LEIGH CC are celebrating their first ECB Liverpool Competition trophy success as they won the Chelmere Homes Premiership Trophy with a 53-run victory over Ormskirk.

Genlec-sponsored Leigh batted first as rain threatened but despite finding boundaries hard to come by, Andy Batterley and Chris Hall got the innings off to a steady start with an opening partnership of 30 before Batterley was lbw to left-arm seamer Phil Unsworth in the ninth over.

Dave Dove joined Hall and continued to maintain a steady rate until Leigh lost both men in the space of just three balls with the score of 88. Hall had patiently constructed 44 in 71 balls to form a solid base for the innings and the partnership had blunted the main bowling threat of Cheshire's Phil Armstrong and Unsworth. Dove's 21 was also a model of sensible batting.

The innings was soon put back on track by Andy Mullaney, promoted to number four, and Steve Bailey. Initially they steadied the ship and then took the attack to the Ormskirk bowlers. As the home side turned to their change bowlers so the Leigh innings picked up in momentum and when Mullaney was harshly adjudged run out in the 38th over, they were 138 with plenty of wickets in hand.

Michael Day came in and immediately began to throw the bat, literally on one occasion, and a mix of selective hitting and positive running took Leigh beyond the 200 mark.

Day was eventually bowled for 29 in 21 balls and Bailey top scored with 45.

Rob Clews' first-baller was only a minor setback as Dave Potter's six off the last ball of the innings served to underline Leigh's dominance as they posted 208 from their allocation of 45 overs.

Despite conceding two extras in the first two overs, Leigh struck in the third over as Mike Holden enticed Burns to sky an attempted expansive drive straight up in the air for Hall to take the catch. Potter immediately replaced Holden and he and young Ben Cottrell exerted more pressure on the visitors, putting them behind the rate. This resulted in Toole attempting a risky single to Tim McKiernan who defied the years to hit direct from mid-wicket and claim the second victim.

Holden returned at the other end and had an impact straightaway, removing the influential Ormskirk captain Snellgrove, with the score on 44. After Potter's initial burst Leigh turned to Hall's off-spin and he continued the squeeze as the home side desperately tried to get back up with the rate.

With McKiernan constantly changing his bowlers, tight bowling and excellent ground fielding, the loss of wickets was inevitable and when Hall removed the dangerous Whittaker in the 19th over, Ormskirk were 62.

A brief rally was eventually ended when Hall picked up Taylor for his second wicket with the score on 116.

With few wickets left and the rate getting steadily higher, Holden and Cottrell came back for their third spells and made further inroads. Holden finished with four wickets from nine overs for 35 runs with Cottrell chipping in with an economical spell for one run. When Hall removed Sharrock with a direct hit from the boundary, Ormskirk were all but dead and buried.

The innings was fittingly finished shortly afterwards as Hall picked up his third scalp thanks to a brilliant catch in the deep by Dove.

More of the same will be expected on Sunday when Leigh take on a star-studded Bootle team in the Chelmere Homes Grand Final at Beech Walk.

Wickets are pitched at 12.30pm and various side entertainment has been arranged as well as an all-day bar.

Match ball sponsorship comes from 1st Mortgages.