Morecambe CC's maximum return after two Palace Shield matches

Alex Briggs’ players are the only team to take maximum points from their opening two games following their three-wicket win at Great Eccleston on Saturday.

The hosts had opted to bat first, only to lose opener Joe Davies (0) as they reached 11-1.

They had made it to 32 without any further loss before Shane Burton and Stefan Dixon made key contributions.

They claimed the next five wickets to fall as Great Eccleston fell from 32-1 to 108-6.

Dixon accounted for Will Thistlethwaite (31) and Richard Booth (30), while Burton saw off Joe McMillan (5), Mohamed Nadeem (4) and Alex Rhodes (19).

Jake Smith then dismissed James Thistlethwaite (9) and William Turnbull (30) before Dixon sent back Daniel Simmons (21) and Jim Procter (1) was run out.

That left Great Eccleston 172 all out with Burton taking 3-41, Dixon 3-53, Jake Smith 2-31 and Lloyd Smith 1-26.

Morecambe’s reply saw Gareth Pedder (11) out early but they had rallied to 89-1 before losing Luke Pearson (20) and Burton (1).

That left them 90-3 but a 53-run stand between Briggs and Lewis Smith broke the back of the run chase.

Briggs departed for a brisk 27, followed by Dixon (5) and Ashton Ward (0), as they went from 143-3 to 156-6.

The seventh wicket fell one run later when Lewis Smith, who made a century on the first day, was out for 86.

Nevertheless, Reuben Orr (nine not out) and Lloyd Smith (five not out), took Morecambe to victory on 173-7, setting them up for Saturday’s trip to Eccleston.

However, the seconds were unable to make it a double as they lost by six wickets to Fleetwood in Division 1B.

A low-scoring match at Woodhill Lane saw Morecambe restricted to 99-9 after choosing to bat first.

They had slumped to 35-5 before the middle and lower order staged some kind of recovery.

Skipper Andy Bird and Jack Lupton both top-scored with 19, George Oyston also adding 14 as Bob Baines claimed 5-33.

Fleetwood’s reply saw them reach 101-4, William Haddow making 34 not out and Wayne Clarke 32 with Jack Bird’s 4-38 proving the slightest of consolations.