LEIGH CC's match against Southport and Birkdale resulted in a convincing eight wicket win, plunging their opponents deep into relegation trouble.

Dave Dove must have been pleased to have won the toss enabling him to insert the visitors on a damp wicket which looked likely to help the bowlers early on.

Greg Jennings took full advantage and made the early breakthrough dismissing both openers with 29 runs scored.

Ronnie Davis came on as first change and produced a monumental spell of accurate quick bowling to which the Southport batsmen had no answer. Davis has been short of wickets in league games this season but has always produced maximum effort and been difficult to score off. He richly deserved his success as he bowled unchanged for the remainder of the innings taking 5 for 35 off 18.1 overs.

With Jennings taking 3 for 31 and Aware chipping in with 2 for 35, Southport's batsmen struggled to an all out total of 109, Ather Abid top scoring with 25.

Leigh lost Nick Jones run out for 1 but Andy Batterley was again in good form before being bowled for 24. Dove (35 not out) and Mullaney (36 not out) then skilfully resisted the wiles of the league's leading wicket taker, left arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni and saw Leigh home without further mishap after 34.2 overs.

Monday's game against bottom of the table Maghull proved to be more difficult as, after setting up a winning position, Leigh eventually had to settle for a draw.

Dove again elected to field first after winning the toss but his bowlers had early difficulties with wet footholds after the start of the game had been delayed by rain.

Openers Gillespie (27) and Barlow (59) took advantage of this and some unusually slipshod fielding to put together a partnership of 80 off 16 overs.

It was a day to remember for 15-year-old leg spinner Alex Roussak who was playing only his second game on the first XI and dismissed both openers together with overseas player Kiran Powar (20) as he took 3 for 32 off 8 overs. Gareth Cross had identical bowling figures after handing over the wicketkeeping duties to Steve Williams but Liam Crilly (44) helped to take his side to 175 for 9 declared off 38 overs.

Leigh soon lost Batterley and Rees with only 19 scored but Neil Williams, promoted to open the batting, confidently put his recent bad form behind him by scoring an elegant 43 and helped to add 112 for the third wicket with Cross. Leigh's man of all talents was again in exceptional form as he powered his way to 77 off 67 balls including 7 fours and 5 sixes. Powar had to be taken off after bowling only one over which was dispatched for 16 runs by Cross.

The dismissal of Williams and Cross started a collapse which had the home side worried at 138 for 7 with 6 overs left but Davis and Dove, who was batting at number 9 because of a leg injury, took the score to 150 without further mishap to earn their side a draw and a second batting bonus point.

This was Dove's fourth consecutive not out in league games during which he has occupied the crease for seven and a quarter hours in all while scoring a total of 109 runs playing the all important anchor role with great effectiveness.

Leigh now visit Ormskirk to take on a side that they always find difficult to beat hoping for a performance that will help to keep them in the league's top four.