Classy Bootle thump Earby in LCA Cup quarter-final

1:49pm Thursday 26th July 2007

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EARBY put up a fighting performance against a strong Bootle side in the quarter-final of the LCA Cup after a huge mopping up operation.

Torrential rain left Earby's Applegarth ground covered in puddles, but both teams were determined to play.

The Merseyside team are rated the best club side in the north, having won this knockout competition for the last three years.

Their team included five present Lancashire Second XI players, former Ribblesdale League professional Ronnie Davies, ex-Lancashire and England star Graham Lloyd and opener David Snellgrove - the son of Ken Snellgrove who played with Skipton CC and was professional with several Ribblesdale League clubs.

Earby's team of home-grown talent had the All Star XI' worried as they stumbled to 111-6, but county player Will Purser - a former opener with the team - took the total to 194 in an impressive seventh-wicket partnership.

The total of 203 was always going to be tough for the Earby side in difficult conditions, and they left fighting to avoid humiliation after the first three wickets fell for just 11 runs.

Professional Ali Azmat scored 22 before being given out to a dubious lbw decision, after appearing to hit the ball.

Wicket keeper David Watson also scored 22 and Danny Oldfield added 15 in a rearguard action that saw the home team reach 102 before the final wicket fell.

Unfortunately Earby was the only Ribblesdale League team to play at the weekend, as all league and cup matches were washed out because of the wet weather.

On Saturday Earby's home match against Edenfield and Settle's match against Padiham were casualties of the weather.

Barnoldswick also had two matches against league leaders Baxenden called off. Their league game at Baxenden on Saturday was abandoned and Sunday's Ramsbottom Cup match at Victory Park had to be postponed until Sunday, August 5.

This weekend Barlick have signed on sub-pro Zeeshan Pervez, who captain Michael Scothern said score an average of 30 runs a match in first class cricket in Pakistan.

Scothern said: "We're hoping he'll score some runs for us. And if he does well we're hoping to sign him on until the end of the season so we can get some stability at the club."

In a double-bill weekend, Barlick host Great Harwood on Saturday before taking on Earby in a much-anticipated derby clash on Sunday. Earby travel to Oswaldtwistle Immanuel on Saturday.

Settle are in action at Clitheroe on Saturday and they host Cherry Tree at Marshfield on Sunday.