S&B and Orrell are running away at the top

THE Division One table is starting to look ominous for everyone except Southport & Birkdale and Orrell Red Triangle.

The Competition’s only remaining unbeaten clubs – they meet next Saturday – are leaving the rest in their wake after another fine pair of wins.

S&B put the brakes on Ainsdale in the Southport derby, with Gary Keedy tweaking out four wickets for just eight runs as the visitors, having won the toss, crumbled for 74.

Stephen Lucas made sure it was not plain sailing with 5-34, but the hosts reached their target with four wickets to spare.

ORT, for their part, found the accelerator pedal to beat Newton-leWillows.

Chasing 175 to win after Christopher Chambers hit 75 and Rameez Alam 51, the Wigan side shrugged off a rain delay to win by five wickets – they motored from 89-2 when the final hour began, to score the remaining 96 runs inside 14 overs.

Gavin Dickenson was flying high for Fleetwood Hesketh in their fourwicket win over Wigan. Bowling unchanged from one end, he took 7-37 to leave the visitors grounded on 113.

In the battle of the Parks, Birkenhead overhauled Sefton’s 180/3 – set up by skipper Richie Forsyth’s 83 not out, and Greg Harvey’s undefeated 51 – to earn a four-wicket win.

Liverpool’s Peter Kelly took 7-69 at Wavertree, but it was in vain – while the hosts took 63 overs to get there, their total of 145 was too much for the visitors, with Stewart Guy’s 5-16 wrapping up a 67-run win.

And Prestatyn’s Peter Cassidy blew Burscough away, claiming a magnificent 9-28 to dismiss the visitors for just 76, before Ryan Westwell’s 51 not out ensured a seven-wicket win.