Lostock captain James Evans has revealed how returning professional Akbar Ur Rehman is desperate to help the club repeat last season’s Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Birtwistle Cup T20 triumph.
The Pakistani all-rounder – a batter who bowls leg-spin – is in his second spell with the Chew Moor Lane club having previously played for them in 2022 and 2023.
Visa regulations prevented him from playing last season, but when the club found out that he qualified again, they were quick to secure his signature for a third season.
“We wanted to sign him back last season, but he didn’t qualify through the first-class system in Pakistan,” said Evans ahead of the start of their title defence a week on Friday.
“To be honest, we were looking elsewhere for this season because we weren’t sure what road to go down. But then it just sort of popped up that Akbar had played enough games to qualify again. So we got pretty lucky with it.
“And he’s got the bit between his teeth because I think he was a bit gutted that he missed out last year and we ended up winning it. So he’s definitely looking forward to the T20s this year.”
Last season’s professional Mohammad Suleman was actually at his best during the T20s, but he wasn’t as consistent as the club had hoped for in the league, hence the decision to look elsewhere.
“We saw how good he was on a week-to-week basis, as he showed in the T20s. But he was so much better than what he produced for us in the league,” said Evans.
“Even now, he’s knocking on that Pakistan Test squad door.
“But the difference this year is that with Akbar, we know what we’re going to get from him.
“Nine times out of 10 – you look back for the last couple of years he was with us – he was consistently in the runs.
“I think as a team, we know how to play with him. You can bat around him, he’s someone you can lean on in tough situations, and you know he’s going to give you solid overs consistently.”
Clearly, the professional is going to be key to any side’s hopes of success. But to achieve it, you have to be strong right across the board. Lostock were last season as they beat Blackrod in a home final, and they are confident of being so again.
“We’re a young group, but the main thing for me is the young lads got their chance last year and have come on massively through the winter,” continued Evans.
“A lot of those lads now are pushing to be batting in the top five or opening the bowling or coming on first change. Instead of it being, ‘we’ll give them a go when other lads are missing’, they are now pushing the more experienced lads.”
Lostock are one of 25 teams gunning for T20 glory. The 22 teams in the NWCL’s Premiership and Championship are supplemented by Conference sides Barrowford, Feniscowles and Foulridge.
They are split across four groups, with the top two from each qualifying for the quarter-finals.
Lostock are in Group 4 South alongside Farnworth Social Circle, Kearsley, Little Lever, Tonge and Walkden.
They open up at home to Tonge on May 23 (6pm).
“It was special last year,” added Evans. “It was nice to finally get the win.
“We’ve been to enough finals over the last 10 years and just not quite got there.
“To finally win one, everyone at the club enjoyed it. And it’s on the honours board now, which is nice. There’s a few runners-ups on there, and it’s just nice to see an actual winner’s one on there for a change.”
Lostock, meanwhile, have won one and lost two games so far in the Premiership, and they have a bye in the opening round of the Hamer Cup, which starts this Sunday.
Friday May 23, Birtwistle Cup – Group 1 North: Earby v Barnoldswick, Padiham v Foulridge, Read v Ribblesdale Wanderers. Group 3 South: Atherton v Astley Bridge, Brinscall v Eagley, Farnworth v Blackrod. Group 4 South: Kearsley v Farnworth Social Circle v Lostock v Tonge, Walkden v Little Lever.
Whalley’s new captain Tom Cameron believes enjoyment is the key to success in T20 cricket as the start of the Birtwistle Cup approaches.
The Anthony Axford North West Cricket League’s 20-over competition – won last year by Lostock – begins across the next two Fridays, with 25 teams spilt across four groups.
Conference sides Barrowford, Feniscowles and Foulridge will join the 22 teams in the Premiership and Championship as they bid to make it through to Finals Day on July 20.
The top two sides in each group qualifies for the quarter-finals. Whalley finished top of Group 2 North last season, winning three of five matches.
Under wicketkeeper Cameron’s leadership, they reached Finals Day at Lostock, but were beaten in the semi-final by Blackrod. Cameron has since taken over full-time from Frankie Jackson.
“It’s just a confidence game, really,” said Cameron of T20.
“We were struggling in a league a bit last year, but everyone could almost free themselves up a bit in the T20s, and I think everyone was more confident and just enjoyed it more.
“We strung a few results together and carried it through.
“Hopefully we can do that again this year.
“I want everyone to express themselves, and hopefully that gives us that bit of momentum.”
Whalley are in Group 2 North again this year. They are placed alongside Barrowford, Baxenden, Cherry Tree, Feniscowles, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Salesbury. They begin their campaign on Friday night away at Baxenden (6pm).
Cameron believes Whalley, who have lost two and won one in the Championship so far this season, are a stronger proposition than last year, including being sharper in the field.
That’s partly due to a new overseas Australian batter Luke Reynolds, added to domestic signings Jamie Pilling (opening batter) and Josh Dentith (spinner). All-rounder Levi Wolfenden remains as professional.
“I’d say we’ve added experience more than anything,” said Cameron.
Whalley’s group is a particularly interesting one given it includes two Conference sides in Barrowford and Feniscowles. The former reached last year’s quarter-finals, while the latter won the last ever Ribblesdale League T20 title in 2022.
“It’s a very interesting group, obviously, because of that,” Cameron continued. “They’re a bit wild cards, like we saw with Barrowford last year. They could almost have any sub professional, really.
“But we’re positive and hopeful that if we play like we did last year, we can get out of that group.”
Cameron is a 20-year-old who is a Whalley lad through and through.
He captained the club in junior cricket and started playing first-team cricket at the age of “13 or 14”.
“Just doing the T20s last year, I almost did the fun bit,” he said. “But I’m definitely enjoying doing it full-time so far. I’ve got loads of senior players around me like Richard Palmer and Levi, who has been with us for three or four years as pro.”
So being one of Whalley’s own, what would it mean to Cameron if they were to go a couple of steps further than last year’s semi-final finish and win the Birtwistle Cup?
“That would be really nice, yeah,” he added. “It would definitely mean a lot, and there’s no reason why we can’t.”
