Cricket: Middleton win at Rishton

Middleton Cricket Club travelled to Blackburn Road for their second game of the season, and for the second game in a row Middleton skipper Dale Highton won the toss, but this time asked the opposition to bat.

Middleton's professional Chris Williams struck in the third over with the score on five when he bowled opener Roberts for four.

Rishton struggled under some tight and accurate bowling from Williams and fellow opening bowled Richard Dempster to the extent that Rishton were going at just over two an over.

Williams struck again in the 17 over with the score on 38 when a frustrated Saj Patel hit out and was comfortably caught by Richard Fitton in the deepfor 21 and just six runs later Williams had wicket keeper Chris Sanderson easily caught by Rhys Tierney for 17.

Just one run later Dempster got in on the act when he had Rishton Skipper Brad Boddie caught behind by Leighton Le Carpentier for nil, and two runs later it got even better for Middleton when Mark Leathert was run out attempting a second run by some excellent fielding by Fitton and Le Carpentier.

Dempster struck again when he had Jack Hilton well caught by new signing, 17-year-old Ammar Malik for two and Rishton were in trouble at 52 for 6 in the 26th over.

Williams and Dempster finished their spells with excellent figures of 15-6-23-3 for Williams and Dempster 13-6-21-2.

Rishton steadied the ship with professional Mansoor Amjad and Kian Farnsworth putting together a stand of 24 before Farnsworth was bowled by Highton for nine. Brad Juliff joined professional Mansoor Amjad and together they put on a stand of 58 before Highton struck again bowling Juliff for a well struck 24.

Middleton needed to get Amjad out, and with the score on 155 that's what they did when Highton picked up his third wicket bowling the Pakistani Professional for 69 and Highton then ended the innings on 158 when he had Abdul Mall caught at first slip by Martin Roberts for nil to finish with figures of 11.3-0-74-4.

It was probably around 20 to 30 runs more than Middleton would have liked to chase but it was a winnable total if they got off to a decent start and that is what they did with Williams and Le Carpentier putting on a stand of 43 before Le Carpentier was lbw to Boddie for 13.

James Tierney joined the professional Mansoor Amjad and together the grafted an excellent partnership of 56 before Williams was caught by Patel off Mall for 39.

Andy Holmes was the next to go bowled for two with the score on 112 before Tierney and Dempster steadied the ship with a solid partnership of 37 before the wheels came off when Tierney was caught in the deep for a splendid 67 with five 4s and three 6s  and Dempster was harshly adjudged run out for 11.

Roberts was the next to go for four caught by Amjad off the bowling of Leathert and Middleton had lost three wickets for seven runs. Rhys Tierney and Malik saw Middleton home with 11 balls to spare and maximum points were in the bag for the second game running.

This was another decent performance led by Williams and Dempster with another all-round excellent fielding performance.

Next week Middleton has another difficult challenge against Nelson at home.