Another weekend review. The penultimate weekend of the 2026 Lancashire League season, and still all to play for. Just two completed games, both on Sunday, but one of them was a rather big one.
Our Harriers game on Sunday morning was rained off in the first innings so there’s no report from Lou, and Jason is away this week so you’re stuck with me for this one. I’ll do the two Sunday games but will also cover Saturday briefly too as we had a couple of notable junior matches.
Here we go
Saturday
Hawks U13s Cup Final
No senior games today but I have to reference our Hawks Under 13s, who played in the Cup Final at Evolve Document Solutions Cliffe Park.
We took on Lowerhouse and, having restricted them to 112-3 from their 20, lost early wickets and couldn’t make it over the line, ending 86-7
Well done to Lowerhouse, but also well done to every one of our group of young lads who despite the disappointment, can reflect on a strong season.
Whilst we were ultimately well beaten on the day, there is lots to be proud of for this group. They lost two games all season, this one today and one in the league also to today’s opponents.
Silverware is not everything, but it is nice. There will undoubtedly be some in the coming years for this group.
Falcons Fledgling Flight
On the same day was another positive as far as junior cricket at Great Harwood is concerned, as our newly formed Falcons Girls section took their first competitive steps with three U12s matches in a tournament at Rishton.
Coached by Sarah McNaught and John Seedle, our Falcons won 2 of their 3 games on the day, and for the first time in our history, we have junior girls-specific cricket at Great Harwood.
Well done to all involved, particularly the girls who represented us so well throughout the morning, and thank you to Rishton CC for hosting.
There is much to be said about the method the ECB/LCF have gone about their attempts to ‘encourage’ age group junior girls cricket in the region over the past year – and I may write (rant) about this in a piece if I get bored over the winter – but this is a positive piece about the successful first steps of our newly-formed Falcons at GHCC, and I don’t want anything to bring down the tone of a hugely successful day.
With infrastructure now firmly in place to ensure girls attending feel a part of the club from day one, we look forward to kicking on with Falcons training through until the end of the season, then picking up over the winter and into 2027.
And yes ECB/LCF, if you’re reading, they are on Play Cricket. Here you go…
Scorecard 1 | Scorecard 2 | Scorecard 3
Here’s a photo of our Falcons ahead of their first ever game.
Sunday
1st XI at Crompton
Our 1st XI’s late season surge towards an unlikely promotion push is over following defeat away at title chasing Crompton.
Having chosen to bowl first, we got off to a very promising start, reducing the home side to 41-5, with wickets for Thikshila de Silva (3-20), Sheraz Ahmed (3-29) and captain Stuart Maher (2-20). But Crompton professional Mohammed Jamal dug in for 37* and was ably supported by King (31) and Hamzah (23) as our opponents posted 148-9 from their 34 overs.
In response, we struggled to get going, Caleb Greenhalgh top scoring with a cautious 24 as we were bowled out for 94.
We drop down to 5th place following this defeat, but could take 4th with a win in our final game next week at home against Church.
2nd XI vs Crompton
So something happened
It’s a difficult feeling to describe as an observer.
You know when you can see something gradually moving in from the horizon, an achievement, one you have watched friends work hard to try to make happen for a long time,
You understand there are going to be bumps in the road, and the closer they come to the finish line the more they start to question if it’s going to be their day, their turn, their title. The nerves build and threaten to derail things entirely.
But that’s what makes team sport so special. Even if those thoughts and feelings are impacting everyone involved individually, there’s a collective will, an underlying combined consciousness to get the job done that distracts form the what ifs, and replaces them with what ifs.
Our already promoted, title chasing, top of the table twos were back in action on Sunday, 16 points clear at the top of the league and knowing that, with just two games left, victory today would wrap up the league title.
It had been a wet morning with the rain only ceasing around midday. This inevitably meant we’d have a delayed start, but the ground staff had done a great job meaning we were up and running with a 41 over game.
We lost the toss and were asked to bat. Captain Miles opened with Euan, but it was immediately obvious that this would be no batters’ paradise. Conditions were damp, the bowling was tight and scoring was difficult.
Having just struck a convincing boundary to break the early scoreboard pressure, Miles was trapped LBW for 7. This brought Alex to the crease and he looked at ease with the conditions, hitting 4 fours on his way to a 28 ball 22.
He fell however with the score on 40, caught early on a drive as the ball seemed to stick in the pitch.
Euan, so often through this season the batsmen that has carried us to victory, was caught on the edge soon after. And when both Chris and Samuel followed him back after barely troubling the scorers, we found ourselves 55-5 and the team could be forgiven if some of those doubts had started to creep back into their minds.
When such setbacks arrive, you need individuals to step up. Last week it was Euan and Harry taking us from 21-4 to chase down 97. This week, it was two more young players.
Freddie Campbell batted magnificently, as did Oliver Roscoe (25). Together they added 51 for the 6th wicket, taking us past 100 and giving us a platform to seek to post a score we could look to defend.
Oliver was out LBW for 25, but Freddie continued, supported with contributions from the lower order. He reached 50 when we were 9 down, and finished 54 not out, from 67 balls, including 6 fours and a six. In the circumstances, the match situation and the conditions, it should not be understated how important an innings this was. We were all out for 157 but had something to bowl at.
Over tea, there will have been nerves, but the team knew exactly what was needed. Take 10 wickets to become champions. What an opportunity.
Crompton weren’t ever going to lie down however. They may not have had the best of seasons but they have some very capable cricketers. Their openers made clear from the start they were not messing around, Pertoldi in particular running at several deliveries trying to force the issue.
And whilst not the prettiest to watch, it was frustratingly effective. They played and missed, hit fielders, skied it into gaps, but the score was building and our opponents were off to a solid start.
Then the Breakthrough!
A change of bowling brought Joseph Cookson into the attack, and he immediately cleaned up Williams. The batsman must have had a bit to say for himself as he got a wonderful send off as the stumps wheeled away towards the cordon.
Cookson followed up with another wicket, and Paul Newton got in on the action an over later, bowling Pertoldi for 12.
Joseph’s impressive spell of 5 overs 2-11 came to an end, but he was replaced by Dominic Steele, returning to the 2s today after a couple of weeks in the 1st XI, and he immediately decimated the Crompton middle order, taking the wickets of Wright, Hayee and Whittle.
Our opponents were 50-6 and you could see the pressure lift off our players’ shoulders.
There was still a job to finish though, and following a couple more boundaries, up stepped Paul Newton. He took all of the last four wickets without a further run being scored, finishing with a magnificent 5-25.
Our 2nd XI are Champions. With a game to spare.
What a season it has been for this team. In 20 games, we’ve seen 18 wins. That just doesn’t happen. Piss the league might have been a curt, uncouth and foul-tasting choice of motivating clarion call used to drive the team forward in recent weeks, but nobody can argue that’s exactly what they’ve done.
There have been some exceptional performances throughout, and whilst I could single out individuals, this achievement belongs to the collective group; I don’t think there’s a single player that has been part of this team that hasn’t contributed a match-winning performance at some point in the season.
Well done to everyone involved. I still can’t describe the feeling accurately, other than to say there’s a collective pride running across the club in all you’ve achieved this season.
And now the job is done, if any of you want a rest next week, there’s a hefty giant available who is long overdue a double hundred.
Here’s the moment we became champions