Cricket: Ashton prove too strong for the Middleton Thirds

Middleton Cricket Club

Ashton proved too strong for an under strength Middleton Thirds at the Reynor Lane ground in a Natwest T20 game on Sunday.

Middleton won the toss and elected to bowl.

Matt Lee and Matt Collins got Middleton off to a good start, restricting Ashton to 56-4.

The first wicket came via a run-out and the next three fell to Collins, including the wicket of the hard hitting Aminullah Said who was caught by Zain Ul Ahedin for a quickfire 29.

Ashton finsihed on 201-9 with Collins and Lee picking up the final two wickets between them.

Middleton began their chase with the opening pair of Darren Brown and Matt Lee.

With the score on eight Brown was bowled by Elliot Blewitt for one.

This brought Collins to the crease to join Lee, with the pair taking the score on to 50 before Collins was out for a run-a-ball 26.

Lee wascaught on the boundary for 20 leaving Middleton 51-3.

A mini-collapse saw that scoreline at 71-6 before captain Mark Tierney was joined at the crease by Malik and the rot was stopped. Malik playing a sensible straight bat innings before being caught behind for 19.

At 108-7, and with overs fast running out, the only reachable target for Middleton was the 75% score of 151 to gain a losing bonus point. Ashton however had other ideas, looking to turn the screws and take a full five nil victory they brought back opener Blewitt who cleaned up the tail leaving Tierney, who finished on 32 not out, stranded in the middle with no more partners ofour runs short of that target.