Rainhill Academy XI 221 dec(Lawler 70, D Tyms 52*, Foulkes 33; Holden 2-47)
Mossley Hill 3rd XI 73-5 (Anandan 33; J Tyms 3-18, Millar 2-17)
The match between Rainhill CC 4th XI and Mossley Hill CC 3rd XI began at 12:30 PM after some morning drizzle, which cleared up to a pleasant afternoon. Mossley Hill won the toss and elected to field first.
Rainhill set a formidable total of 221 for 5 declared in 45 overs.
Nathan Lawler led the charge for Rainhill with an impressive 70 runs off 87 balls, including 9 boundaries and a six. His innings set a strong foundation, supported by Darren Tyms, who scored a quickfire 52 not out from just 42 deliveries. Freddie Foulkes added a steady 33, including three boundaries, while Keiran Rose contributed a brisk 22 not out, ensuring Rainhill reached an imposing total.
Rainhill’s batting lineup was relentless, putting Mossley Hill’s bowlers under constant pressure. Alex Holden was the only bowler to make a significant impact, taking 2 wickets for 47 runs, but Mossley Hill were unable to contain the Rainhill batters effectively.
When Mossley Hill came out to bat, it was clear they were not attempting to chase down the target set by Rainhill. Instead, they adopted a defensive approach, leading to an uneventful second innings. Rainhill’s bowlers maintained a tight grip on the game, with Jack Tyms being the standout performer, taking 3 wickets for just 18 runs in his 9 overs. Finnlee Millar also bowled effectively, claiming 2 wickets for 17 runs in his 10 overs. Rainhill’s disciplined bowling attack restricted Mossley Hill to 73 for 5 in 39.5 overs.
Oliver Wallis’s painstaking innings for Mossley Hill, where he faced 126 balls for a mere 17 runs, epitomised their defensive strategy. Rajesh Anandan was the only other batsman to make a notable contribution, scoring 33 runs off 57 balls.
The match petered out into a draw, but Rainhill’s dominant performance with both bat and ball highlighted their superiority, despite the lacklustre conclusion to the game.