Lancaster CC lose in league and cup
Lancaster CC remain 20 points from safety in the Northern Premier Cricket League following a six-wicket defeat to Penrith on Saturday.
The visitors to Lune Road left with 15 points after claiming the spoils in a rain-affected match.
Having been asked to bat first, Lancaster concluded their reduced 36-over allocation on 149-9.
Ben Simm (8) fell to James Ellis early on but it was Greg Cameron who led the visitors’ efforts with the ball.
He removed Laurie Atkinson (26), Lancashire all-rounder Danny Lamb (49), Irfan Khan (11), skipper Jamie Heywood (3) and Kieran Moffat (25).
A sixth wicket came his way with the dismissal of Liam Moffat (0), while Mohit Kale accounted for Steven Fisher (4) and Lee Sparks (1).
It meant Cameron ended with 6-41, Kale 2-41 and James Ellis 1-19 for a Penrith team who responded with 150-4 inside 25 overs.
Liam Moffat and Simm struck early, removing Ben Ellis (0) and Ollie Greenwood (4) respectively to make the score 18-2.
Heywood then sent back Kale (20) to reduce Penrith to 54-3 but Asher Hart and James Bowman took the game away from Lancaster with a stand of 69.
Bowman (31) was out to Simm but Hart finished 83 not out in helping Penrith to their target.
Simm finished with 2-60, Liam Moffat 1-23 and Heywood 1-24 for a Lancaster team who visit defending champions Blackpool on Saturday (12.30pm).
Then, on Sunday, Lancaster exited the league’s 40 Over Cup with a quarter-final defeat to Longridge, again at Lune Road.
Lancaster batted first and had reached 163-9 at the close of their innings.
Four of the top six were dismissed for single figures but it was Heywood who led by example, top-scoring with 53 before he was out to Ollie Mullin, who finished with 5-55.
David Steinson contributed 16 and Luke Phillips an undefeated 19 in giving Lancaster a total to defend.
In reply, Longridge were set an amended target of 159 from 38 overs – and reached it with two wickets and one ball to spare.
It was an all-round effort with all of the top eight in double figures, though nobody surpassed the 22 made by both Josh Mullin and Rhys Morgan.
Liam Moffat claimed 2-24, Simm 2-25, Steinson 2-31 and Irfan Khan 1-26 for Lancaster.