Skem stay in pole position

Aug 7 2007 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

SKELMERSDALE beat Norley Hall by 66 runs in the Bromborough Paints Merseyside and Southport Alliance match of the day to stay at the top of the table.

The leaders declared on 270-6 with Hemil Watekar hitting 87, Tom Jones 46 and Mike Moss 44.

Norley Hall were all out 204 with the batsmen to do well being Peter Kay with a half-century and Faisil Butt 53.

Rainford were easy winners at home to Burscough to stay second. Mark Williams took 6-37 to help dismiss the visitors for 119. Pravin Tambe struck an unbeaten 42 in the Rainford reply.

Third-placed Alder were held to a draw by Birkenhead St Mary’s. Shakeel Nawaz reached 110 not out for the Saints. Mohammed Masroor 82 and Scott Aitchison 55 batted well for Alder.

Prescot & Odyssey eased relegation fears with a one-wicket victory at Parkfield Liscard but it would have been different if the home side had held a last over catch. Vankat Mudiliar scored a crucial 108 for the winners. Best for the Wallasey side were Phil Moore 84 and Gary Ratcliffe 55.

Rafid Afridi made 63 for bottom of the table Merseyside Commonwealth who held on for a draw at Sutton for whom Gary Greener scored 53 and Ray Foster claimed 4-42.

Lowly Charnock Richard also drew at Moorfield. Late order bat Ross Baron hit a half century and Neil Kershaw 42 for the visitors whose Mike Knight enjoyed a 5-60 haul.

The Manweb v Caldy game also ended in stalemate. Suresh Perise struck 118 for the electric men and Greg Galbraith 80. Lee Swinscoe was out on 91 for Caldy.

Results: Alder 218-9dec (M.Masroor 82, S.Aitchison 55), Birkenhead St Mary’s 194-7 (S.Nawaz 110no); Manweb 258-9dec (S.Perise 118, G.Galbraith 80), Caldy 238-7 (L.Swinscoe 91); Moorfield 145-7 (M.Knight 5-60), Charnock Richard 175-9dec (R.Baron 50, N.Kershaw 42); Norley Hall 204 (P.Kay 50, F.Butt 53, H.Watekar 4-70) Skelmersdale 270-6dec (H.Watekar 87, T.Jones 46, M.Moss 44); Parkfield Liscard 214-4dec (P.Moore 84, G.Ratcliffe 55), Prescot & Odyssey 215-9 (V.Mudiliar 108); Rainford 121-2 (P.Tambe 42no), Burscough 119 (M.Williams 6-37); Sutton 196-8dec (G.Greener 53), Merseyside Commonwealth 148-9 (R.Afridi 63, R.Foster 4-42).