2nds slip up at New Brighton

Three-match unbeaten streak comes to an end

New Brighton 228-2 (John While 123, Luke Terry 75; Jack Lowrie 2-48) Rainhill 123 (Mike Rotheram 30, Paul Ford 22; Sam Cureton 5-40) New Brighton (25 pts) beat Rainhill (3 pts) by 105 runs Scorecard Rainhill's 2nd team had a day to forget at New Brighton as they fell to a 15-run defeat. Winning the toss and batting first, New Brighton's openers John While and Luke Terry were relentless and merciless in their approach from the outset. Runs flowed quickly and, in spite of some accurate pace bowling from Jack Lowrie and Sam Waine, Rainhill were unable to make a breakthrough. New Brighton's first wicket partnership was only broken once 212 runs were on the board, when Lowrie (pictured) dismissed Terry for 75. Centurion While, who had hit a run-a-ball 123, followed shortly afterwards when he played a delivery from Lowrie to Sam Waine. The two wickets were just reward for Lowrie, but they were academic in the wider context of the match. The hosts declared on 228 for 2.

Rainhill's response was hampered by early setbacks as James Clarke (9) and Rob McKeown (0) were out courtesy of two superb catches from Luke Terry. Mike Rotheram offered some resistance, hitting 30 from 30 balls, but the middle order struggled against the bowling of Sam Cureton (5 for 40) and Andrew Evans (3 for 35). Rainhill were 62 for 7 when Paul Ford and David Pennington came together.

Ford and Pennington were able to halt the collapse and added 25 for the eighth wicket before Ford was out, lbw, for 22. Pennington and Jack Lowrie then withstood some late pressure as they managed to add 36 runs - the most productive partnership of the innings - to at least give the visitors a more respectable total.

The defeat was the first in league competition for four matches and Rainhill will look to bounce back at home to Old Xaverians on Saturday. Umpires: Edward Blowers, John Veacock

Scorers: Edward Shiff, David Crossley