Things were shaken up this week at Irby, from unexpected wickets to repeat batting performances. Let's take a look at what happened this week with the Vikings. The 1st XI were at home this week, hosting Southport Trinity CC at Mill Hill Road with some roster switch ups, including a Saturday captaincy debut from Rob Mallon. The team put in an incredible effort on the field, managing to limit Southport to 142 runs, with a stellar contribution from spinner Smit Mehta with 6 wickets.
Despite a valiant effort helmed by Ishan De Silva who scored 45 runs, the team fell short this week, but look ahead to next week where they will face off against Norley Hall CC There was not one, but two Saturday captaincy debuts this week. TJ took the reins of the 2nd XI, with regular captain Nathan receiving his first team call up. In spite of this shake up, the second team managed to maintain their no-loss hot streak against Prestatyn with an all-round contribution from their batsmen, with a notable performance from Steve Venables who added 52 runs to the tally. The side declared with just shy of 200 runs on the board, but despite their skilled bowling attack that contained solid performances from the likes of Sean Delaney (3 wickets), the home side held strong and managed to carve out a draw. Unfortunately the 3rd XI couldn't manage to maintain their winning ways this week whilst hosting Alder at Mill Hill Road. There were some unusual and unexpected performances on the pitch, such as captain Roy Crawford, ditching the gloves and getting a wicket whilst bowling, after also notching 49 runs at the crease, alongside Andy Leigh taking up the gloves and getting a stumping of his own during the fixture. This week the 4th XI managed to steal a win on the road, with an all round team effort contributing to a comprehensive win, with Ryan Anderson and Kyle Vernon taking 7 wickets between them, as well as Andrew Whalley and Matthew Penn managing to knock more than 30 runs each with the bat. The Valkyries this week managed to carry on their incredible run of form, leaving them sat unbeaten at the top of the soft ball league table after a commanding victory over Wallasey on Thursday. Additionally this Sunday saw the quarter finals of the Mike Leddy Cup make its way to Birkenhead park as the joint 3rd and 4th XI cup team looked to advance to the semi finals. Fortunately for the opposition, the fixture was rained off (as pictured by the light drizzle above) after only 10 overs, despite the commanding start by Irby that had their opponents 42-2. There were multiple promising performances which I'm sure will be transferred into this coming week's fixtures for more victories as the club heads into its 75th anniversary weekend. This Saturday at Mill Hill Road the 2nd and 4th XI play host to Bootle and Caldy respectively, the 3rd XI are travelling to Bootle this week, whilst the 1st XI make their way to Norley Hall after a midweek face-off with Parkfield Liscard in the next round Echo Cup. But before all of that the Valkyries have back to back fixtures at the start of the week, looking to maintain their impeccable run of form against Fleetwood Hesketh, and also Neston, who sit just below the Valkyries at the top of the table. This Friday also marks the commencing of the club's 75th anniversary celebrations, so keep your eyes peeled here and on our social media over the next few days for more information and ticket details!
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After a big win last night for the midweek 1st XI and a quarter final for the 3rd XI next week, hopes are high for this weekend's fixtures. Key Performances Lead to 1st XI Cup Win
Last night saw the Irby CC 1st XI take on Alder CC in the first round of the Liverpool Echo Knock Out Cup. The sun was out and the temperature still high as the 1st XI bravely took to the field in this t20 fixture after winning the toss and electing to field first. Despite the heat, the side bowled tremendously, managing to restrict Alder to a score of 133 before swiftly retaking to the field to chase down their opponent's total, with the opening duo having a partnership surpassing 100 runs, with Cameron Rusbridge-Burns making a stellar contribution of 71 runs, and Smit Mehta adding a further 42 runs at the other end. Whilst they gave a convincing performance, the game was not yet finished by the time their wickets fell, with Sean Delaney and Ishan De Silva coming in to seal the deal in what turned out to be a commanding victory for the side in the first round of this cup. A Look Ahead for the 3rd XI After splashing onto the scene in their new league at the beginning of this season, the 3rd XI look to continue making a name for themselves next weekend as they take on Birkenhead Park Cricket Club on Sunday 25th June in the quarter final of the Mike Leddy 40 over cup. Looking Towards this Weekend This weekend the league fixtures carry on, with the 1st XI at home to Alder CC looking to carry over their performance from Wednesday. The 2nd XI are travelling away to Hightown St Marys this week, hopeful to add another win to the column after a dominant 130 run victory over Fleetwood Hesketh last Saturday. The 3rd XI are still keen to take on the top spot in the league and go for gold as they take on Wavertree, whilst currently sitting third in the league. Finally, the 4th XI look to gain traction and carry on climbing the ranks in the same league, they're currently sat in 8th, with their fixture at home this week against Sefton Park CC, to whom the 3rd XI narrowly lost last weekend. That's it for this week's roundup of club news, with the weather looking glorious and the fixtures in full swing we're excited to see players, members, family and friends down at Mill Hill Road this weekend to enjoy the fixtures. Best of luck to all of our teams this weekend, go well Vikings! |
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