Victoria rule as Cheshire Lines suffer heavy defeat
THE wet weather of last week held off on Saturday, and there were no cancellations in the Southport & District Amateur Cricket League – but an average first innings score of 122 showed it was no picnic out there for batsmen.
The top three in the Premier Division all won, but the performance of the day came from bottom club Aigburth, who gained ground on Goose Green with a 63-run win – only their second victory of the season. Chris Anderson’s 70 underpinned a total of 185/4, before Philip Jennions took 4/9 and Philip Backstrom 4/34 as the hosts collapsed from 71/0 – Andrew Bispham’s 53 in vain.
At the other end of the table, Jamie Greener took 3/8 as leaders Sutton dismissed Hesketh Bank for 64, before James York’s unbeaten 39 saw them home by six wickets.
Norley Hall, in second, overhauled Newburgh’s 84 all out – Chris McLoughlin took 3/7 to wrap things up – with four wickets to spare.
Halsall West End posted 149/6 against Mossley Hill, with Colin Parrot’s 37 the top score, before Ben Davis took 3/13 and Mike Finch 3/33 to seal a 50-run win.
David Kelly’s unbeaten 45 was a lone hand for Mossley Hill.
New Victoria scored a comprehensive nine-wicket win at Cheshire Lines. Barry Mills with 3/14 and Curtis Rigby with 3/15 were the pick of the bowlers as Lines crumbled for 56.
Birkenhead St Mary’s pulled away from the bottom two with a 70-run win over Haydock, rounded off by Mike Bowe’s 3/4 after the hosts finished on 127/9.
Second Division leaders Merseyside Commonwealth Conference were pushed to the wire by Whitefield, but prevailed by two wickets. Steven Price hit 47 and Asiri Gamage took 4/26 in the visitors’ 127/9, before Ghulam Rasool’s 46 anchored a successful chase, despite Thomas Rigby’s 3/35.
Waqar Iltaf took 4/13 for secondplaced Birkenhead St Mary’s 2nds as they dismissed Aughton for just 90; they made a meal of the chase, but won by four wickets.
Dalton’s Matthew Charman hit 52 and Mohammed Akmal 45 in their total of 154/7 against Churchtown’s nine men, with Peter Barton’s 3/10 and Connor Burton’s 3/17 wrapping up a 105-run win.
Cheshire Lines 2nds scored an impressive six-wicket win over New Victoria 2nds. The home side posted 158/5 thanks to Andy Schofield’s 68 – Lines’ Ian Martin took 4/35 – but Peter Strange hit 61 to lead the chase, completed with 16 balls to spare.
Sutton 2nds are just clear of New Vics in the relegation zone, after they lost by three wickets to the 10 men of Bretherton.
Andrew Turner’s 3/12 helped restrict the visitors to 114/8, before Dave Bertram’s 48 led the charge to victory.
Moss Side Maghull are anchored to the bottom after they conceded their tie against Winstanley Park.
The league’s highest scorer on Saturday was Ryan Molyneux of Norley Hall 2nds, as he scored 88 alongside Gaz Cottom (67) and Ben Duell (61*) to set a formidable total of 248/4 in their Third Division clash with Newburgh 2nds, who only had eight men and succumbed by 122 runs.
Earlestown maintained their 100% record at the expense of Whitefield 2nds.
Lahiru Rajamanthru took 3/25 as the leaders chased down 77 with four wickets to spare – Adam Kerslake top scored with 43.
Goose Green 2nds’ seven men were rolled over for just 34 by secondplaced Aigburth, who won by eight wickets.
Third-placed Bedford Park managed to defend 112 against Dalton 2nds, Jordan Hall’s four wickets securing a 21-run win.
Hasall West End 2nds’ 174 proved to be 27 too many for Mossley Hill 2nds; West End’s Tom Rothwell starred with 4/23.
And bottom side Hesketh Bank 2nds couldn’t field a side against Winstanley Park 2nds.