50s from McKeown and Morgan earn draw
Rob McKeown and Philip Morgan score 69 and 50 respectively to earn hard-fought draw with Ainsdale
Rainhill 189-8 (Rob McKeown 69, Philip Morgan 50; Philip Causey 4-79)
Ainsdale 141-6 (Joel Barlow 54, Philip Causey 22; Adam Edwards 2-24)
Rainhill (7pts) drew with Ainsdale (7 pts)
Rainhill and Ainsdale played out a draw on Saturday afternoon and, while the result would probably not have suited either of the teams, that was probably a fair reflection of the game.
Ainsdale won the toss and elected to field. Philip Causey took the wicket of Rainhill opener Biley Banerjee (12) and ran out Owen Groom (6), while Alex Rigby dismissed Rainhill captain Mark Viggars for 2 to leave the home team on 39-3. The fourth wicket partnership between Rob McKeown and Philip Morgan turned the game around and swung the momentum in Rainhill's favour - both dealt well with the visitors' bowling threat and were able to put on 88 runs before McKeown was out, lbw, for 69.
After David Pennington was out for 6, Morgan put together another useful partnership with Joe Harvey who hit a run-a-ball 21 before becoming Philip Causey's fourth victim of the day. Morgan was eventually out, just after reaching his first half-century of the season, when he was caught by Alex Rigby off the bowling of Luke Jones.
Rainhill finished their 20 overs having scored 189 for 8, a more than decent total that gave them something to bowl at.
Ainsdale put on 41 before the first wicket fell, when opener-wicketkeeper Daniel Fitzpatrick was bowled by Sam Williamson. David Reid and Joel Barlow put on 48 for the second wicket, a partnership that was ended when Reid played an Adam Edwards delivery to Mark Viggars. The loss of that wicket precipitated a mini-collapse for Ainsdale, with the middle order not really able to get themselves in before getting out. The visitors slumped from 89 for 1 to 107 for 5.
Barlow's wicket fell shortly after notching his first half-century since 2017, a satisfying personal achievement. Philip Causey also contributed 22 but the target proved beyond Ainsdale and their innings finished on 141 for 6.
Umpires: John Veacock, Ray Fitzpatrick
Scorers: David Crossley, Cameron Hunter