Report: Gerard Wiley, photos: Robert Shaw

For cricketers there is nothing like the first game of a new season - the slate has been wiped clean and it’s time to start afresh with Aughton Cricket Club now having a new skipper in Josh Ravenscroft to write a new chapter in the Winifred Lane club's story.

Aughton were privileged to have renowned sports photographer and famous Jaws actor namesake Robert Shaw on hand to capture some of the action in the Birkenhead St Mary’s v Aughton clash at Ashville Road; unfortunately for Aughton though there were few sharks on show as they crashed to a heavy defeat.

Ravenscroft having vowed to bring a new improved attacking brand of cricket to entertain the club's supporters lost his first toss to the Birkenhead St Mary’s skipper Dane Bryan who decided to bat on a sunny afternoon.

The new skipper had the bonus of retaining the services of Eurovision Song Contest enthusiast Gary Taylor and Vinay Shanker to resume their new ball partnership with the returning Dan Malone nursing a foot injury. Shankar was economical but openers Bryan and especially McLoughlin tucked into some uncharacteristic lose deliveries from Taylor who may wish to review his warm up routine in the coming weeks.

By the time Shanker clean bowled McLoughlin for 47 the hosts had got off to a flyer with skipper Bryan anchoring the innings superbly. Shanker finishing with a credible 2 - 22. As for a dumbfungled Taylor he finished with 0 - 44 from his 8 overs but had the consolation of a Eurovision Song Contest party to attend that evening; when Taylor was born back in 1964 Italian beauty Gigliona Cinquetti had just been crowned in Copenhagen as the Eurovision winner but it was nil point for Taylor 60 years on...

Following the fall of the first wicket with 68 on the board wickets then started to fall regularly mostly down to the shrewd introduction to the attack of Koshitha Gunarathna who in a devastating spell of fast bowling took 5 - 17 from 7 overs and showed the benefit of a proper warm up. He was supported by off spinner Kunal Mehta who chipped in with 3 - 15 from 3 overs.

St Mary’s captain Bryan anchored the innings with a well constructed 40 as the home team were dismissed for 118 from only 30 overs thanks in the main to the efforts of Gunaraghna’s magnificent spell.

A bullish Ravenscroft knew if Aughton knuckled down to the task in hand and batted the allotted 40 overs they would win this game. He assigned Dan Malone to open the innings with all rounder Shanker. Alas though Aughton got off to a terrible start with Shanker being dismissed by Mohan for a duck and Aughton were soon 1 for 2 in a disastrous start. Things were about to get a whole lot worse though as leading batsman Malone and Mehta were back in the shed and at now 17 - 4 it was looking grim for the visitors.

Aughton then rallied with Gunaraghna and ex skipper Andy Barnes but when Bryan introduced spinner Courtney he bamboozled the Aughton lower order taking 5 wickets for just 4 runs in 3.1 overs. The Winifred Lane outfit only lasted 17.1 overs as a recrudescent Aughton cricket club returned and were dismissed for 38, losing by 80 runs in a game they should have won.

As the Aughton team retired to the bar the post mortem began minus Gary Taylor who was on route to see Swiss singer Nemo win the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest.

Aughton now recharge the batteries and will be in action in next Saturday’s home fixture with Irby CC At Winifred Lane. Let’s hope there are no musical distractions next week with Aughton committee members also being at a Take That concert as well as Eurovision.

Aughton CC v Irby CC 18th May, stumps at 1pm. Spectators (and photographers) welcome!