week there were signs of progress – he took the first two wickets and that was vital as they were 50-0. Once he made the breakthrough we grew in confidence. Ashraf is also crucial for us. He hasn't taken as many wickets as he would have liked so far, but there's no doubt that along with Simon Kerrigan at Ormskirk and Colwyn Bay's Paul Jenkins he's one of three outstanding slow left armers in this league."
Before the season started New Brighton had high hopes of ending their 12 year wait for the ECB Premier League crown. However, a six game winless streak prior to the victory at Bootle has left them with a mountain to climb. The eighth placed Wirral side have also bowed out of three out of four cup competitions but Watkins, who is standing down at the end of the season, is refusing to throw in the towel and they're still in the Cockspur Twenty20."It hasn't been the start we hoped for but there's still a long way to go and plenty of cricket to be played," he said. "We've got a tough run now with Ormskirk followed by Hightown and Colwyn Bay but that's probably a good thing as it will keep everyone focused. We need to put a run of results together."Meanwhile, New Brighton are pressing on with plans to transform their Rake Lane home.
The club hope the £500,000 redevelopment project, which will involve a new pavilion being built, will start in October and be completed in time for the start of next season. Watkins said: "We've still got a few hurdles to overcome but everything is in place and we’re just waiting for planning permission to be granted."
Extract from Liverpool Echo.
Back to top