Double Cream

 Listening to the commentators on TV the other day extolling the virtues of all rounders got me thinking about our own little club and who might come into contention as maybe Lostock's greatest all rounders and so I set about crunching the numbers and restricting the conversation to just 1stXI games found 12 players who have managed to score over 2000 runs and take over 100 wickets (as bowler or keeper) for the club. So here is arguably our dream team made up from these players. So apologies to some fantastic Lostock players who miss out but this team is purely based on the above criteria and in no way meant to be a greatest ever Lostock XI, although obviously many of these would come into consideration.

Opening the batting, perhaps surprisingly we have two contemporary players who have just squeezed into the side by edging over the 100 wicket mark in recent seasons. Taking strike is Conner Hicklin who amassed 3839 runs for the 1st team before moving on to Adlington at the end of the 2023 season. Added to that, his oft under utilised off spin (as he was keen to remind us) which saw him garner 108 wickets. At the non striker's end stands our current 1st team captain James Evans who last season managed to squeeze over the qualifying marks for making this team, currently sitting on 2121 runs and 103 wickets.

Coming in at number 3 we'll have our former pro Adeel Baig. Pakistan born Adeel was our professional for 3 seasons (2011-2013) during the course of which his aggressive batting brought him 2114 runs, and despite being hampered by an arm injury during his 2nd season a very respectable 136 wickets with his right arm seam bowling.

At number 4 arguably the greatest all rounder ever to play for the club, Les Barlow. Originally at Westhoughton, he signed for Lostock in 1966 as our second ever professional - a role he was to fulfil until the end of the 1975 season. He then (apart from a one season stay at Bickershaw as pro) carried on as an amateur and captain until he retired in 1982. Those 16 years saw him collect 7840 runs including 3 centuries and for good measure 728 wickets including the first ever 10 wicket haul for the club.

Next in at number 5 another ex professional who had a phenomenal impact in his 4 seasons at the club (1977-79 & 1983), and indeed had he matched Barlow's longevity may well have gone on to match or even surpass his records. Over the course of his Lostock career despite his last season being blighted by injury Roy Marland made 2572 runs including 1 ton as well as taking 330 wickets. His 32 five wicket hauls are second only to Barlow's incredible 51.

Balancing the team at number 6 is in my view a very under-rated player whose contributions often went under the radar, but a game rarely passed without a contribution of some kind from Graeme Beswick. I have put Graeme in at 6 to balance the more aggresive batters on either side of him in case of quick wickets falling. Over the course of his Lostock career Graeme amassed some 3420 runs and 386 wickets for the 1st team.

Number 7 is where we find David Flanagan who needs no introduction to current members and is perhaps another who had he played more regularly over the last few years might have gone on to challenge Les Barlow's records. As it stands though he sits on a very respectable 4003 1stxi runs in addition to his 545 wickets - a number second only to Les.

Coming next is Terry Southworth who played 176 matches for the club before moving on to be a very successful professional in Bolton cricket particularly during his years at Blackrod. During his time at Lostock Terry scored some 2453 runs and took 147 wickets for the first team. 

Our final 3 batters will probably all feel aggrieved at being so low in the batting order but needs must and I'm sure had this team ever taken the field regularly there would have been some flexibility in the order.

So, coming in at 9 (sorry mate) is Rob Holgate who since joining the club in 2014 has proved to be a very consistant performer with both bat and ball. Rob now lies 3rd on the list of 1st team bowlers with 411 wickets recorded to date and for good measure his steady left handed batting has contributed 2670 runs to the cause.

Another batter ridiculously low for the ability he possessed with the bat is going to be rather grumpy (nothing new there some might say) at being carded to come in at No10. Phil Hall would be our premier spinner in the side, his 378 wickets being the highest by any spinner for the club and seeing him 5th in the the all time lists. Added to that his more than useful batting brought him 2240 runs as well. 

The most difficult choice came down to wicketkeeper and sadly the batter would have to come in at number 11. In the end I decided to go with our record breaking 1stxi wicketkeeper Bob Leeming whose 326 victims for the 1st team are more than double the next best total, and who was a good enough batter to amass 2456 runs that we currently have records of. Both his runs and victims could well increase if we can unearth more stats/scorecards from the 1960s.

Lucky Issa is the unfortunate player to miss out on the starting eleven and I must admit it was a difficult choice between him & Bob. However 12th man it is, despite his aggregate of 4206 runs in the 1st team. Add to that 153 victims behind the stumps and his ability if needed to bowl some lethal left arm seam and you have an ideal stand in to cover so many roles in the team.