Bacup beat rivals to rise up the table
BACUP lifted themselves off the foot of Division 2 with victory against local rivals Haslingden at the weekend.
The welcome three-wicket win at Lanehead saw Hasligden win the toss and take first knock.
After recovering from the loss of Matt Griffin for 3, the visitors looked well set with Graham Knowles and pro Samit Patel taking the score up to 69 before Knowles was clean bowled by Bacup pro Sachithra Serasinghe.
That triggered a collapse with Connor Reed, Sean Hunsley and Ollie Cameron all falling cheaply, while Patel was out for 48.
Haslingden’s tail managed to frustrate the Bacup attack, garry Sudworth (31no) and Jordan Shannon (14no) sticking around for the duration as the innings closed on 166-8.
Bacup’s reply got off to a poor start as opener Simon Newbitt was bowled by Lewis McIntosh without scoring.
Matt Collinge and Serasinghe settled in and looked to have paved the way to victory by the time the former fell for 29 with the score 74-2.
Matt O’Connor (10) and Aaron Fielding (11) came and went, helping Bacup past the hundred mark – but then came a wobble in the batting order as Scott Thompson and Matt Thompson fell without scoring and Jake Sunderland was out for just 2 runs, leaving them on 115-7.
Serasinghe was still around, however, and Ben Lord managed to stay with him to put on a stand on 55 and see Bacup over the line.
Elsewhere in
Division 2, Rawtenstall were undone by Stuart Crabtree’s first Lancashire League century in Accrington’s 62 run win at the Worswick Memorial Ground.
The visitors won the toss and elected to bat, Crabtree and Matt Wilson putting on an opening stand of 63 before the former fell lbw to Imran Abib for 23.
Crabtree was in imperious form, however, with twelve fours and three sixes helping to make up his 105 from 131 balls.
Pro Lasith Lakshan (16) was content to play a supporting role and there were useful cameos from Toby Bulcock (20) and Thomas Walker (26) before Crabtree was caught behind by Jack Hallows off professional Saliya Saman with the score on 191-4.
Skipper Graeme Sneddon (22) joined Walker and took the score to 225, Keith Roscoe and Ishaq Hussain cleaning up the tail as Accrington finished on 246-8 at the end of their 50 overs.
Cameron Holder (8) and Rizwan Shafiq (0) in successive balls with Rawtenstall’s reply on 20, both falling to Walker.
Lakshan then dismissed Matt Kershaw (29) at 46 and when Jimmy Hayhurst claimed the scalp of Gareth Jones (1), caught by Bulcock, one run later the home side were 4-47.
Lakshan then trapped Abid in front without scoring to reduce Rawtenstall to 48-5.
Peter Killelea was caught by Crabtree for 24 with 83 on the board and six wickets down.
And the procession continued as Rohid Ashraf (8) followed at 94 to give Lakshan his fourth wicket.
Rawtenstall were on the ropes at 101-8 when Bulcock removed Hussain (1) with the score on 101.
However, there was late resistance from the home side as Saman and Hallows – facing 45 deliveries for his 7 runs – put on a club record stand of 82 for the ninth wicket.
Bulcock eventually claimed the prize wicket of home professional Saman for 95, his knock including ten fours and four sixes and Walker polished off the innings by taking the wicket of Roscoe without scoring, the stubborn Hallows remaining unbeaten.