Liam Crilly plays Mr. Sensible but Northern make Echo semis

Date: 1st August 2011

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

LIverpool Echo Knockout Trophy: Quarter-Final: Northern 123-7 (18.3) (J Cole 33, Bailey 20, Sephton 17no; Bower 2-22) beat Maghull 122-7 (20) (Crilly 41no, Broadbent 38, Bailey 3-26.

Over the years Liam Crilly has been told to do many things by his Maghull team-mates. Some of the brusquer injunctions have ended with the word "off"; others, if carried out by the wiry rascal, would have resulted in such physical discomfort as to make shot-making - or, indeed, toast-making - painful. Yet it is rare to hear the mercurial all-rounder instructed to "play in the V" without any sense of irony; all too often, Crilly's innings have been played in the "X", or have employed letters unknown to the most scholarly philologist.

So there were few better indicators of the seriousness with which last Friday's Liverpool Echo Knockout quarter-final was taken by both Northern and Maghull than the responsbility and patience exhibited by Crilly in making 41 not out off 50 balls to guide his side to their total of 122 for seven.

James Broadbent had given John Ring's men a brisker start by hitting six boundaries in a 28-ball 38, but the loss of subsequent wickets compelled caution. Slow left-armer Tom Sephton was the most economical of the bowlers, taking two for 18 from his five overs, and there was liitle sign that James Cole's players had their minds fixed on the following day's Premier League meeting with Leigh or Sunday's ECB National Club Championship tie at Chester-le-Street. Tom Bailey's three wickets cost 26 runs.

The second half of the game was quite as compelling as the first as Northern's batsmen sought to master a tight attack on a good pitch. "Tell them it's a wonderful wicket which is a credit to the groundsman," said Maghull's groundsman John Miller, as he drank deeply from his pint before ambling off in ursine fashion to get another.

At the halfway stage Northern were 61 for three compared to Maghull's 72 for two, and once again Crilly's leg spin had been well used, especially in conjunctiion with Paul Bower's pace. Chris Tipper had continued his run of low scores in Twenty20 games and the match was in the hazard.

James Cole fulfilled the Crilly role for the Moor Park side, hitting just one boundary in his 35-ball 33. He and Tom Bailey kept their side nearly up with the required run-rate but both John Wildman and Stephen Cole were run out as Maghull's bowlers and fielders sensed the possibility of an upset.

Nine runs were needed off the last nine balls and six off the last seven. At that point Tom Sephton decided against the option of quick singles and scrambled twos in favour of a mighty strike that would remove the need for such gradualism: he whacked Crilly for a huge six over deep midwicket and Northern had won.

So ended a very pleasant evening at Old Hall Field. The only discordant note had been struck early in the piece when this website's correspondent had attempted to negotiate the short but steep slope down from the canal towpath to Maghull's ground.

"This should be entertaining," said Lionel Stanyon with an unmistakable smirk on his usually benevolent countenance. Unfortunately for him, though, the descent was managed with nimble grace and the Atlas of Ainsdale turned back to watch the bowling of the fruit of his loins.