Rainhill Academy XI 177 dec (Lawler 103, Foulkes 30; Saeed 2-29)
Bootle CC 4th XI 180-7 (McBeth 54; Millar 3-15, Venables 2-21)
Rainhill CC’s 4th XI faced a challenging encounter against Bootle CC’s 4th XI in their recent league match, ultimately falling short in a closely contested game. Rainhill elected to bat first after winning the toss, posting a competitive total of 177 for 5 declared in their allotted 45 overs.
Nathan Lawler was the standout performer for Rainhill, scoring his second senior century of the season. His impressive innings of 103 from 117 balls, featuring 11 boundaries, provided the backbone of Rainhill’s total. Lawler’s resilience at the crease was crucial as wickets fell around him, with Sid Ram contributing a very cautious 15 off 78 deliveries, and Freddie Foulkes added a valuable 30 from 68 balls.
Rainhill’s innings concluded at 177 for 5, setting Bootle a target of 178 to win. Bootle’s response was steady, with their opening partnership proving difficult to break. Rainhill’s bowlers struggled to make early inroads, and a couple of dropped catches off the opening pair compounded their difficulties. Despite this, debutant Finlay Venables made an immediate impact, taking 2 for 21 in his 9 overs, including two maidens. His performance was a bright spot for Rainhill in his first senior match.
Owen Morrissey also bowled exceptionally well, maintaining tight lines and conceding just 21 runs in his 9 overs, including two maidens. Despite Rainhill’s economical bowling, they found it challenging to dismantle Bootle’s batting line-up. Finnlee Millar also delivered a noteworthy performance, claiming 3 for 15 in 8.5 overs. His two late wickets came when Bootle needed only 7 runs off 10 balls, during a maiden over, but it was too late to alter the course of the match.
Bootle’s batsmen held firm, with Adam McBeth top-scoring with 54 and Edward Stevens adding 28. Despite Rainhill’s best efforts, including sharp fielding attempts, Bootle reached the target in 45.5 overs, finishing on 180 for 7.
While Rainhill fell short, the individual performances of Nathan Lawler, debutant Finlay Venables, and the bowling of Finnlee Millar provided positives to build on for future matches.
