Narrow one wicket win for Lancaster

Lancaster’s impressive start to the season continued on Saturday, but they were pushed all the way at Standish, eventually winning by just one wicket.
Charlie Swarbrick. Picture: Tony North.Charlie Swarbrick. Picture: Tony North.
Charlie Swarbrick. Picture: Tony North.

Batting first, the home side lost Nick Smith (2), who was bowled by Liam Moffat (1-33) and Ali Ahmad (24), who was Charlie Swarbrick’s only victim of the day.

Swarbrick (1-36) also helped out in the field, taking a catch off the bowling of captain Ben Simm (6-37), who removed Usman Khushnood for 43.

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Zulqanain Khan managed a knock of 25 before being caught and bowled by Simm, while Mudassar Iqbal Raja (0) was caught by Jamie Heywood off Kieran Moffat (2-43).

Mike Hadfield (13) reached double figures but he fell to Simm, Liam Moffat taking the catch, while Kieran Moffat took the wicket of Paul Clucas (1).

Paul Hogarth (15), Andy Hill (1) and Sam Callow (17) all fell to Simm as Lancaster bowled the home side out for 152 in 39.5 overs.

Lancaster did reach their target, but it was a nervy ending to a very close game.

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Openers Sandy Richards (16) and Steven Fisher (15) got them off to a positive start, but Richards was then bowled by Callow (2-37) while the latter was bowled by Khan (4-32).

Swarbrick has been in fine form this season and he was excellent once again, this time recording a knock of 67 before eventually succumbing to Khan.

However, Jamie Heywood (5) and Sam Moorby (5) didn’t make the same impact, Heywood was caught by Smith off Khushnood (2-51) while Moorby was caught by the same man off Callow’s bowling.

Kieran Moffat (13) managed to reach double figures but he was caught by Hill off Darren Monckton (1-12), as the tail end started to struggle.

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Danny Welbourne and Lee Sparks both failed to trouble the scorers, Welbourne falling to Khan with the help of Khushnood in the field, while Sparks was caught by Ali Ahmad.

Simm could only manage a knock of three before falling to Khushnood LBW, but Laurie Atkinson (3no) and Liam Moffat (6no) were able to see the innings out, as Lancaster won by one wicket.