Carnforth 2nds 250 all out Shireshead 110 all out

On a day when the early summer sunshine meant two drinks per innings and the Carnforth wicket looked more like an early August shirt fronter, Shireshead 2^ndteam crashed to a comprehensive defeat at the hands of their Carnforth counterparts.

Winning the toss, the Baxendale Carnforth brothers made a steady start before G. Baxendale was trapped plumb lbw to a full toss, despite only a solitary, hopeful appeal by the bowler. Coulton then took a spectacular catch at point to remove M. Baxendale off the bowling of Bleasedale.

The classy Dugdale latched onto anything short and soon reached 49 before Park had him trapped lbw but Horsfall continued the partnership making 39 before being caught in the deep by Bleasedale in athletic fashion. However, it was the entrance of Alfie Rich, a hulking 21-year-old that turned the innings and the match in favour of the home side. Despite his agricultural approach, Rich plundered a flurry of sixes, mainly to the short leg side boundary and mostly off the bowling of Park (3-81) but clean hits nonetheless.

He eventually fell to Taylor (2 for 45) to take the final score to 250 all out. Despite Shireshead’s persistence and best efforts it would take several telling contributions from the visitors’ batsmen to get anywhere near the mammoth total set. One highlight was the immaculate wicketkeeping of 16-year-old Liam Burns.

In reply, the Shireshead innings soon disintegrated into a hopelessness situation as Twiname was caught for 6 and Gould was caught lbw for a duck. Bleasedale was hitting his straps making 18 before being bowled by Baxendale. Only Burns (11) and Sutcliffe (18) could make any impact as wickets fell regularly and the innings petered out to 112 all out. Barlow was the pick of the Carnforth bowlers taking 5 for 26 with his wristy off spin.