Torrisholme keep up chase at top of Championship

Morecambe CC returned to Northern Premier Cricket League action with a disappointing nine-wicket defeat at Penwortham in division two.

After a three-week break for cup games, which saw Morecambe qualify for next month's 40-Over Cup quarter-finals, they were dismissed for just 83.

Morecambe had no answer to Kieren Grimshaw, who claimed 8-36 from 10 overs, and were all out in 21.1.

There was no way back from 17-4 and only Alex Briggs (23) managed more than 12.

Home wicketkeeper Robbie Sumner then carried his bat for 46 and shared an unbroken stand of 66 with Jonathon Hothersall (29 not out) as Penwortham sealed victory in 18 overs at 86-1.

It lifted them to within five points of Morecambe, who drop two places to seventh before hosting bottom club Great Eccleston on Saturday.

Torrisholme consolidated second place in the Palace Shield Championship with a thumping 170-run home win over Garstang 2.

James Eccles took a career-best 8-36 to dismiss the bottom club for 82 in response to Torrisholme's 252-6.

Some 157 of those runs came from a second-wicket stand between opener Sam Brown (85 with 13 boundaries) and captain Joel Stewart (66).

Torrisholme remain 21 points behind leaders Heysham but are now five points clear of Fylde in third.

Fourth-placed Mawdesley lost ground after an 84-run home defeat by Lancaster.

The visitors posted 235-8 following stands of 60 between opener Suprith Yadav (58) and Jack Lord (30), and 76 between captain Ben Simm (50) and Rishit Patwal (48).

Patwal then completed an excellent day with 5-31 as Mawdesley were dismissed for 152. No-one could stick around with Chris Pretorious (42 not out) as the hosts succumbed with eight overs remaining.

For seventh-placed Lancaster, whose four-match winning run had been halted by Netherfield 2 a week earlier, it was a welcome return to form ahead of Saturday's home derby with Torrisholme.

Westgate fared better against Netherfield 2, a 114-run home win ending their three-game losing streak and leaving them three points behind Lancaster.

An opening stand of 72 between Sam Frith (37) and Garry Tattersall (25) was followed by one of 83 between captain Craig Buchanan (53) and Andrew Hill (33) as Westgate reached 217-6.

After a combined score of 10 by the Netherfield top four, Harry Lee held their reply together with an unbeaten 48. But he couldn't prevent Rangika Pinnala Don taking 4-18 from 15 overs and Sam Conroy 4-51 as the Cumbrians were all out for 103 with 10.3 overs left.

Victory lifted Westgate out of the bottom two as they climbed above the visitors and Vernon Carus, who host them on Saturday.