RAINHILL 1st XI gained a thrilling home victory against local rivals Sutton in a match sponsored by PBS Windows.

The home side won the toss and invited the visitors to bat first with Indian professional Daneekar's leg spin claiming the first wicket with just three rons on the board.

This was followed by Geoff Bowles being run out and Steve Jordan taking his first wicket to reduce

Sutton to 17-3.

Steve Weardon stood firm and with Ray (15) moved the score to 54 before the latter became Daneekar's second wicket to make it 54-4. Heaton (11) and the stubborn Weardon edged the score to 74 before Heaton also fell to Daneekar.

Weardon attacked the bowling at this point and pushed the total to 115 before he was caught at slip by Cropper off the bowling of Daneekar for a battling 60.

The last three Sutton wickets fell for just four runs as they were all out for 119.

Daneekar bowled throughout for figures of 5-60 with Steve Jordan (2-28) and Mattie Dale (1-27) also contributing.

In reply, Rainhill soon found themselves in trouble as Sutton's Indian professional, Ray, also bowling leg spin claimed his first wicket at 3-1.

Peter Mercer and Dominic Sparkes edged the score to 41 before the latter was caught for 22.

This soon became 54-3 as Mark Reynolds claimed the prize wicket of Daneekar for only nine.

And when Mercer fell for a gritty 26 at 72-5, Rainhill locked up against it.

Useful contributions from Dale (12) and Morris (11) gave Rainhill hope at 99-7 and with only three overs they required 20 to win.

A super effort by Mattie Clifford, with nine off the penultimate over, left eight to be scored off the final over to be bowled by the impressive Ray.

Only three runs came off the first three balls, but four off the next two left Clifford to hit the winning two runs off the last ball to claim a famous victory.

Ray finished with 4-50, Mark Reynolds 2-20 and Steve Weardon 2-8 to cap a fine personal performance.

This weekend Rainhill travel to Liverpool NALGO.