The Lancashire County League side enjoyed a five wicket win over the Manchester Association in Sunday's JW Lees Inter-League Final. Paul Green and Liam Parkinson hitting 60 each as the LCL reached their target of 195.

Match Report

The day of the final arrived and, despite a heavy shower, play began on time.

Mark Dyson won the toss and elected to field. The Association batsmen got off to a slow start against some tight bowling, especially by Glyn Middleton whose 9 overs cost only 11 runs and brought him a wicket, and after 20 overs the score was 46-3.

This brought Zarrar Malik to the crease and he dominated the rest of the innings, scoring 80 off 68 balls, before being 7th man out to a fine catch by the sure footed Imran Mirza with 4 overs left.

Paul Green and Scott Kirwin bowled tightly at the end to restrict the score to 195-9.

The LCL innings started equally slowly against some good new ball bowling and lost Lee Dale to the dangerous Palmer.

Skipper Dyson joined Liam Parkinson at the crease and the pair took the score to 60 off 20 overs before Dyson was out.

Parkinson and Paul Green stepped up the scoring rate, the former reaching 60 in only his second League Team innings, before being out to Palmer – who then picked up the wicket of Imran Mirza “lbw”.

Although the required run rate stood at almost 8 an over, the LCL were still looking favourites, but then rain fell and it looked a possibility that the Association could win on a faster run-rate.

However, after half an hour, the players returned and following the dismissal of Pete Walters, Green and Matt Wake took heavy toll of the 6th and 7th bowlers by scoring 45 off 4 overs and won the game by 5 wickets with nearly 2 overs to spare.

Paul Green end on 60 not out, but it was Liam Parkinson who got the nod as Player of the Match, Mark Dyson received the trophy to cheering (from LCL players and supporters) and polite applause (from the home supporters) as the LCL celebrated lifting the trophy for the second time, having won in 2000.

It has been a great season (albeit only 3 matches) for the Team; a fantastic spirit and lots of fun.

Paul Scott