Earby into knockout cup semis

3:50pm Thursday 19th July 2007

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Earby Cricket Club has reached the semi-final of the LCA (Lancashire Cricket Association) knockout competition after a thrilling victory over Bolton League side Farnworth.

This Sunday the Applegarth club meet Liverpool Competition side Bootle to fight it out for a place in the final. The game will have an early start, beginning at 1pm.

Bootle are captained by former Lancashire County cricketer Graham Lloyd, son of popular England commentator David Lloyd. They have won the cup the last two seasons Earby captain Stephen Hipgrave said: "We've done really well to make it to the semi-final. We're the only Ribblesdale League team still left in the competition."

Earby's Nigel Hodge helped booked their place in the last four when he top the scored with 55 against Farnworth as Earby reached 151-9 in their 45 overs.

Despite the damp outfield it looked like they might be 20 or 30 runs short, particularly as Farnworth's professional, Brenton Parchment, has been in stunning form - and a rain break had reduced the required total to 105 off 31 overs.

The 24-year-old Jamaican has already scored over 800 league runs and had completed his domestic season in the West Indies with a string of impressive performances.

At the Applegarth he was dismissed for a duck by Chris Walton who produced an inspired performance with the ball, taking 3-27 in nine overs.

Just 16 runs came off professional Ali Azmat's nine overs, but it was left to skipper Hipgrave to deliver the final over with the visitors needing 13 runs to win .

The first delivery went for a single, then a dot ball, the third took the wicket of A Groves leaving Farnworth seven wickets down.

Under the rules of the competition one more wicket would give Earby victory while Farnworth needed 12 runs.

A scampered single brought the big-hitting Sutton on to strike - the previous over he had smashed a six over the clubhouse - this time he played an missed. Earby had won providing the last ball was not a no ball or wide.

But Hipgrave made sure victory went to Earby as he uprooted Sutton's middle wicket and the batsmen smashed down the remaining stumps in frustration.

l Earby got another good result in the league last Saturday when they beat Whalley by five wickets.

Whalley batted first on the Applegarth wicket. Earby got off to decent start with the ball as opener Martin Davies lost his wicket after scoring just two runs off 23 balls.

Then the in-form Chris Walton took the valuable wicket of Whalley pro of Bradman Ediriweera, who scored 14.

Neil Cordingley steadied the ship for Whalley and hit the Lancashire side's top score of the day.

With his unbeaten 79, he guided Whalley to a total of 151-5.

Walton was the pick of the Earby bowlers as he took 3-42.

In reply Earby's No 3 and No 4 batsmen, pro Ali Azmat and Nigel Hodge, formed a valuable third-wicket partnership.

Azmat top scored with a 79 before being lbw by David O'Neill. Azmat's knock included ten boundaries, nine fours and one six.

Hodge hit 40 off 74, which included one four and one six.

Walton also had a decent spell with the bat and his 18 not out guided Earby past the Whalley total. Earby closed on 152-5.

In a warm up to the Lancashire Knockout Cup on Sunday, Earby will host Edenfield in a league game on Saturday.

Barnoldswick and Settle's match at Victory Park was abandoned last Saturday and the two clubs will keen to play this weekend.

Settle host third placed Padiham at Marshfield on Saturday, while Barnoldswick play at league leaders Baxenden who are also their opponent in the Ramsbottom Cup on Sunday.