Middle order let down sorry Stacksteads

STACKSTEADS blew the opportunity to gain ground on the Division One leaders as Clitheroe 2nds recorded a comfortable seven-wicket victory and stretched the gap between first and second to 21 points with four games remaining.

Stacksteads, missing three top order batsmen, were put into bat and despite the first four batters all making starts nobody went on to capitalise as Assad Mehmood took three early wickets. Andrew Holt (31) provided much needed backbone to the innings but failed to get assistance from Stacksteads’ middle order as they looked at one stage unlikely to pass three figures. Pete Hoskins hit a quick 21 with two fours and a six but he too fell victim of Mehmood before he struck again soon after to remove Shahid Iqbal. Tail-enders Owain Tracey and Andy Jones played out the remaining overs to deny Clitheroe the extra bowling points as Stacksteads limped to 116 for 9 with Mehmood finishing with 5 for 24.

Early wickets were the order of the day for Stacksteads and Andy Jones duly obliged, bowling out Farooq Butt and Andy Hutchins for nought and seven respectively. Cameron Holder bowled out Frankie Jackson later on for 25 but Clitheroe were now well on the way to chasing down the required runs. Tahir Amin and Bilal Ahmed helped their team romp home without any further casualties as the Stacksteads captain shuffled his bowlers in desperate need for a wicket. Ahmed hit two sixes and five boundaries in his 44 as Clitheroe celebrated victory in the 25th over, with Stacksteads failing to pick up a single bowling point.

This weekend Stacksteads are at home to Barnoldswick seconds.