Hightown St Marys CC 178/8 dec (Colesby 70; P Miller 4-38)
Rainhill CC 179-5 (Clarke 80, Lawler 53*; Jones 3-42)
Rainhill 2nd XI delivered a clinical run chase on Saturday afternoon to secure a fine five-wicket win away at Hightown St Mary’s, capping off a well-rounded performance that showed both grit and flair.
Put into the field after the hosts won the toss, Rainhill started steadily before Paul Millar began to make inroads. Bowling with control and persistence, he claimed important wickets at regular intervals, including a smart caught-and-bowled to remove Hightown’s skipper. Millar finished with 4 for 38, providing the backbone of Rainhill’s bowling effort. John Ball added a wicket and a sharp run out, while Nathan Lawler picked up two crucial middle-order scalps just as a dangerous partnership threatened to take off. Despite a well-constructed 70 from Tom Colesby, Hightown’s innings closed on 178 for 8 declared — a total that felt within reach for a side with Rainhill’s batting depth.
Rainhill’s reply stuttered early, slipping to 16 for 3, and then 38 for 4, as Dylan Jones caused problems with his disciplined line and picked up three wickets. But James Clarke and Nathan Lawler were in no mood to let the early damage define the innings. Clarke anchored the chase brilliantly with a commanding 80, finding the boundary 15 times and never allowing the required rate to rise. Lawler, fresh off his wickets earlier, played the perfect foil — rotating the strike and dispatching anything loose — on his way to an unbeaten 53. The pair added over 100 together in a partnership that shut the door on any Hightown hopes of a late resurgence. Ashar Sohail joined Lawler to knock off the final runs, sealing victory with eight overs to spare.
This was a sharp and confident outing from the 2nd XI — a balanced display with bat and ball that bodes well for the campaign ahead. With form building and players stepping up across the board, Rainhill’s depth and momentum are starting to show.
