BOTH Rainford senior sides faced Southport opposition at the weekend as the 1st X1 travelled to Trinity and the 2nd X1 hosted Banks.

Dave Tully's side got off to a good start at Southport Trinity as Aussie Shannon Fitzgerald removed both openers cheaply to leave the hosts in a spot of bother at 40/2 from twenty overs.

But that was as good as it got for Rainford as a stand of 146 enabled Trinity to declare their innings on an impressive 186/2.

Steve Meredith (49) then got the visitors off to the perfect start, but from a seemingly comfortable 60/1 Rainford collapsed to 90/5 and then 129 all out.

Only Graham Green (26) and Michael Lambert (24no) had any answers to West Indian paceman Dwight Mais.

The seconds fared much better against an excitable Banks outfit, as three-wickets apiece for Ian Donnelly and Keith Haskayne and a brace for Andrew Pickavance dismissed the visitors for 150.

Tom Meredith (67 n.o.) then produced the batting performance of the day as he and fellow opener Alan Maddison (43) as well as John Pickavance (25 n.o.) battered the Banks attack into submission to record a nine-wicket win.

Match sponsor was WJ Perkins.

Sunday saw Rainford play host to Aughton in the Sandhurst Shield and record a comfortable 190 run win.

Batting first, Rainford opener Steve completed a fine weekend for the Meredith clan with a top drawer 89 as he and Michael Lambert (63) put on 163 for the first wicket.

A total of 258 soon followed thanks mainly to Chris Tonge (38) and skipper Dave Tully (30) who both returned from a long spell in the batting wilderness.

Aughton never recovered from a Shannon Fitzgerald spell that sent back five batsmen with only 25 on the board.

And not even some buffet-bowling leg spin from Lambert could halt the home side victory charge as the visitors folded for just 63.

Match sponsor was John Royle Chartered Surveyors.