Southport - An Extract from the 2024 Annual

 

NOTTS HEAD TO SOUTHPORT IN 2024

By Michael Goulder

Trafalgar Road, home of Southport and Birkdale CC (Photo: Michael Goulder)

Notts will make their seventh visit to Trafalgar Road in Southport this summer chasing their fourth first-class victory on the ground. Notts having lost twice and drawn once on a ground bordered by the Liverpool and Southport Merseyrail line.

Cricket was first played at the venue, which is situated near the Royal Birkdale Golf course, in 1874. Lancashire’s first championship game on the ground was in 1959 against Worcestershire. Notts were the second and third visitors respectively in 1960 and 1961. The form book was turned on his head in August 1960 when Notts won by three wickets. Lancashire were championship runners-up that summer whereas only Leicestershire finished below Notts in the final table. Notts won the toss and elected to bat on an easy paced pitch and were bowled out for 264 with skipper Reg Simpson top scoring with 77, adding 73 for the fourth wicket with John Springall who made 64. Lancashire, missing Geoff Pullar, Brian Statham and Tommy Greenhough all on Test Duty, got to the close on 25-0. Most of the morning session on Day 2 was lost to rain and helped by the sun drying the pitch, Bomber Wells 4-24 and Cumbrian-born seamer Tom Atkinson 4-37 caused havoc. Lancashire 83 all out. A rare successful day for Atkinson (116 wickets @44.45 in 64 first-class appearances for Notts) who decided to leave Trent Bridge at the end of that season. Following-on, Lancashire fared much better scoring 300. Rain interfered with the last day which meant Notts needed 120 in two hours. They were indebted to Simpson (37) and an unbroken eighth wicket partnership of 16 between Geoff Millman and Mick Morgan with Notts winning in a breathless and tense finish with three minutes to spare.

Lancashire gained their revenge the following season beating Notts by five wickets at the same venue. Notts elected to bat and scored 293 (Carlton Forbes 86). Lancashire replied with 303-6d with opener Geoff Pullar scoring 115. Notts declared on 215-7 having recovered from 77-5, Forbes starring once more with 64 not out and Norman Hill contributing 65. Lancashire required 206 in 135 minutes to win. They reached their target in 43.3 overs half-way through the last 30 minutes with Brian Booth leading the way with 74 with Morgan, who died earlier last year, with figures of 4.3-0-32-3 in his final first-class appearance. Malcolm Hilton finished off the match with a six and two fours off the unfortunate off-spinner. The Notts annual stated that “(John) Clay’s sporting declaration keeping the game alive was much appreciated.”

Notts returned to Southport seven years later and after electing to bat were shot out for 93 on a rain-affected pitch. Mike Taylor with figures of 6-36 ensured that the Lancashire lead was restricted to 48 although the Notts annual bemoaned “another spate of dropped catches”. Notts were 115-4 in their second innings but Garry Sobers (77*), in his first year with Notts, shared an unbroken fifth wicket partnership of 145 with Mike Smedley (58*). Sobers declared with Notts 260-4. Lancashire needed 213 to win in 190 minutes, but Dave Halfyard (5-39), bowling fast leg breaks, and off-spinner Bob White (3-47) bowled Notts to a 56-run victory in the TWENTY-FIFTH over of the last hour. Those were the days!

Notts did not return to Trafalgar Road until 1986 when the game was drawn. Notts won the toss once more and scored 350-8d - Tim Robinson 97 and Chris Broad 51. Eddie Hemmings (5-70) ensured Lancashire would follow-on 168 behind. Hemmings (5-105) was at it again in the second innings but received little support from his bowling colleagues (Andy Pick, Kevin Cooper, Peter Such and Clive Rice) as Lancashire batted out 102 overs to finish on 301-7 - Clive Lloyd (75) the top-scorer. Four years later, Notts returned in heatwave conditions and lost by seven wickets. Gehan Mendis lost his middle stump early on but unfortunately Cooper had over-stepped and Mendis made Notts pay with a 330-ball 180 adding 163 for the third wicket with Neil Fairbrother (93). Lancashire lost their final wicket to the last delivery of the opening day but had piled up 452 (Kevin Evans 4-57, Andy Afford 4-137) having won the toss. Notts struggled against new ball pair Paul Allott (4-37) and Peter Martin (3-57) and tumbled to 112-7. Chris Broad stood firm and was eighth man out for 122, but Notts still followed-on 247 behind. Paul Johnson, batting at four, scored an entertaining 102-ball 82 with Notts scoring 373 in their second innings. Lancashire knocked off their 127 target in 26.4 overs.

Lancashire were outright champions, for the first time in 77 years, in 2011 but Notts proved too good for them at Trafalgar Road that season. Notts won the toss but slipped to 69-7, stiff lower-order resistance followed as Andre Adams (33), Graeme White (32), Darren Pattinson (35*) and Luke Fletcher (25) saw Notts to a competitive 203 on a sporting wicket. Pattinson and Fletcher added an invaluable 58 for the last wicket. Adams (6-71) and Pattinson (3-46) tore into the Red Rose and Notts led by 24 after the first innings. Alex Hales (50) and an unbeaten 54 from number nine Graeme White saw Notts to 233 all out (Glen Chapple 6-70). Lancashire needed an unlikely 258 to win and Pattinson (5-44) and Adams (4-51) proved too hot to handle as they were dismissed for 128. Notts winning with four sessions to spare by 129 runs. Notts finished that season sixth in the Division 1 standings.

The game on 30th June 2024 will be Lancashire’s 48th first-class game on the ground. Southport and Birkdale CC have also hosted five List A games but none have involved Notts.