THE impending bad weather influenced the captain's decision to bowl first on winning the toss but as it turned out the forecasters had mistimed the rain by several hours.

Adam Roussak and Dan Taylor opened the bowling and did well enough to restrict the visitors to 32 off 12 overs both taking a wicket each. Roussak having bowled his allotted overs was replaced by spinner Michael Harding who put down a great spell of 13 overs taking two wickets for 48 runs. Figures marred slightly by one over of big hitting from the number eight batsman. Taylor took a second wicket on the last ball of his spell finishing with respectable figures of 28 for 2 from 8 overs.

The evergreen Billy Banner took over from Taylor and took 4 wickets for 32 from 11 overs. A stubborn resistance from the late order was broken when Justin Pugh came on the take the last wicket leaving the visitors on 148 all out. A total, which would have bean considerably lower if some of the Leigh fielders had been a little more attentive.

Paul Blackburn and Steven Williams opened the innings for Leigh putting on 18 for the first wicket. Dan Carty was next in but departed having failed to score when the score was on 29. Rob Clews showed some early promise but was out for 5 leaving the Leigh side precariously balanced at 38 for 3. Nick Jones and Steve Williams held things together putting on 36 for the next wicket before Williams was bowled. Dan Taylor pushed things along and when he was joined by Justin Pugh on Jones' departure victory edged ever closer. When Taylor was out on 112 Pete Taylor joined Pugh and together put the target within one scoring shot but Taylor was needlessly run out after a mix up between the two batsmen. Pugh had scored freely and was the dominant partner finishing on 34 not out with Billy Banner guiding the side to a deserved victory.