Ashton upset Middleton's Lancashire cup hopes

Play started on time at Towncroft despite the week’s rain, all credit must be given to groundsman Rob Bennett for again producing a perfect playing surface.

Ashton Captain Zaffer Zaman won the toss and elected to bat. Overseas amateur Donovan Lovell and Mohammed Naveed opened the batting but with the score on 12 Grant Jones struck to remove Naveed for 6 well caught by Middleton’s deputy Professional, Sikander Butt.

Kadodia joined Lovell and they took the score to 59 at a brisk pace before Kadodia was lbw to Mark Buckley for 22. Thirteen runs later Buckley struck again this time Lovell going LBW for 30.

Ashton had moved the score up to 92 when Danny Royle bowled Ashton Professional Imran Jamiel for 9 and without addition to the score hethen had Mohammed Asif LBW for 0, a decision the batter was not happy with and like the Pakistan Test team he called for a referral which unfortunately does not happen at this level of cricket and he had to go.

Middleton must have thought it was now going to be easy after bowling Ashton out for 66 in the corresponding fixture at Raynor Lane earlier in the season after being 51/0, but it was not to be as Mohammed Abid and Aquib Rothour put together a superb stand of 120 in 22 overs before both falling to Dale Highton in the 46th over. Rothour was the first to go, caught by Martin Roberts for 65 off only 71 balls and 3 balls later Abid followed in identical fashion, this time to a catch by Matthew Lee for 66.

Middleton soon wrapped up the tail with Royle bowling Newman for 1 and Highton having Karan stumped by Scott Stanworth for 3 and Zaman caught by John McMahon for 1 leaving Imran Yousaf on 6 not out.

This was going to prove a challenging total for Middleton. Scott Stanworth and Steve Davey once again opened the batting and with the score on 14, Davey’s luck was out again when he was bowled by a beauty from Zaman for 4.

Stanworth and professional Butt steadied the innings with a partnership of 73 before Stanworth skied one and was caught by Newman off Rothour for 37.

Seven runs later Butt followed after he also hit one in the air and was caught by Kadodia off Abid for 38. Martin Roberts was the next to go with the score on 116 stumped by Jamiel off the bowling of Rothour for 12.

The two Jones brothers, Grant and older brother Reece then produced a stand of 61 to put Middleton back in the driving seat but with Middleton needing 49 off the last nine overs Grant was caught and bowled by Asif for 34 and 3 runs later Reece was caught by Naveed off Abid for 33.

Ashton proceeded to finish off Middleton and they were all bowled out for 203 with one ball short of 4 overs left to leave Middleton with only the 1 point for passing 75% of the total.