New Brighton stroll to victory

Jun 11 2008 by Our Correspondent, Birkenhead News

NEW Brighton are back on track in the Liverpool Competition after collecting a fifth straight win against Formby. Ashraf Nawab produced a spell of 5-19 off 19.2 overs as the visitors were dismissed for 121 (James Francis 34).

Matthew Thompson (62, nine fours) and Paul Hale (45no) made light of the task with a partnership of 102 in an eight- wicket stroll.

Andrew Watts, only 17, starred in Fleetwood Hesketh’s seven-wicket win over Wallasey. The youngster took 6-12 off 4.1 overs and Mark Prince 3-48 as the Wirral outfit collapsed to 98 all out in 23 overs.

Kasun Bodhisha hit 35 in reply.

Hightown won their fifth game by 55 runs at Maghull to move them up to fifth. Skipper Ian Sutcliffe led by example with 6-14 off 11 as the home side crumbled to 105 in reply to 160 (Guy Edwards 60, Shaun Vosloo 42, Paul Bower 3-46, Suwanji Madanayake 3-50).

Colwyn Bay have been replaced at the bottom by St Helens Recs, who suffered a nine-wicket defeat in North Wales.

Recs posted 168, Steve Garvey top scoring with 33 not out, while Ryan Holtby took 3-13 and Debasis Mohanty 3-50.

The Bay run machine finally got its act together, Graham Jones (54) putting on 91 with Charlie Clubb (84 not out), who then added 80 with Sion Morris (27 not out) to clinch the points.

Lytham skipper Jimmy Wisniewski (109, three sixes, 13 fours) and Dan Thompson (82, one six, eight fours) rattled up 169 for the third wicket in a run feast at Northern.

They reached an impressive 285-7 declared in 62 overs (Jack Woosey 5- 115), but could not break down the Crosby side, who were 216-8 (54) at the close.