Cricket: Middleton beaten at Haslingden by 26 runs

Middleton Cricket Club travelled to Haslingden on Sunday 12 May hoping to preserve their 100% record but in a rare under par performance they lost by 26 runs.

Haslingden skipper Joe Sipocz won the toss and elected to bat, a decision he might having been regretting in the early part of the innings, as once again there was some excellent bowling from professional Chris Williams and strike partner Richard Dempster.

Dempster struck first when Sean Huntley shouldered arms and Dempster nipped one back to bowl him without scoring, with the score on 6.

Haslingden were struggling to score and with the score on 26 Williams bowled Graham Knowles for 20.

Alex Jeffrey and Haslingden professional Ryan Burl steadied the ship but with the score on 64 Dempster struck again when he had Burl caught behind by Leighton Le Carpentier for 27.

It was a deserved wicket for Dempster after having Burl dropped a couple of times.

Addison Holland was the next strike 14 runs later when he had Laurence Around caught behind for 10.

The score had moved on to 86 in the 38th over when Middleton skipper Dale Highton took the first of his three wickets when he had Jeffrey's caught by Ammar Malik for 27 and 11 runs later, he bowled Sipocz for five.

Without addition to the score Holland had Oliver Cameron adjudged lbw for six and just four runs later Oliver Lord was caught by Malik off Highton for two.

With eight overs and two wickets left, Haslingden were in quite a bit of trouble, but up stepped Jordan Shannon to hit 31 off 33 balls, before Malik took his third catch of the innings off James Tierney as they finished with 141/9, a total that was around 20 to 30 more than Middleton were hoping to chase, but it was still a total they were capable of chasing.

Middleton got off to the worst possible start when Le Carpentier was caught behind by Mark Groom without scoring.

The score had reached 29 when for the second time this season Grant Jones was harshly adjudged lbw for 17 and then five runs later James Tierney was bowled by Sipocz.

Dempster was the next to go when he was bowled by Burl for nine with the score on 55.

Williams and Martin Roberts were going along nicely and had took the score to 80 when Groom took a brilliant leg side stumping off Huntley to get rid of Williams for 25 and without addition to the score Roberts was caught superbly by Sipocz off Burl for 13 and Middleton were in trouble.

Danny Royle tried to get his team going with a couple of fours but first Rhys Tierney (1) was bowled by Burl and then Royle caught Shannon off Hunsley. Both fell with the score on 92.

Malik and Holland put on a stand of 21 before Malik was well caught at slip by Shannon for five and two runs later Highton was adjudged stumped by Groom for nil to give Burl his fifth wicket.

Middleton got three batting points out of the game, but their unbeaten record was gone.

They now need to go back to the basics they were doing well in the first three games, especially the fielding.

The next match is at home next Sunday 19 May to East Lancs.