Finders KEEPERS

COMP STARS HOPING TO BE DISCOVERED ONCE AGAIN

- By TOM EVANS Cricket Writer

WHEN the sun's out, and you're going well, you could just about kid yourself it sounds like fun.

But life on the trial circuit can be a tough one for players on the fringes of the professional game.

Take the case of two of the Love Lane Liverpool Competition's star players - George Lavelle and Jack Carney.

Both are top-order strokemakers and talented wicketkeepers. Both have had strong starts to their 2025 seasons.

Both have had one bite at the top level - Lavelle with Lancashire, in particular on the run to the 2022 One Day Cup final, Carney with England U19s, for whom he played four Tests and 13 ODIs - and both are hungry for more.

Both are still young. Lavelle is 24, still a nipper in cricket terms, while Carney is four years younger. But both are slightly in limbo, without a county contract.

Lavelle was released by Lancashire at the end of last season after the rise of Leigh's Matty Hurst; Carney has not yet made it past 2nd XI level, despite his successful progress through the age groups.

So all they can do is wait for the phone to ring - and score as many runs as they can in the Comp.

"It's a super competitive environment," says Lavelle. "There's loads of us, all vying for a couple of contracts."

Carney adds: "It's such a specialised position, and everyone's come back from pre-season fit there are only a few spaces for triallists. It's really competitive at the minute, which is difficult but you've just got to keep on going and doing what you can."