Lancaster back to winning ways

At 17 for 3 it looked like the Lune Road men could be embarrassed by the league strugglers but a lower order rally and a Ben Simm six-for secured a maximum 15 point win.

Lancaster’s shaky start began when Alex Metcalfe was trapped leg before for a duck before Rameez Raja chipped back to Navaz Patel and Charlie Swarbrick was caught at slip.

Jamie Heywood and Sam Moorby set about the recovery with a 56 partnership but Heywood was sent on his way leg before for 29. Kieran Moffat then mistimed a pull to mid-on off Shabnan Ali before Moorby departed for 25 at 80 for 6.

Enter Phillips who found support from youngster Laurie Atkinson (12) and Ben Simm (19) as Lancaster passed 100 and rebuilt.

The number seven’s 50 came up in the 47th over and despite a late clatter of wickets, including Phillips himself leg before for a run-a-ball 61, Lancaster amassed an above par 192 all out.

Simm got the first of his six scalps when Graham Dobson chipped to Atkinson at mid-on and Ali (22) then fell thanks to a Callum East smart catch at deep mid-wicket. Simm kept taking regular wickets from the River End with Mushtaq Tailor top edging to Swarbrick and Preston skipper Sajid Patel finding Metcalfe at silly point.

Liam Moffat then managed to pick up Gurmandeep Bains leg before for two as Preston fell away.

Simm took his fifth when Saif Ullah top-edged round the corner to Moffat.

East then removed Rehman Shah (63) leg before before Simm got his sixth when Patel picked out Atkinson at mid-on and East wrapped up the game with Preston 117 runs 
short.