by Bill Slinger
“Report
Little Lever had managed to complete their Quarter Final the previous week with a 19 run win over Farnworth.
Astley Bridge v Tonge
Astley Bridge met Tonge on Wednesday evening with the added incentive of hosting Finals Day for the winners.
Astley Bridge won the toss and elected to bat.
Dhanuska Dhamasiri made 52 including 5 fours and 3 sixes as Astley Bridge made steady progress and had the boost of late runs from Ulli Brunkhorst who made 37 not out off 24 deliveries including 5 fours and a six in a total of 151-5. George Leather took 2-24.
Tonge lost opener Justin Gilliland early, however his partner Alex Rodzoch made 21, but they lost 3 wickets with the score on 39 to be reduced to 39-4.
They never recovered from this position and only due to Jack Smith with 20 did they managed to get to 112 all out, giving Astley Bridge victory by 39 runs.
Ulli Bronkhorst completed an excellent all-round performance taking 4-19 and was supported by Joe Ducker who took 3-17.
The two North Quarter Finals were completed on Friday night having been washed out without a ball being bowled the previous week. This week the weather could not have been more different, with clear blue skies and the temperatures in the high 20C’s.
Read v Salesbury
Read won the toss and elected to field.
Salesbury made good progress with most batsman making runs, Toby Furbush 28, Liam Parkinson who topped scored with 53 off 40 deliveries, Connor Nel 34 and quick runs at the end from Captain Lewis Pearson who made 30 not out from just 15 balls in a total of 170-5.
Read’s reply was dominated by Joe Halstead who made 73 off just 34 deliveries including 10 fours and 4 sixes. When he was out with the score on 101, Professional Sehan Weerasinghe took over making 60 not out and giving Read a comfortable win by 7 wickets with nearly 5 overs to spare.
Whalley v Padiham
Padiham won the toss and elected to bat.
Opener Iftikhar Naseer went on the attack from ball one making 71 off 37 deliveries including 6 fours and 6 sixes. He was out with the score on 94 as Padiham lost quick wickets to be reduced 102-5. Sensible batting with the occasion big hit enabled Zander Van Tonder 40 not out and D Higham(25) to add 56 for the 6th wicket, Higham being run out by a direct hit on the last ball of the innings to give Padiham as score of 158-6.
Monty Cort took 3-38 including the vital wicket of Naseer.
In reply, Whalley lost opener Frankie Jackson for 1 and struggled to get the ball away in the power play ending it on only 19-1. Professional Levi Wolfenden and Stuart Crabtree then started to increase the scoring and a couple of dropped catches looked like they might be crucial.
However Wolfenden, 37 and Crabtree 21 both fell with the score in the 60’s and the new batsman facing a run rate approaching 10 an over could not get a foothold and they collapsed to 102 all out, only Luke Reynolds 14 getting into double figures. Padiham winning by 56 runs, Toby Burrows took 3-30 and Ben Swindells 2-20.
The draw for the 20/20 Birtwistle Cup Finals Day to be held at Astley Bridge on Sunday 20th August.
Padiham v Little Lever
Read v Astley Bridge
Followed by the Final”.
