Wallasey left reeling after Lytham get away

Jul 12 2006 Wirral

WALLASEY must still be wondering about "the one that got away" during their latest outing in the Littlewoods Gaming Liverpool Competition Premier League.

Having prepared the bait and seen their target take the bite, Lytham looked set to be reeled in and netted.

But that was when the battle began - and the fish bit back.

Mark Wilkie's 50 and Richie Conlan's 48 smoothed the waters for the Wirral side as they totalled 221-9 dec (49.1), with Mike Rigby taking 3-60.

Their opponents were reeling at 73-7 - with the main highlight being Barry Beaver's memorable hat-trick, which included two bowled and one leg before.

But then the landing hit a snag. Jimmy Wisniewski's timely 110no was supported by Marcus Sharp(48no) as they put together an unbroken 93 for the ninth wicket - and victory was snatched from the jaws of defeat by two wickets.

Beaver's feat was at least one consolation and he finished with 3-35, while skipper Wilkie had 3-71.

Sefton Park began brightly in response to New Brighton's 209-9 declared (58), reaching 64-1 (Ben Moore 45, five fours, two sixes) before the rain came.

In-form Paul Strang top-scored for the Wirral side after they were asked to bat, cracking 85 (10 fours, three sixes. The Zimbabwean shared a partnership of 108 for the fifth wicket with John While (31), after the Wirral side had been reduced to 59-4. Home skipper Moore took 3-28 and later took 16 off one Louis Botes over before perishing off the last ball.

Meanwhile in the Bromborough Paints Merseyside and Southport Alliance, Birkenhead St Mary's had to settle for a derby draw at home to Caldy. Mizan Haq contributed 144.

In the ECB Premier Division of the CD Bramall Trucks Cheshire County League, Oulton Park pulled within three points of leaders Hyde with a magnificent last over victory against Alderley Edge at Little Budworth.

Alderley looked impregnable after declaring on 271-8 with 96 from Indian batsman Sohail Rauf and 75 by Mark Currie while Chris Jones wheeled away to some purpose for his 5-50.

But Oulton's powerful batting line-up pulled off a key 25-pointer with a reply of 275-5 with one ball remaining..

Oxton dropped to the foot of the table for the first time after they were rooted for 65 at Bowden, a game from which they took no points.