LEIGH CC's Australian star Liam Zammit earned his side a semi-final place in the Premier League Knockout Trophy with an astonishing display of big hitting at Smithy Lane against Northop Hall.

The afternoon had started badly for the Beech Walk side when opening bowler Ronnie Davis was struck on the head with a cricket ball during the pre-match warm up. He was taken to hospital and took no part in the game. Luckily, former first team captain Steve Bailey had travelled to watch the game and was able to take Davis's place.

The new ball was therefore shared by Greg Jennings and Gareth Cross, probably the youngest pair of opening bowlers in the club's long history, and they did well as they claimed the first two wickets to fall for 20 runs.

Lancashire star Chris Schofield and Tariq Mushtaq then took the score to 58 before Mushtaq was brilliantly stumped by Neil Williams off Zammit for 20. Soon after, Chris Melia claimed the important wicket of Schofield when he trapped him lbw attempting to sweep after scoring an aggressive 30. Leigh felt the loss of Davis as the bowlers failed to press home their advantage and the home side's middle order gradually took contol.

Griffiths led the way with an impressive half century before he became the second of Williams's three stumping victims and he was given useful support by Arshad Khan (17).

The Welsh side were dismissed for 171 off 43.1 overs and again Greg Jennings had impressive bowling figures as he finished with 2 for 13 off 8 overs. Zammit and Vallance both worked hard to claim 2 for 33.

Apart from Tim Rees (37), who was again in fine form, and Bailey who slotted in admirably with a positive 20 off 28 balls, Leigh's early batting was again lacklustre.

Rees and Bailey saw off the threat posed by leg-spinner Schofield, whose 6 overs cost 33 runs, but when the seventh wicket fell in the 36th over with 127 scored, the target looked a difficult one.

This was when Zammit took over as he steered his side to victory almost singlehandedly. He scored a magnificent undefeated 61 off 49 balls including five fours and five sixes. Three of the sixes went a considerable distance out of the ground including the winning hit. He was particularly severe on Pakistani Test off-spinner Arshad Khan whose first three overs had typically been maidens but whose last two overs cost 29.

Leigh's win earned them a tough away tie in the semi-finals against old cup adversaries Wallasey. The in form Wallasey batting line-up was initially kept in check by a bowling attack still short of Davis's experience, Eagles (21), Pugh (38) and Luxon (35) scoring the early runs. It was only when Zak Feather came in that the home side got on top. He scored a lively unbeaten 71 and helped his side to 203 for 7 off their 45 overs (Vallance 3 for 33, Zammit 2 for 31).

Steve Mullaney (41) and Dave Dove (18) gave Leigh a good start with an opening stand of 56 but once again the rot set in against the characteristically tight home bowling with only Tim Rees (20) managing to get going.

When the seventh wicket fell at 129 in the 36th over Leigh were struggling to make a game of it but once again Zammit batted superbly, an innings of controlled aggression earning him 53 runs. He was well supported by Williams (13) but it was all in vain as the last wicket fell in the final over with 188 on the scoreboard.