Newton enjoy home comforts to head to the top

NEWTON-LE-WILLOWS hit the summit of Division One thanks to two home wins over Welsh sides – Northop Hall on Saturday and Colwyn Bay in a rearranged game on Sunday.

Ben Walkden’s 105 and Ian Lyon’s 73 fired Newton to 239/4 against Hall; Afaq Ali Sartaj took 6/78 to secure the win. The following day’s encounter saw the hosts dismissed for 141, which they defended by 23 runs.

It was a tough weekend for Bay, who racked up the best part of 300 miles and had nothing but two defeats to show for it.

Saturday saw Ainsdale’s Indian superstar Shubham Ranjane hit 74, supported by 58 from Stephen Lucas, in their 233/7; skipper George Johansen’s unbeaten 60 was in vain in the visitors’ reply. Old Xaverians and Rainford shared the spoils in a high-scoring draw that could have gone either way. Ian Carroll’s unbeaten 108 and Josh Dilworth’s 73 – they put on 124 for the third wicket – set up the hosts’ 254/4; Matthew Bailey’s 79 led Rainford’s reply, which closed agonisingly (for both sides) on 249/9.

Fleetwood Hesketh’s Lee Rimmer scored 101* to set up a 76-run win over St Helens Town, sealed by Sabbir Patel’s 5/78; and Lytham’s game against Liverpool joined Birkenhead Park’s trip to Highfield in falling foul of Covid.

ALL five games ended in away wins. Suleman Khan was the star for leaders Spring View in their five-wicket win at Wavertree – he took 4/45 (ably assisted by Jonny Broad, with 4/59 and two run-outs) then top-scored with 55 in the visitors’ pursuit of 151.

Second-placed Caldy earned a four-wicket win over Norley Hall – Daniel

Hamm’s 8/34 dismissed the hosts for 152, before Connor Windell’s 67 led the response. Maghull had a 65 from Cam Lawrenson to thank for their win at Alder – Greg Harvey’s 6/61 reduced the visitors to 125/7, before Lawrenson’s knock led them to 224/9. Greg Coogan’s 57 was in vain.