Kiwi professional leaves Lytham CC

Danny Edwards Lytham side has a massive task ahead this weekend

He is returning home earlier than expected to his native New Zealand.

Under the rules of the Liverpool and District Competition, the Church Road club will not be permitted to bring in a substitute professional.

Lytham skipper Danny Edwards said: “Michael had some news from Auckland and it means that he is travelling home early, though we can’t go into the full reasons behind it at this stage.”

Lytham have a difficult assignment tomorrow when they entertain league leaders Ormskirk, who look well on their way to winning the title - they are 74 points clear of their nearest pursuer and have only lost once in 2017.

But Lytham, who go into the match in eighth place, will draw reasonable grounds for optimism given the fact that they ran Ormskirk close in the corresponding fixture in May when they just fell eight runs short of their victory target.

At the same time Lytham will have to up their game considerably from last Saturday when they were hammered by Rainhill and bowled out for a paltry 88 after their opponents had declared on 206-8.

Edwards said: “We were without seven players last week, but we will be stronger against Ormskirk.

“Taylor Cornall will come back into the team and that will be a massive boost to us.

“Every game is massive for us at the moment; we have an important cup match coming up against Burnley and we also need to show our form in the league.

“We showed what we were capable of doing when we ran Ormskirk as close as we did – we have a young squad that can only improve for next season.”

Northern League: Barrow v Kendal, Blackpool v Penrith, Lancaster v Fleetwood, Morecambe v Chorley, Netherfield v Preston, St Annes v Leyland.

Liverpool and District Competition: Ainsdale v New Brighton; Formby v Bootle; Lytham v Ormskirk; Northern v Colwyn Bay; Southport and Birkdale v Leigh; Wallasey v Rainhill.

Palace Shield Premier Division: Eccleston v Garstang, Fulwood and Broughton v Longridge, Great Eccleston v Rufford, Penwortham v Vernon Carus, Thornton Cleveleys v Croston, Torrisholme v Freckleton.