The Lancashire County League side enjoyed an 86 run win over the Ribblesdale League in Clitheroe on Sunday to book their place in the final on Sunday August 12th.

The LCL were all out for 205 with Cheetham Hill's Imran Mirza scoring a half-century, before bowling the Ribblesdale League side out for 119. 

In the other semi-final, the Manchester Association overcame the Central Lancashire League 2-1 in a bowl out.

The Manchester Association have home advantage and have provisionally selected Wythenshawe Cricket Club as the venue to host the match.

Match Report

Despite the team encountering some heavy rain on the way to Clitheroe, and the other semi-final being decided by bowl-out, the match started in time and had no interruptions for rain.

Openers Paul Green and Lee Dale gave the LCL a good start, brining up 40 from 10 overs, before both fell in quick succession for 17 and 16 respectively.

Debutant Liam Parkinson then strode out to join Mark Dyson, and provided excellent support for his skipper as they raised the score to 120, before he was out for 16. Dyson went on to make 53 before he too was out.

Wickets then fell regularly as Matt Wake, Pete Walters, Ghulam Abbas and Dave Morrell were all out without reaching double figures.

Andy Taylor joined Imran Mirza with the score on 166-8 and only 6 overs left. The classy Mirza laid into the Ribblesdale attack with relish, out in the last over for 53, including 4 sixes, and Taylor provided excellent support to finish on 9 not out. Glyn Middleton was out with a ball left, giving the LCL 205 all out.

The Ribblesdale innings started with a bang as opener Parkinson hit Glyn Middleton for a four and a six off the first 2 balls of his first over, but Middleton responded well and bowled him with the 3rd. He took 2 further wickets in his 9 over spell, including the dangerous Will Driver.

Andy Taylor bowled a tight spell,  picking  up a wicket,  and then the spinners, Abbas and Walters took over the match. Ashraf threatened briefly, hitting 2 enormous sixes, but once he was out wickets tumbled quickly (including the loquacious keeper Caunce to a brilliant catch by Dale) and Ribblesdale were all out for 119.

Walters and Abbas each finishing with 3 wickets and all the bowlers showed great discipline. The umpires were strict on leg-side wides and the Ribblesdale League conceded 18, whereas the LCL conceded only 1 (I’m not saying who!!)

Another superb victory was capped off by skipper Mark Dyson winning the ‘Man of the Match’ award, although Imran Mirza must has also have been in the adjudicator’s thoughts.

On a day when so much cricket was cancelled by the weather, the match had finished in bright sunshine and  the happy team looked forward to the final against The Manchester Association on August 12th.

Paul Scott