The Mewies Solicitors Craven and District Cricket League travelled to Haydock Cricket Club to tackle the 3D Southport and District Amateur Cricket League in the return fixture for the Manorlands Plate on Sunday.

The Craven team, slightly weakened by late withdrawals through injury, had Neil Copping (Bingley Congs) leading the side this time in place of the long-term injured David Hall (Cullingworth), and winning the toss decided to bat.

Jack Hainsworth (Oakworth) made 35 in an opening stand of 52 with David Spokes (Foulridge). The latter then lost Gareth Marshall (Cullingworth) for six and was then joined by Reece White (Haworth) and took the score to 98, where he was adjudged to be lbw for an entertaining 44, which included a six and six fours.

Three wickets fell cheaply to leave the score on 125-7. Copping joined White and they took the score to 176, where the latter went for 58 (one six and six fours) and the former for 26 (two sixes and two fours).

Chris Brooker-Carey (14) then ensured the last two wickets used up all the overs as the innings closed on 204. Kieran Parkinson took 3-20 and I Brown 3-31.

The Southport innings had reached 38 when Brooker-Carey made the breakthrough by bowling Liam Parkinson for 21.

The other opener, N Sudwalla, went for 24 with the score on 66. Then Parkinson 64 (four sixes, five fours) and Adam Pennington 20 took the score to 130, where they both perished.

M Thriumal threatened to hit every ball out of the big ground with some hefty swipes. He managed a six and five fours before being smartly snapped up by White off Brooker-Carey for 31.

Matt Clark (Barrowford) nipped in with a couple of wickets as the score reached 186-7 with 18 balls left.

H Cross (19no) and K Hewitt (8no) then put together a match-winning partnership of 21, which reached the target with just four balls of the innings left.

This was a cracking game played by two evenly-matched teams and enjoyed by the spectators.

Craven League: J Hainsworth c&b Mason 35 D Spokes lbw K Parkinson 44, G Marshall b Gibson 6, R White c L Parkinson b Sudwalla 58, M Nerenberg (Chatburn) b K Parkinson 0, D Duffy (Oakworth) c Cross b Brown 4, C Dibb (Bingley Congs) b Brown 1, N Copping c L Parkinson b Brown 26, C Brooker-Carey run out 14, M Clark b K Parkinson 7, J Davison (Oakworth) 2no Extras 7, total 204.

Bowling: L Mason 7-0-31-1, N Sudwalla 8-1-44-1, K Parkinson 7.4-2-20-3, J Gibson 4-0-26-1, M Thriumal 6-0-45-0, I Brown 7-1-31-3.

Southport League: N Sudwalla c Clark b White 24, L Parkinson b Brooker-Carey 21, K Parkinson c Duffy b White 64, A Pennington run out 20, M Thriumal c White b Brooker-Carey 31, D Rimmer b Clark 8, I Brown c Davison b Clark 6, H Cross 19no, K Hewitt 8no, Extras 6, Total 207-7.

Bowling: M Clark 8-0-48-2, C Brooker-Carey 8-1-38-2, R White 8-1-38-3, J Davison 3-0-26-0, N Copping 8-0-38-0, G Marshall 4.2-0-16-0.