Positives in opening day defeat for Boro

JHE JW Lees Lancashire League cricket season started beneath blue skies on Easter Sunday, hopefully a sign of things to come this summer.

- BRENDAN MISKELLA & RICHARD PARTINGTON

In the JW Lees Premier League, Littleborough went down by one wicket in a thrilling game at Chatburn Road, the home of Clitheroe.

It was a game played in an excellent spirit and a game that was superbly umpired by both officials. Skipper Miskella won the toss and had no hesitation in electing to bat on a sunny day. The visitors took the score to a round dozen when debutant Dan Stevens was trapped lbw for 5 to the impressive Murphy.

This brought Littleborough’s professional Bryce Parsons to the crease as he and opener Perren looked to build a solid foundation to the innings and build they did as they took the score to 92/1 at halfway before disaster stuck when Perren walked across his stumps looking to paddle sweep Ross only to see his bails dislodged as he fell for 35 with the score on 94.

Miskella soon followed when he played on for 5 against deputy professional McConchie 103/3. Parsons at the other end had passed 50 but when he reached 63 he went back to his opposite number and was trapped plumb in front 123/4. Then came an infuriating passage of play as over 100 lorries drop past blasting their horns which went of for about 30 minutes in which time Littleborough lost 2 quick wickets Hernon (11) edging to slip and debutant Wood playing across the line to fall for a duck to leave the visitors in a spot of bother at 135/6.

Williamson (16) and Russell (13) tried to give the visitors innings some impetus but it never really got going after a good first half to the innings and ended when Russell was stumped off the last ball of the innings as the visitors were all out for 177, a total probably 30-40 short of what they were looking at at halfway.