a damp patch

IN their opening Merseyside and Southport Alliance fixture Rainford played hosts to pre-season title favourites Prestatyn.

The visitors took first use of the usual batting paradise and took just 34 overs to rattle up 228/5 before the declaration came.

Opener Boughey survived a confident caught behind in the first over and then a simple dropped catch when on just 50 to ride his luck and top score with an unbeaten 136.

For Rainford the star with the ball was Phil Battersby, the slimmed down paceman posting a fine return of 3/40 ably supported by veterans Harrison and Murgatroyd.

Unfortunately as the afternoon weather depreciated so did the quality of the batting as the home side stumbled to a precarious 46/5 before the rain brought a premature end to proceedings.

Skipper Steve Meredith will have plenty to think about ahead of next week's challenging trip to Ainsdale.

Match sponsor was E Cook & Son.

The seconds travelled to Norley Hall in the round-robin stage of the Pochin Cup and came away with an excellent three-wicket win.

The hosts folded from 121/5 to 140 all out as Keith Haskayne (5/42) and Ian Donnelly (4/15) reaped the rewards of their punishing winter training regimes.

Alan Maddison (39 no) and Andrew Pickavance (32) provided the backbone of the Rainford reply before Donnelly finished it at the start of the final over with two lusty boundaries.