Disappointment at Rainford
Sam Williamson top scored with 40 in Rainford defeat
Rainhill 161-9 (Sam Williamson 40, Luis Duffy 28; Raymond Cosgrove 3-31)
Rainford 165-2 (Mark Brook 93, Marcus Atkinson 35*; Adam Edwards 1-5)
Rainford (20 pts) beat Rainhill (5 pts) by 8 wickets
For the second successive game Sam WIlliamson top-scored for Rainhill, but it was not enough to avoid defeat at neighbours Rainford.
Batting at number 7 and coming in with the score on 61-5, Williamson's contribution of 40 and a useful sixth wicket stand of 64 with Conor Morris (20) helped the visitors to a more than respectable total of 161-9.
Rainhill got off to a dismal start as James Clarke (6) and Ethan Powell (0) were out early. Luis Duffy (28) and captain Paul Ford (17) came together with the score on 19-2 and played purposefully to add anopther 30 runs before Duffy was bowled by Iain Fenney. Raymond Cosgrove then picked up the wickets of Ford and Phil Morgan (4) to leave Rainhill with something of a mountain to climb.
Williamson and Morris fought back valianetly, hauling Rainhill back into the match. Williamson's approach was more biligerent than the patient Morris, whose defiant 20 came from 73 balls. Raymond Cosgrove eventually wore down Morris's resistance and the Rainhill batsman was caught by Luke Evans, but his resoluteness had been key to a potentially game-changing partnership.
WIlliamson looked set for his first half-century of the season but fell victim to Andrew Harrison. Adam Edwards (0) was out lbw to Mark Williams and Rainhill found themselves on 125-8, but the tail batted positively. Oliver Powell (18 not out), Sam Waine (9) and Paul Valentine (7 not out) added a further 36 runs as Rainhill closed their innings on 161-9.
Mark Brook and Ravi Mistry opened for Rainford and they put on 72 for the first wicket. Their partnership was broken when Oliver Powell had Mistry out lbw. Brook seemed both unmovable and on course for a century until, with both his ton and the finish line in sight, he was caught by Sam Williamson off the bowling of Adam Edwards for 93. Disappointed as Brook was, the wicket made no difference to the outcome as Marcus Atkinson (35 not out) and Daniel Harrison saw Rainford home. The result leaves the 2nd team lying sixth in the 1st Division table. They will travel to Smithy Lane to take on Northop Hall on Saturday.
Umpires: David Fenney, John Veacock
Scorers: Olivia Spencer, David Crossley
Match ball sponsor: Black Swan Tax Advisers