By Michael Latham
Leyland's Henry Thompson off-drives during his match-winning innings |
Leyland will face Lytham in the Group Three Final of the ECB National Club Knock-Out after completing a 73 runs victory over Carnforth at Fox Lane.
Liverpool Competition team Lytham, meanwhile, enjoyed a resounding 166 runs win at Chorley.
The Leyland v Lytham final will take place at Fox Lane on Sunday 28 June (1pm).
The semi-final at Fox Lane was delayed by an hour and a half after Carnforth's players were held up in a motorway closure on their journey south and the game was reduced to 40-overs per-side.
Leyland were indebted to an outstanding innings of 86 not out by teenager Henry Thompson as they compiled a challenging 194 for 7.
Thompson, coming in at no3 after Karl Cross was bowled by Gareth Pedder for 15, played a chanceless innings of great maturity.
The Bolton School six-former hit ten fours and one six and particularly impressed with his ability to punish the bad ball and with his temperament.
After Luis Reece was out for a duck to leave Leyland 18 for 2 Thompson shared a third wicket partnership of 91 with Peter Cummings.
Cummings looked in full flow having hit three fours and two sixes when Carnforth skipper Darren Moore threw 15-year-old leg-spinner Bradley Hoyle the ball.
Hoyle was completely unfazed and claimed the wickets of Cummings, caught brilliantly by Robert Parker near the sightscreen, and Chris Parkinson, caught-and-bowled in his first over.
But Thompson was unflappable and found a good ally in Andrew Makinson who bludgeoned three sixes in his innings of 27.
Hoyle finished with 2 for 32 while Tom Barnfield claimed 3 for 43 with his occasional leg-spin late in the innings, luring Tom Foster, Andrew Makinson and James Rounding into stumpings ably completed by Nelson.
Tom Barnfield took three wickets for Carnforth |
Carnforth needed a big contribution from one of their top four batsmen if they were going to challenge Leyland's target.
But Nelson fell to a brilliant catch in the deep by Foster, Robert Parker was caught by David Makinson after hitting five fours and Lewis Bradley caught behind to give James Rounding an impressive return of three for 14 from his eight overs.
Carnforth skipper Darren Moore fell to a Reece catch at mid-wicket off the bowling of Cummings, whose eight overs cost only 20 runs.
Carnforth captain Darren Moore about to be caught by Luis Reece |
There was no way back for Carnforth from 51 for 4 and they were bowled out for 121 despite battling efforts from Pedder (19), Barnfield (17) and Warren Quinn (20).
Foster claimed three for 19, Stephen Cartwright two for 30 and Cross came into the attack to earn a leg-before decision against Alex Benson that decided the contest.
Stephen Cartwright bowled well for Leyland |
Crushing defeat for Chorley
Chorley slumped to a heavy defeat at the hands of Lytham who posted 238 after being invited to bat by Chorley captain Jack Catterall.
Guy Roberts top scored with 55 in what was a consistent batting effort. There were other notable contributions from former Preston player Joe Davies (43) and skipper Jimmy Wesniewski (33).
Chorley vice-captain Andrew Holdsworth was pressed into service as a sixth bowler and emerged with figures of 4 for 51. Jim Lee took 3 for 25 to confirm his fine start to the season.
Despite a defiant 41 from Holdsworth, pressed into service as an opener, a Chorleyside missing several regular first-teamers through a combination of injury and unavailability subsided to 72 all-out.
Michael Rigby and Wesniewski each took three wickets for the visitors.
Other News
Elsewhere Netherfield's Australian professional Glen Batticciotto scored his second century of the weekend as a sub-pro in Nelson's 200 runs victory over Rawtenstall at Seedhill. Batticciotto hit 102 in his side's 265 for 5 and then took 3 for 7 as Rawtenstall subsided to 65 all out.
Batticciotto has now hit three Lancashire League hundreds for Nelson in 2009, having also made 104 against Todmorden and 112 against Ramsbottom.
On Saturday he hit a century for Netherfield in their defeat against Fleetwood.
