Weather-beaters

The game eventually got under way at 3.50 after both umpires had declared the ground unfit but had been overruled by the captains.

Dave Dove won the toss and inserted the home side whose all-star batting line-up had been in tremendous form in the previous weeks' cup matches.

Paddy McKeown was first to go, clean bowled by Greg Jennings, having scored 23 out of 27 as Bootle struggled to find any fluency against the competitive Leigh bowling.

A subdued Graham Lloyd laboured for 30 balls and had scored only nine when he was caught behind off Paul Vallance's first ball. With Chris Sainsbury soon following, brilliantly caught by Dove off Chris Melia, it was left to opener David Snellgrove to take charge as he began to score freely and he scored 39 before becoming Neil Williams's second victim off the bowling of Liam Zammit.

With Vallance and Zammit picking up further wickets, the Bootle innings went into decline and at 103 for 7 after 28 overs they were not giving their supporters much to applaud.

It was left to skipper Ian Cockbain, coming in at the unusually low position of number eight in the batting order, to pull things round as he scored an undefeated 31 supported by 14 from Aussie, Ashley Warren. Cockbain elected to bat on for a second batting bonus point and finally declared at 150 for 8 at 6.15 after 37.3 overs. For Leigh, Vallance took 3 for 46, Jennings 2 for 18 and Zammit 2 fo 63.

This left Leigh with 29 overs to bat but, facing a highly experienced bowling attack in poor light with a slow outfield and long boundaries, a win was always likely to be a tall order.

Mullaney (14), Dove (18) and Cross (15) all valiantly tried to keep things moving but the game gradually petered out into the inevitable draw.

Zammit (30 not out) showed once again what a competent player he is as quick bowler Warren returned for a second spell in very poor light. He finally had to be taken off and Cockbain came on to bowl himself and claimed a highly dubious lbw decision against the luckless Andy Batterley before Leigh closed at 95 for 5.

Leigh are at home to Lytham on Saturday and this is certain to be a difficult test against last year's most improved side.

Last pair hold out to give Thirds an undeserved draw

THE unpredictable outcome of any team game is perhaps the main factor to motivate so many individuals to participate in their chosen sport on a regular basis.

Who after all would want to know that by simply turning up to take part in the event they would totally dominate proceedings from start to end, what would be the point in that?

The opportunity to stand up against an opponent of equal ability and to prove oneself to be the best on the day is far more satisfying than simply going through the motions of dictating terms to an inferior foe. The challenge needs to be there to make the game at least interesting for the participants and spectators alike.

"To take each game as it comes", is perhaps an overused phrase but knowing that each game can throw up something different from the last one makes life a little bit more eventful than what it would be if the same old predictable outcome arose from week to week.

LEIGH Thirds are on something of a roller-coaster ride this season, one week up on, one week down and last Sunday at Highfield the team where definitely on the downward leg of the ride.

Electing to bowl on a damp track the Leigh players did themselves no favours by dropping a number of catches to enable the Highfield batsmen to post a score of 200 in 45 overs.

Tony Clarke, the Highfield number four, was gifted the opportunity to help himself to 117 runs in the four lives he was granted making him feel that he had used up all his luck for the season on this one occasion. The bowling figures could, and would have looked much better if those crucial catches had been held, but it wasn't to be.

Leigh's response with the bat was woeful and never looked like getting to grips with the Highfield attack. The game was almost considered lost at 79 for 9 until the last wicket partnership between Michael Waywell and Ross Shepherd stood firm to deny Highfield a deserved victory. Waywell and Shepherd put on 27 in 11 overs in their unbroken partnership saving the game for Leigh and saving face for many of the more experienced players

Dogged

Fourths

hang on

for draw

THE youngsters of Leigh Fourths earned themselves a battling draw at Oxton, in a game which had started to look very one-sided from the first ball.

Having won the toss, Leigh invited the home side to bat on a wet wicket and were immediately subjected to a batting onslaught by the Oxton openers, who raced to 143 in 20 overs.

Leigh's cause was not helped by a very wet outfield, a slippery ball, and an injury in the field to Stuart McLean who was to take no further part in the game, but they did make brave attempts to stem the flow of runs.

After some fine fielding by Graham Duddle to run out Oxton's Butcher, the bowlers started to take some control as Oxton batted on for 45 overs, despite reaching 200 in the 34th. The declaration eventually came at 250 for 8, with the pick of Leigh's bowlers being Will Banner, who conceded just nine runs from six overs, on a day when a number of others took a hammering. Nine year old Mattie McKiernan also took his first senior wicket, which he celebrated with considerable delight.

In reply, Leigh slumped to 14 for 4 in the tenth over and, with the injured McLean not able to bat, were staring at a comprehensive defeat.

Phil Edwards then joined Pete Dugdale, with resistance being the order of the day, and though there were few runs scored, this was the start of some useful partnerships, in terms of crease occupation. These two stayed together for another eight overs until Dugdale edged to the keeper, bringing the younger Edwards to join the fray. He was able to hang around for a further 40 minutes during 12 overs of determined batting, before falling to a sharp catch at close quarters.

Matthew Hibbert took over the role of supporting his skipper and the pair survived the final half hour, with Hibbert 4 not out, and Phil Edwards unbeaten for a dogged 14. A final score of 45 for 6 showed this had not been pretty, but very effective, and though outplayed for large parts of the game, Leigh took some credit for their determination not to be beaten.

Captain's Log

SATURDAY was a miserable day weather wise, but a 3.45 start gave us, in my opinion, an opportunity to gain an early season advantage over a Bootle side who, I would suggest, will be there or thereabouts at the end of the season.

Having won the toss and put Bootle in, I was hoping that they would look to split the overs equally. Arguably, through our excellent bowling and the pressure we exerted, meant that Bootle batted on somewhat, taking 38 of the 66 overs available to reach 150.

Greg Jennings bowled superbly in his opening spell and is maturing as a bowler at this level. Liam Zammit showed just how far he can turn the bowl and did well for us with a wet ball, and Paul Vallance showed us just what a consistent performer he is becoming with a long spell and deservedly picked up three wickets.

Over 5 an over was always going to be a big ask and so it proved as we settled for just three bonus points with our score on 95 for 5, Liam Zammit showing his determination with an unbeaten knock.

There were a lot of postive's came out of this rain affected day, particularly on the bowling front where we were without Ronnie Davis, whom any side would miss, and I would hope that we can look forward to the visit of Lytham on Saturday with real confidence.

Dave Dove