Lavelle shines as Cheshire pipped by Lancs

Lavelle shines as Cheshire pipped by Lancs

3 Aug 2025

ECB Showcase Match, Sedburgh School, 3 August 2025

Lancashire 198 (34 overs), Cheshire 168 (31.4 overs). Lancashire won by 30 runs

Scorecard & Lancashire TV full stream

Cheshire slipped to a 30 run defeat in an enjoyble ECB Showcase game at Sedburgh School.

The stunning venue, close to Kendal was the perfect backdrop to a game Cheshire had their chances in and had they grabbed the initiative in mid innings of their run chase, could have won.

George Lavelle, playing against his old county side, captained Cheshire and top scored in the run chase with 57.

Other Lancastrians on show included Alderley Edge's Gennaro Reddy in the Cheshire side, while Lancashire included Hyde and ex-Cheshire man, Charlie Barnard, Bowdon's Keshana Fonseka and Alderley's Arav Shetty.

Misty conditions turned into sunshine and once overnight rain was cleared, the match was reduced to 34 overs a side.

Winning the toss and batting first, Lancashire were reduced to 26-2, Sam Grant dismissing George Bell and Mike Jones, the latter courtesy of an outstanding flying catch from Lavelle behind the stumps.

Cheshire impressed in the field but the middle order fought back well with Fonseka (42), Harry Singh (30), Shetty (36) and Joe Moores (18) all in the runs. Ollie Sutton hit a late 26 as Cheshire let their hosts off the hook and move on to 198 - more than had looked at 110-5.

Seamers Grant (3-31) and Dan Newton (2-26) were pick of the bowlers while Andy Dufty led the spin charge with 3-34.

Cheshire's reply started confidently, quickly moving to 55-1 after losing Newton early. Reddy (34) was dominating but when he went , Lavelle took over and anchored the innings.

Although behind the run rate, Cheshire were still very much in the game but a late flurry of wickets piled on the pressure as they sought the boundaries rather than pushing runs into the wide open Sedbergh spaces.

When Lavelle fell to another top drawer catch - from Moores at long on - the reply petered out, Cheshire finishing 30 runs short. Sutton took 3-26 and there were two wickets apiece for Bailey and Singh.

Despite the result, it was a valiant effort from Cheshire against a young Lancashire side, played out infront of a good sized crowd.

An enjoyable day's cricket with many thanks to Lancashire and Sedbergh School for hosting.

Cheshire: Dan Newton, Gennaro Reddy, Alex Money, George Lavelle (captain/wk), Luke McCoy, Henry Murray, Kevin Carroll, Ryan O'Brien, Sam Grant, Xander Selby, Dan Wilson, Andy Dufty