Exciting win for Preston in opening game

Preston earned a dramatic seven run victory over Fleetwood at West Cliff in the opening match of the 3D Sports Twenty20 competition on Thursday evening.

Preston had batted first after winning the toss on a showery evening and were bowled out in the 19th over for 116.

Their innings, which was briefly interrupted by persistent drizzle, relied upon solid contributions from Jonty McDonald (21) and Omar Malik (31) down the order after their big guns failed to fire.

Opener Sajid Patel, after hitting two boundaries, was one of Tom Blundell's three victims, Lukman Vahaluwala was lbw to Adam Parker and professional Bilal Asad snapped up by Andrew Singleton off the bowling of Breakell when all three batsmen appeared set.

Preston's pro Bilal Asad hooks Fleetwood's Adam Breakell

Preston's stand-in captain Munaf Bavla crashes Adam Breakell through the off-side

Second team captain Johnny Winter, pressed into service as wicket-keeper and opening bat, became the first of four run out victims in the innings, and the first of three attributed to the fielding of Adam Parker.

Preston's Yasin Patel is caught and bowled by Tom Blundell

McDonald and Malik combined in a sensible partnership that helped Preston set a competitive target but the home side still were bowled out with nine balls of their innings unused- a cardinal sin in Twenty20.

Fleetwood lost the dangerous Adam Parker, bowled by Bilal Asad and stand-in captain Adam Sharrocks, bowled by Javaid Hussain.

The bails fly as Fleetwood dangerman Adam Parker is bowled by Bilal Asad

But James Ellis (20) and Matt Clark (28) appeared to be steering the visitors towards their victory target.

Preston, however, bowled and fielded impressively and gradually worked their way through the Fleetwood batsmen.

Clark's dismissal, to a well-judged catch in the outfield by Farouq Saiyed, was perhaps the key but Fleetwood pro Nishiti Rupasinghe was batting freely until he was brilliantly caught in the outfield by Bilal Asad off the bowling of McDonald.

The Fleetwood innings, interrupted by a brief stoppage caused by the setting sun, ended in growing darkness at 9-40pm with Preston emerging victorious by a slender margin.

Bilal Asad took one for 4 off four overs of hostile bowling and Vahaluwala and Joe Davies bowled tightly at the death to help secure a home win.