Usman 77 takes Rainhill into quarter-finals
Rainhill 146-3 (Khalid Usman 77, Mike Rotheram 34)
Colwyn Bay 141-8 (Paul Millar 3-27)
Rainhill won by 5 runs
Scorecard
Rainhill won an exciting ECB Vitality T20 match against Colwyn Bay last night that went to the final over.
Batting first, Mike Rotheram and Khalid Usman (pictured) made a solid start and then increased the scoring rate to put them in a strong position. The duo made a century opening partnership before Rotheram fell for a fluent 32 with the score 114. A big score look likely but the dominant Khalid Usman was caught for an excellent 77 (47 balls) with 10 fours and 2 sixes.
With the score 126 for 2 in the 16th over, the later batsmen found scoring more difficult and Rainhill closed on 146 for 3.
Colwyn Bay started quickly but lost their first wicket at 16 for 1. A second followed at 33, with both catches taken off the bowling of Liam O’Toole.
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With two more catches off the bowling of Paul Millar, Colwyn Bay looked in trouble with the score on 49 for 4. However they rallied and it was Khalid Usman’s wicket that proved a key turning point.
From 95 for 5 Colwyn Bay continued to press and, after needing 40 from the last 4 overs, reached 137 for 6 going into the last over, needing 10 to win.
Sam Williamson stepped up to bowl and batsmen were run out from the first and third balls.
Requiring six from the final ball to level the scores, they could only manage a single and closed on 141 for 8.
Paul Millar was the pick of the bowlers with 3-27 with Liam O’Toole 2-31.
Rainhill will now face Formby in the quarter-finals.
Many thanks to Peter Mercer for the match report.
Umpires: Peter Crook, Jeremy Clein
Scorers: Andrew Finney