Match-Day 16 Weekly Round-Up By Graham Hardcastle
By Graham Hardcastle
Whalley may not be flying high in the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League’s Premiership, but that does not mean Frankie Jackson’s side are down in the dumps. In fact, it is the exact opposite.
“Win or lose, we’re always happy,” said the young skipper.
On Saturday, they were over the moon courtesy of an impressive four-wicket win at Feniscowles, their fourth victory in 16 games this season.
Jackson, who bowls seamers and took the new ball, starred with a season’s best 5-21 in bowling the hosts out for just 79 having elected to field before first-team debutant Monty Cort top-scored with an unbeaten 29.
“Most weeks we field five or six lads under 18,” said skipper Jackson. “I’m only 23 and am the third oldest in the side.
“But we’re all a bunch of mates. We all go out together outside cricket, which is great for the team spirit. We love playing together.
“Monty has come in from the seconds, and I’ve given him an opportunity at three. He’s played really well. All the lads seemed to be on it a bit more than usual – it was a really good win.”
Jackson says the main reasons for a “difficult” season have been unavailability and inexperience.
“We’ve just struggled against the Bolton teams, who play good cricket,” he said. “They’re a better standard than we are at the minute, and we’ll be in Division Two next year I would have thought.”
While Jackson is expecting Whalley to finish in the bottom 12 ahead of next season’s two-divisional split, he’s not yet completely resigned to it given they have some favourable fixtures to come.
Whalley’s experience comes largely from Blackburn-born professional Levi Wolfenden, the all-rounder who claimed 3-21 as Jackson’s new ball partner before hitting 28 in the chase. He has already signed on again at Station Road for 2024.
“Levi’s a huge part of the club,” said Jackson. “Everybody loves him.
“He will have played first-team cricket in Lancashire for the best part of 12 years, and he’s great for the young lads because of that knowledge.
“Noah Panaia, our young overseas amateur (Australia), has also been really good.”
Jackson, who helps to run the Under 18s, says Whalley’s junior set-up is “thriving”. They also have a merged women’s team with neighbours Great Harwood.
Against Feniscowles, it wasn’t his coaching skills which won the day, it was his bowling.
He has now taken 30 wickets this season, following 44 last season and 29 the year before. In 2019 and 2020, he only took 14 wickets combined, with his contributions coming more with the bat.
Now he is a genuine all-rounder, and one who may have just stumbled upon something which can take his bowling even further.
“I usually come off a short run-up – five or six paces. But here, I came off a bit of a longer run-up, and it was nice to get a bit more pace behind it,” added the former Clitheroe youngster.
“When you’re having a laugh in the nets, trying to bowl as fast as you can, the pro and a couple of other lads were telling me to give it a go in games.
“It’s not always too easy, though. I was running into the wind, and I’m only skinny. I thought I was going to get blown away! But I got it through on what was a good wicket.
Astley Bridge’s Faiz Khandu claimed a superb 6-47 to limit hosts Blackrod to 150-9.
Sri Lankan sub professional Dilshan Munaweera’s unbeaten 69 then recovered the visitors’ reply from 12-3. But they lost three wickets in Thushendra de Zoysa’s final over, which started with four to win.
Captain Matthew Hargraves was run out as they slipped from 147-3 to 149-6 before Munaweera was dropped off the last ball as Astley Bridge finished on 150-6.
Seven points leaves Blackrod fifth and Bridge ninth after 16 games.
Little Lever’s 14th win came by 88 runs at Eagley, who were bowled out for 102 chasing 191.
New ball duo Curtis Anderton and Naeem Patel claimed four wickets apiece. Earlier, Little Lever fell from 147-1 to finish on 190-9 after openers Nipun Gaikwad (59) and Adil Nisar (70) impressed.
Josh Gent’s side sit top on 163 points, 37 clear of Farnworth with seven rounds remaining. Four 12-point wins will guarantee the title.
Farnworth’s 10th win came against in-form Kearsley at home by 63 runs. Sri Lankan pro Milinda Siriwardana hit 49 in 182 all out.
Indian new ball seamer Yatin Mangwani claimed 5-50 to bowl 10th-placed Kearsley out for 118. They lost only their second league game since mid-May.
Farnworth Social Circle jumped to third, winning a thriller by three runs at Settle, who finished on 101-6 after 25 overs chasing a revised 105 target.
West Indian pro Jameel Stuart hit 40 in Social Circle’s 136 all out before Dave Mather’s new ball 4-33 helped seal victory.
Salesbury brushed Brinscall aside to win by 10 wickets at home before 3pm in a game lasting just 28.3 overs in total. Sub professional Jacques Snyman claimed 4-6 as Brinscall were bowled out for 45 before hitting 29 not out in reply.
Like Social Circle and Salesbury, hosts Padiham also won for the ninth time, beating Oswaldtwistle Immanuel by eight wickets chasing 93.
New ball pair Jack Edgar (5-17) and Ben Swindells (4-24) shone in Oswaldtwistle’s 92 all out before pro Edgar added 30 in a routine response.
Whalley won our featured game at Feniscowles, while Lostock were landslide winners by 158 runs against lowly Baxenden – 55 all out chasing 214.
Lostock’s Pakistani pro Akbar Ur Rehman hit a fine unbeaten 109 off 105 balls in 213-5 before Adam Syddall claimed four new ball wickets for the eighth-placed hosts.
Read claimed an eye-catching five-wicket win at home to Ribblesdale Wanderers chasing 246.
Andrew Needham’s superb 137 off 111 with five sixes underpinned Wanderers’ strong 245-6. But Michael Whalley (64), Zi Bhada (55) and Jack Wood (59 not out) all shone in a chase completed with 14 balls remaining.
Read’s eighth win means they sit 13th and are rivalling Wanderers in 11th for a top-12 finish.
Sandwiched directly between them are Tonge, who won an enthralling low-scoring affair by three wickets with nine balls left at Cherry Tree (115 all out).
Tonge captain Connor Lord impressed with 3-22 before Jack Smith and unbeaten wicketkeeper Connor Thomson shared 56 for the eighth wicket to recover from 58-6. Smith made 42 and Thomson 23.
Towards the bottom, hosts Barnoldswick beat Walkden (183-9) by seven wickets. Indian pro Chirag Khurana claimed 5-43 before South African opener Justin Gilliland hit 71 in reply.
Levi Wolfenden left and Frankie Jackson right. . Courtesy Whalley CC
