Last-wicket pair Shoyab Haji and George Leather were Tonge’s heroes as they shared 21 to secure a one-wicket win at home to Premiership rivals Lostock on Saturday during round two of the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League.
Tonge bounced back from an opening-day defeat to Little Lever by chasing 149, despite having slipped to 121-9.
Haji earlier took the new ball and claimed three wickets in Lostock’s 148-9 before leading the late heist with 15 not out, including hitting the winning boundary. Tonge professional Hashan Dumindu claimed five wickets and his Lostock counterpart Akbar Ur Rehman six before Leather contributed five runs at the death.
Elsewhere in the Premiership, Little Lever, Farnworth Social Circle and Read all claimed their second wins, while Championship trio Barnoldswick, Oswaldtwistle Immanuel and Astley Bridge all did likewise.
There was another one-wicket win in the second-tier. That went to Baxenden, at home to Earby (197 all out).
In reply, Baxenden’s task was even greater than Tonge’s had been. They had fallen to 165-9, only for Matthew Austin and Ryan Pearson, unbeaten on 29 and 11 respectively, to share 33 for the last wicket. They shared three sixes within that.
Earlier, Austin struck twice with the new ball for the hosts added to five wickets for Australian overseas amateur Mitchell Slattery.
In terms of the 100-per-cent records in the Premiership, Little Lever brushed aside home side Eagley by 141 runs on the back of posting a commanding 270-7 total.
Pakistani pro Muhammad Junaid was the star of the show once again. He top-scored with a middle-order 83 and then ran through Eagley - 129 all out - with a brilliant 7-27 from 9.5 overs of left-arm spin. That haul included three wickets in an over.
Last weekend against Tonge, Junaid hit 98no and took six wickets.
Farnworth Social Circle consigned champions Blackrod (212-9) to a second successive defeat, this one by five wickets.
Chris Barrow’s spin returned five wickets for hosts Social Circle before Bajan pro Jameel Stuart’s brutal and brilliant 73-ball 100no included eight sixes.
And newly-promoted Read look to have taken to Premiership life like a duck to water. They were away winners at Salesbury by 63 runs and, the Hamer Cup champions are living up to their billing of pre-season title contenders.
Sri Lankan pro Sehan Weerasinghe was their hero, almost matching the performance put in by Little Lever’s Junaid. Weerasinghe top-scored with a well-paced 73 in Read’s 219-8 before claiming 6-23 from 12 overs of off-spin in Salesbury’s 156-9.
The other newly-promoted side, Atherton, claimed an impressive home win against Padiham, by three wickets chasing 152.
Zeeshan Alsam claimed five wickets in Padiham’s 151 all out before Atherton’s Bajan OA Jamaine Bullen finished 35no in pursuit. He had earlier claimed three wickets having taken the new ball.
And hosts Kearsley beat Farnworth by five runs in another tense Saturday fixture as they only just defended a target of 198.
Kearsley were bowled out for 197. Mustafa Bashir posted a crucial 64 from number nine to recover them from 105-7 before striking twice in defence having taken the new ball. Ahmed Matloob also struck three times in Farnworth’s 192 all out, which saw them stumble from 93-2.
In the Championship, Oswaldtwistle won by 14 runs at Brinscall, who were all out for 132 in reply to 146-8. Sebastian Radler top-scored with 49 for the visitors before captain Dean Martin claimed five wickets with his seamers in a successful defence.
Astley Bridge also won for the second successive week. This was more convincing than Oswaldtwistle’s win.
Hosts Bridge beat Walkden by 109 runs on the back of their commanding 269-9 total. Their Sri Lankan pro Dhanushka Dhamasiri top-scored with a superb middle-order 91 off 69 balls with four sixes.
In Walkden’s 160 all out, Joe Ducker claimed four wickets.
Barnoldswick are also two wins from two. They beat Cherry Tree at home by six wickets. St Vincent OA Deron Greaves struck four times to help bowl Cherry Tree out for 169 before opener Adil Khan top-scored with 41 in a strong chase.
And finally, home side Ribblesdale Wanderers beat Whalley by eight runs.
Former captain Mack Spencer top-scored with 50 in their 153-8 before Sri Lankan pro Heshan Dhanushka took the new ball and struck five times in Whalley’s 145 all out.
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