Pritchard's punches stun Radcliffe

Middleton Cricket Club

Middleton Cricket Club continued their impressive run of form with a nail biting victory over Radcliffe at Towncroft on Saturday. With the stand perhaps as full as it has been all season, the team did not disappoint gaining five points and sitting twelve points clear in second place.

After winning the toss Skipper Jones decided to have a bat on a wicket which looked a perfect batting surface. Despite getting off to a slow start the Moonrakers reached 117 for 3 as Jones returned to the pavilion with 37 after helping rebuild with Kemm.

Rhys Tierney was boosted up the order to number five and rose to the challenge playing good cricket shots and supporting professional Kemm well. However, after a mix up between the two, Kemm was run out for 49 leaving the score on 193 for 5.

Tierney was eventually out for 41 and there was a good contribution from Foden at six who scored 24.

Middleton closed their innings with a total of 217.

Radcliffe started their batting innings well scoring quickly, although Pritchard ran out opener Malik to leave the score on 42-1.

After a change of bowling, Kemm managed to remove the other opener Riaz lbw leaving the score on 133-2. However, there was a sense that the game was running away from the Moonrakers as professional Majeed raced to 70.

With Radcliffe on 133-2 both Kemm and Pritchard worked to slow down the run rate and put pressure back on the Radcliffe batters.

With wickets falling around professional Majeed he was caught out for 117 leaving his team twelve runs from victory with two wickets remaining.

Eventually Pritchard claimed the last two wickets helping the Moonrakers secure an 11 run victory.