CWR Chartered Accountants were this week’s 2nd team match ball sponsors. Many thanks to them.

Find full scorecards here : https://shires.play-cricket.com/Matches

Shireshead First crashed out of the National Village Knockout after a thumping defeat to North Lancs League side Lindal Moor, the home side losing by 6 wickets.

Their eventual total, a paltry 46 all out in 32 of their allocated 40 overs, was never going to be enough against a side who had scored over 350 in their game the previous day. Five ‘ducks’ and a highest score of just 12 tell their own story and it was thanks to a rearguard action from 15 year old Ben Brown (12) that prevented an even more diminutive total. At one point the score was 15 for 7, and this was thanks mainly to Craig Crawford’s 2 for 9 from 5 overs and 4 wickets from slow left arm spinner Edward Waine who took 4 for 5 in 8 overs.

Two wickets for Joe Oliver and one for Ernie Collinson plus a Jake Agar run out plus a smart catch by Foy were minor plusses for Shireshead on a Sunday to forget.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, with the Firsts without a game, Mike Mead’s second string claimed their third victory  out of four with a win against visitors Cartmel. Batting first, the home side made 172 for 5 thanks mainly to a painstaking 42 from opener Paul Yates (from 133 balls and a strike rate of 33 runs per 100 balls). This was in contrast to the knockabout approach of Adam Coates (35 not out from 22 ball at 133/100 balls) and Aiden Weir with 27 from 19 at 142.100 balls including two colossal sixes. The pair put on 50 to build on the good work of Luke Bray before them, who made 25.

Cartmel set about the task in swashbuckling style with Cowperthwaite, Harvey and Anderson all making 20s. It was the occasional but clearly effective slow off spin of Robbie Jacques that had the biggest impact as he took 4 for 35. The immaculate Mike Mead bowling extra slowly and imparting extra spin took 4 for 27 in his 12 overs, 5 of which were maidens. Plucky Carmel made it to 152 in the 43rd over before last man Bailey was run out by Paul Yates.

On Sunday the third team came away with a creditable losing draw against league new boys Ulverston. Ulverston made 176 for 7 in their 40 overs thanks to 59 not out from Jonny Lowes and 33 from Rashid Ahmad. Veteran spinner Alan Moulsdale bowled with his usual gracefulness and guile, gathering 4 wickets for 31 in a niggardly 10 overs.  It turned out to be a good day for young Thomas Atkinson who took 2 for 31 and made an exceptional 65 including six fours and a maximum in Shireshead’s reply. He was ably supported by vice captain Dave Sloan who scored 42. no other batters made double figures and consequently the visitors fell short but youngster Rowan Yates held on for 21 balls and he and Moulsdale earned Shireshead a share of the spoils.