Firwood Bootle’s Sagar Trivedi isn’t a man who hangs around. 

In only his second appearance for his new side, an ECB Vitality T20 clash against Old Xaverians, he smashed 137 off 63 balls, including 10 fours and 12 sixes.

It’s a new record for a Comp side in a regional T20 competition, and a statement of intent for Trivedi, signed over the winter from the North West Cricket League’s Oswaldtwistle Immanuel. 

For skipper Shaneil Patel, it made for a comfortable evening’s viewing.

“It was a really good innings,” he said.

“We’d heard what he could do but to see it in action, and for him to start so early in the season, was great. 

“He hits a very clean and long ball. He’s been a good addition so far. 

“It’s good news if big signings are getting themselves under way so early. 

“We set our batting order up to try to balance it as much as possible, and have one batter batting through and the other one having a go and using the power play, but in the end he played both roles. It made it easier for the other lads coming in.”

Highest T20 scores

In the Liverpool Competition rounds of the National T20 Knockout and the ECHO Knockout

SCORE	NAME	FOR	AGAINST	DATE
137	Sagar Trivedi	Bootle	Old Xaverians	09 May 2024
135 *	Tyler McGladdery	Rainhill	Maghull	27 May 2021
132 *	Karl Brown	Leigh	Northern	31 Jul 2022
126 *	Dan Owen	Upton	Ainsdale	27 Jun 2023
118	Tom Foster	Leigh	Highfield	10 May 2018
114	Neil Rimmer	Highfield	Fleetwood Hesketh	28 May 2009
113 *	Andrew Clarke	New Brighton	Parkfield Liscard	15 May 2014
112 *	Tyler McGladdery	Rainhill	Spring View	24 May 2018
112	Mark Waddington	Orrell Red Triangle	Southport & Birkdale	18 May 2023
111	Matthew Hurst	Leigh	Liverpool	24 Jul 2022

Because of the weather, Bootle played two cup games before they got out on the grass in Division One.

But on Saturday, they started as they mean to go on with a seven-wicket win over Fleetwood Hesketh.

And with Trivedi settling in well alongside fellow new signings Steve Rimmer and Ali Andrady, along with returning South African Hermann Rolfes, Patel likes what he’s seen from his side so far.

He said: “We’re getting our team together and we’ve got a good balance this year. 

“It was another good performance at home, to bowl a side out on a good wicket for 140 then knock it off three down in 30 overs. 

“We’ve got to use the conditions at home to our advantage, with us knowing the wicket quite well. 

“We started pre-season really early and were itching to go, we’ve got a group of lads who are really keen this year. 

“The dressing room is brilliant, we’re all really together and focused and know what we need to do this year. 

“Obviously, the delays were frustrating but we have to take it game by game and not get too far ahead of ourselves.

“All the new lads have been brilliant, Steve and Ali have done well too. 

“They’re enjoying batting at Bootle. Hopefully, with a solid top three to see off the new ball, we’ve got Sagar and Herman coming in later on, so it’s looking like a decent balance to our side.”

Next up is St Helens Town, again at Wadham Road. It’s been a tough start so far for Town, with three defeats from three, but Patel is taking each game as it comes.

He said: “You don’t really know how teams will turn up week on week but I’m pretty confident in our skills.”