Rain Dominates Opening Day of Seconds' Season
Tue 11 Apr 2023
By Pete Johnson
Leicestershire embarked on their 2023 SEC campaign with a fixture against Lancashire at Southport & Birkdale Sports Club.
A cold, grey April morning, par for the course for the first game of the season, greeted us when we arrived for the early season encounter. Scorers domiciled in the scoreboard, in a corner of the ground within touching distance of the Liverpool to Southport railway line. My choice of match day attire more suited to a Polar expedition than of observing the proceedings of a cricket match.
Lancashire won the toss, and inserted Leicestershire. Will Davis skippered the Foxes. Trialist, Harry Sullivan, a 20-year-old, left arm spinner making his debut for Leicestershire 2nd XI.
Only 29.5 overs were possible, Leicestershire on 90-2 when play was abandoned for the day.
Sam Evans and Sam Wood opened the innings for Leicestershire, and had put on 21 when Wood (8) went caught at the wicket by George Lavelle off the bowling of Saqib Mahmood. Mahmood having made his Test debut for England in March 2022. A tough start for Wood, a member of the LCCC Academy.
Louis Kimber joined Evans, the pair having taken the total to 44-1, when umpires took the players from the field because of rain at 11.54am. It was only a brief stoppage however as play resumed at 12.05pm.
Evans (27) was a second victim for keeper Lavelle, this time off the bowling of seamer Danny Lamb. Leicestershire 66-2. Harry Swindells joined Kimber, the pair taking County into lunch on 68-2 from 25 overs.
In the second over after lunch, Kimber struck seamer Jack Blatherwick for two effortless boundaries through the covers, in the space of three deliveries. At 2.03pm rain arrived again, the players leaving the field with Leicestershire on 90-2 from 29.5 overs. Kimber 38* Swindells 6*.
With no sign of the rain abating, an early tea was taken at 3.20pm, and play was subsequently abandoned for the day at 3.45pm.
A couple of day one reflections from the bowels of the scoreboard. There are three trains an hour from Liverpool to Southport, and would you believe three trains an hour from Southport to Liverpool!
Also staring me in the face from the far side of the ground, painted in large bold letters on the side of the equipment shed, on a white background, was S&B CC. Just wondering if the renowned Stench, of Stench and Benno Stand fame, has started up a Cricket Club in the North West.........
A full scorecard can be viewed HERE.
