Wood Lane finally register their first league victory of the season

WOOD Lane registered their first NSSCL Division One victory of the season - and in the process jumped out of the relegation zone.

The Megacre side had lost all eight of their matches heading into Saturday’s encounter with Leycett, but handy bonus points had kept them in touch with the teams above them.

And they finally broke their duck on home turf after executing a fine run chase to bank that longawaited first success.

Leycett had posted 218 all out on the back of Matt Johnson’s 50, 40 from Rajpal Beniwal and Chris

Sheperd’s 30. Robert Price claimed 5-31 for Wood Lane, with Ashley Guest and Omar Ali chipping in with a couple of wickets apiece.

It still required a sterling batting performance from Wood Lane, but they finally delivered at the ninth time of asking.

Captain Danny Brierley top-scored with an unbeaten 64, while Jamie Loska (53), Ali (46) and

Jake Thompson (32) all impressed to see the home side to the spoils.

Dan Redfern picked up a couple of wickets for Leycett, but it was not enough as Wood Lane knocked off the runs in the 42nd over.

Little Stoke are propping up the rest after a ninth successive defeat - the latest being on their trip to Audley.

The division’s back markers did put up a challenge, though, as they managed to reach 193-6.

Eranga Rathnayake struck 81, off just 73 balls, hitting nine fours and three sixes in the process.

Rhys Owens (23) and skipper James Ecclestone (21) also made useful contributions to the Little Stoke tally.

Rob Hemmings claimed two wickets for Audley - and then played a starring role in the run chase. After Audley found themselves 22-2, Jamie Jervis restored order with 41.

However, it was Staffordshire team-mates Hemmings and Jack Redman who put paid to Little Stoke’s chance of securing some relief from their early-season woes.

Hemmings blazed five fours and six sixes in his 46-ball 67 not out, with Redman offering a more sedate unbeaten 54 as Audley won by seven wickets.

Eccleshall won by three wickets at home against Endon.

George Sellers’ 55 was the cornerstone of Endon’s 156-9, with Ross Dearden adding 23.

Uzzair Shah weighed in with 5-28 to scupper Endon’s hopes of a more sizeable total.

Endon, who have dropped to eighth after the defeat, had Eccleshall in trouble on 106-7 in the post-tea action.

Marlon Martin claimed 3-29 and there were a couple of victims for Josh Reynolds.

However, Scott Winnington made 59 not out and David Freeman compiled an unbeaten 29 to seal victory for Eccleshall.