Derby day victory the highlight for Bacup

IT was an exciting weekend for Bacup Cricket Club, when four games were played, despite there being plenty of rain around, culminating in three victories.

- NEAL WILKINSON & RICHARD PARTINGTON

The action started at The Tony's Pizza and Kebab House Lanehead Cricket Ground on Friday evening in the T20 competition when Middleton were the visitors. After wins in their first two games Bacup went in to the game with plenty of confidence against a first division team who were yet to record a victory.

Skipper Ben Lord won the toss and elected to bowl first. However, Middleton put on 71 for the first wicket with captain Gregoriou hitting 66 in 46 balls supported by professional James Price with 31. Bacup professional Chirag Khurana conceded only 17 runs in his four overs and with Adlum bowling impressively, taking 3 for 28, further enhancing his credentials as a bowler, Middleton were restricted to a total of 159 for 5.

There was an early blow for Bacup in their reply when, with the score on 16, Khurana departed to a fine catch on the boundary edge for 6 to the delight of the Middleton players. Adlum went for 15 and Bradford 12 as Bacup slumped to 36 for 3. However, a 45 fourth wicket partnership between Gansler and Hargreaves ensued before Gansler fell for 28.

Hargreaves then went on to dominate proceedings in another excellent partnership of 39 with Luke Bradford who made 12. Unfortunately, just when a win was starting to look quite possible, Hargreaves was run out for 55 and Bacup’s hopes were dashed. Dominic Boardman hit 11 in 5 balls to raise hopes of an unlikely win but Bacup fell 9 runs short on 150 for 8.

It was back to League action on Sunday when The Stags travelled the short distance to take on local rivals Rawtenstall.

Rawtenstall won the toss and put Bacup in to bat. With the ball seaming around prodigiously the visitors were soon in trouble against the lively medium pace bowling of the Rawtenstall professional Fernando and Rizwan Shafiq with Adlum (1), Collinge (7), Rehman (4), Jack Bradford (9) and Gansler (2) all back in the pavilion and Bacup in danger of being skittled on 58 for 5.