Middle men too strong in top-two test

SHAW'S Richard Keaveney carves the ball over the boundary against Middleton

SHAW came up short in the battle of the top two in the JW Lees Brewery Pennine Cricket League Championship on Saturday.

In a match reduced to 48 overs per side after overnight rain delayed the start, it was Middleton who prevailed by seven wickets at Holebottom Clough.

Captain Steve Whiston targeted a total in excess of 200 for his Shaw charges, but instead had to settle for 159 after seeing his side waste a solid beginning.

At 120 for three, the hosts appeared likely to fulfil their skipper's objective. However, two run outs in the 30th over - Tim Brimelow and Rak Mahmood were the casualties - checked Shaw's progress.

Jon Partington joined overseas amateur Jameel Stuart, and the pair steadied the ship with a stand of 25.

Barbadian Stuart, who has done so much to propel Shaw's fortunes this season with bat and ball, replaced professional Sajid Mahmood after he had driven Michael Pritchard straight to Harry Gee for 10.

TIMING

Stuart, with timing as accurate as a Tissot watch, warmed the hands of the weather-beaten Shaw fans with several lusty blows.

He was four short of his 50 when a delivery from spinner Matt Foden kept inexplicably low and the ball ran into the stumps.

Stuart's wicket on 147 was the first of four for the addition of only one run.

Number nine Rick Doherty, with a big heave for six off Foden, helped lift to score to 159 - well short of Whiston's urgings.

Foden, who finished off the Shaw innings with a terrific one-handed catch to dismiss Ben Swann, returned three for 18.

SHODDY

While there 14 wides bowled - nine by Reece Jones in three overs - the time it took Middleton to bowl 44 overs (three hours 10 minutes) was pretty shoddy.

Stuart had plenty of fire in his belly as he opened the bowling with Sajid Mahmood.

Despite claiming the wicket of pro Chris Williams for five, the latter proved expensive.

He was unlucky not to snaffle in-form Grant Jones - Doherty put down the chance - in his eight-over spell which cost 60 runs

With Shaw missing new-ball man Tharshan Thayalan because of a wedding, Stuart took on more responsibility, and he ran in hard and with menace.

His two wickets - Gee (37) and Jones (27) - were the least he deserved.

It was deservedley Middleton's day, though, with George Walker and Zain Tahir adding 70 to clinch victory in the 36th over.

SHAW will look to join the Greater Manchester Cricket League after voting to leaves the Pennine Cricket League.