Our second weekend of the season delivered three more fantastic matches and this time we managed to get a “W” in the column for each of them.
After their narrow loss last week, the third team entertained a very good Middleton outfit on Saturday in front of a big crowd – partaking in hospitality as they have to – and enjoying the fantastic weather.
Batting first, the thirds were indebted to Jake Chadwick who narrowly missed out becoming the club’s first Lancashire League centurion, when he was lbw for 96. Jake was ably supported by Richard Birtwistle who made an excellent 69 in the total of 224 for 8 off their allotted 40 overs.
The Middleton innings similarly centred on two batsman, Shahid (69) and Malik (66) as they ended up 27 short of the Greenmount total. The wickets were shared across the bowlers although young Max Birtwistle, on his debut, was perhaps the pick of them with figures of 2 for 10 off 5.5 overs, rounding off a fantastic day for the Birtwistle family.
The first and second teams both played their Bacup counterparts on Sunday and both managed good wins in very tight matches. At the Log Cabin, the firsts put Bacup into bat and were very happy to restrict them to 163 all out in 47.3 overs.
The twin spin duo of professional Chesney Hughes and captain Ryan Senior, took the bowling accolades with 3 for 24 and 4 for 18 respectively after Callum Hunter had got Bacup’s professional, Serasinghe, out for a duck in a very good opening spell.
Chasing 164 to win, the firsts struggled early on, falling to 59 for 5 before Tom Heaton found an ally in Andy McGuinness and they took the total to 108 before McGuinness fell for 11 to Serasinghe.
It was an eighth wicket partnership of 47 with Lewis Dove (22 not out) that allowed man of the match Heaton (unbeaten on 84) to bring the Mount home in what has got to be one of his best ever innings for the club.
Meanwhile, the seconds had bowled their Bacup counterparts out for 117 with young Tom Nuttall continuing his fantastic start to the season with 4 for 16, ably supported by the flight and guile of Andy Bowker with 3 for 8 and all rounder, Matthew Senior with 2 for 26.
Chasing a modest total, the seconds soon found themselves in deep trouble at 34 for 6. When opener Owen Halstead was out for a spirited 43 off 52 balls things weren’t looking good at all at 61 for 7, however captain Alex Bullen (30 not out) joined Matthew Senior (24 not out) at the crease and they knocked off the runs in a 59 run partnership for the eighth wicket to complete a fantastic day and weekend for the club.