THIRD placed Rainford travelled to joint leaders Highfield and were unlucky not to come away with maximum points in a game that they dominated from start to finish.

A two-hour delay for rain was followed by the home side electing to bat and then hoping to exploit the bonus point system in the event of any further rain.

Forty overs later Highfield were dismissed for just 129 in a display of negative cricket. Rainford's star men with the ball were Calland, Schofield and Harrison who shared the wickets between them.

Left with only 12 minutes plus the final 20 overs, Rainford skipper Steve Harrison rallied his troops for the run chase ahead. Calland, Harrison and Hilton all chipped in useful runs but the only batsman to look at ease on the difficult pitch was Andrew Robinson. The young Aussie, watched by his visiting parents, played a quality innings and took Rainford to the brink of victory before holing out in the very last over for a classy 75.

Sadly for Rainford his departure put paid to their victory chances as the innings closed on 126-7.

Rainford's fine Sandhurst Shield run came to a sad end at the worst possible time on Sunday - in the final against Eccleston.

The Lancashire side amassed 203-6 from their 45 overs thanks largely to half centuries from Foster and Cummings, this after some fine bowling from Schofield, Calland and Harrison had them wobbling at 40-3. In reply Rainford never got going, Robinson's 45 being the only worthwhile score in their total of 103.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.