Turner masterpiece and Holden heroics lead Ormskirk to Lord’s dreamland
Ormskirk are national champions, the first Love Lane Liverpool Competition side ever to claim the honour, after battling to a 25-run win over Penzance at Lord’s.
Opener Calum Turner made 111, his sixth century of the season, as Gary Knight’s side, asked to bat first under threatening skies, posted a lopsided 217, bowled out in the last of their 40 overs.
From 125/3 at the half-way point, it was disappointing; it didn’t look enough as Penzance raced to 76 after 12 overs without losing a wicket.
But dangerous opener Christian Purchase slapped seamer Sam Holden’s first ball straight to George Lavelle at deep point, and Ormskirk had a foothold.
Holden beat the defences of Charlie Sharland and Nicholas Halstead-Clarke before Jamie Barnes – in conditions he must have dreamed of last night – accounted for Grant Stone and Josh Croom.
When opener Jack Paull, who had retired hurt, returned and sliced Holden to Toby Bulcock at gully, the scoreboard read 120/6 and Ormskirk’s army of supporters in the Mound Stand were starting to raise their voices.
And when Barnes found the outside edge of skipper Brad Wadlan four balls later, Knight’s impassioned celebration suggested he was beginning to believe too.
The tail wagged before Bulcock had Tommy Sturgess and Jonathan Ludlam held by Knight, and Holden beat Mehran Sanwal’s wild slog to spark even wilder celebrations on the pitch and in the stands – he finished with 5/41.
Both innings followed a similar template of early runs followed by a flurry of wickets to dry up the scoring.
The difference was Turner, who was ruthless with anything short and unfurled some straight drives as good as anything Old Father Time has seen over the years.
George Politis helped him add 74 before falling to Sanwal, whose slingy action and wicket-to-wicket line threatened to derail the innings – the Pakistani added George Lavelle and Holden in short order.
Knight tried to up the rate but was smartly stumped by Halstead-Clarke off medium pacer Jonathan Ludlam.
Only Turner was getting the ball off the square, but he thought he’d gone on 95 when Sturgess bent one past his inside edge – a no-ball call came to the rescue and allowed him to reach his century moments later with a clip for four off Wadlan.
Two overs later, the Penzance skipper and slow left-armer got his revenge when he beat Turner’s attempted reverse sweep.
Ian Robinson followed next ball and Sam Marsh, Harvey Rankin, Bulcock and Nicky Caunce fell in a heap towards the end.
Penzance had the momentum, and carried it on into their batting innings – but they let it slip, and Ormskirk took advantage to seal their place in local cricket folklore.
