MEMOREX Leigh CC retained the Julian Birch Memorial Trophy with an impressively positive performance in their match with local rivals, Wigan, at Beech Walk.

Wigan had been in good form and were in third place in the league table due mainly to brilliant batting performances by their overseas player Nikhil Haldipur who plays first-class cricket for Bengal, but they were outclassed by the rampant Leigh side as they crashed to a 75-run defeat.

Leigh won the toss and batted first on a wicket which behaved awkwardly early on and they were soon in trouble at 39-3 of which Andy Batterley had contributed a typically aggressive 31.

A recovery was initiated by Andy Mullaney and Gareth Cross who batted very sensibly mixing watchful defence with controlled aggression. They moved the score along to 98 before Mullaney was dismissed for a fine 37 followed two overs later by Cross for 27.

This brought Jo Angel to the wicket and he looked in fine form from the first ball he received. He produced a superb innings to finish unbeaten on 62 off 50 balls. He was particularly severe on Wigan's veteran spinner Dave Cunliffe who has so often been the scourge of Leigh's batsmen in the past.

Although wicketless, Cunliffe's first 14 overs had cost only 28 runs but his last three went for a total of 40 including two magnificent sixes by Angel.

Both Steve Bailey and Steven Mullaney gave valuable assistance to Angel as Leigh reached 192-6 off 50 overs. Another positive declaration was then made, this being the cut off point for Leigh to retain batting bonus points in addition to those awarded for a win. Wigan were left with a generous 59 overs to bat.

Good progress

The strokeless Spencer (two off 33 balls) was bowled by Angel with Wigan's score at 20 but Haldipur and Taylor made good progress until spin bowler Chris Melia was introduced into the attack. With the total on 51 he claimed the prize scalp of Haldipur as he induced him into playing on for 27 and soon after he had Taylor well caught at mid-off by Dove for 20.

None of the opposing batsmen found life easy against against Melia and even the highly experienced Neil Bradshaw laboured for 64 balls for seven before he was tempted down the wicket and stumped. Melia claimed 4 for 31 in 16 overs in possibly his best ever bowling performance in a long career with Leigh.

Wigan had reached 99 when Bradshaw was fifth man out, their score having benefitted mainly from a confident but somewhat fortunate innings of 37 off 30 balls by Stock. He was finally dismissed by Angel who returned to polish off the visitors' tail by claiming five wickets all bowled for 12 runs off his last 18 deliveries.

Wigan were all out for 117 with 11.4 overs remaining and Angel finished with figures of 6 for 44 off 15.2 overs. Leigh had maintained pressure throughout with tight bowling and good fielding and both Ronnie Davis (0 for 19 off 9 overs) and Dave Potter, making a welcome return after injury, with 0 for 12 off 7 overs, had made good contributions. This win meant that Leigh's last 12 games against Wigan have produced seven victories and only one defeat and it enabled them to move above their rivals into fourth place in the league.