Tom Sandells was the hero of White Coppice’s 1st XI’s eight-wicket win against Thornton Cleveleys 3rds on Saturday.

Fresh from a £16 haircut, the all-rounder hit a stylish 61 not out to guide his side to a 12-point win and maintain top spot in Division 5 of the Palace Shield League.

Before the game started, both teams held an impeccably observed minute’s silence for Joe Seager’s dad Chris, who sadly died during the week after a long battle with dementia. Everyone’s thoughts are with Joe and his family.

With professional wedding guest Jake Smalley away, Ryan Adderley stepped in as captain and had no hesitation in bowling first after winning the toss.

The game was notable for a couple of reasons as it marked Visakh P Visakh’s 1st team debut and Bobby Wood’s last match as a single man before his forthcoming nuptials.

Thornton Cleveleys did the double over Coppice last season and the home side nearly made the perfect start when Peter Elson drilled Anis Haider straight to Nathan Shepard at point, but he was unable to complete the catch.

It summed up Haider’s luck as fellow opener Andy Brown survived an impassioned LBW appeal a few minutes later.

It looked like being a costly reprieve as Brown muscled a couple of sixes before holing out off Shepard to the safe hands of Ryan Adderley at deep mid-off for 27 off 30 balls.

Adderley added two more catches later in the day to bring his tally this season to an impressive nine.

Elson, who scored 93 in the corresponding fixture last season, looked set for another significant contribution before he was trapped LBW by Shepard for 24 from a ball that nipped back.

Raphael Ikram, who hit 45 off 41 the previous week, laboured to a 17-ball duck before falling to a stunning caught and bowled by Sandells.

Despite that, the visitors looked well placed to post a good total when they reached 109-3 until a dramatic collapse saw Thornton Cleveleys lose their last seven wickets for 19 runs.

Chris Howard gave Visakh his first 1st team wicket when he chipped one to Jordan Halliday at midwicket just before the drinks break.

Marc Hanson was looking good for his 35, including two massive sixes, until he was plumb LBW to Ryan Adderley from a ball that scuttled along the ground.

Adderley finished with 4-7 while Matt Tinsley returned to take 2-27 to bowl the visitors out for 128.

Special mention goes to Ant Dark for an outstanding performance behind the stumps.

In reply, Sandells and Chris Maguire shared an opening partnership of 21 before the latter was bowled for nine by Brett Baney.

Halliday, who scored 141 in his last innings, was dismissed for a single as Coppice slipped to 22-2, but that was as good as it got for the visitors.

Sandells and Richard Bush shared an unbeaten partnership of 107 for the 3rd wicket to see their team home.

Sandells showed perfect temperament and technique to hit 10 fours in his 61 off 105 balls while Bush hit six fours and a six in his unbeaten 44 off 65 deliveries.

The 1st XI aren’t in league action next week but travel to Wrea Green in the Crabtree Cup on Sunday.

White Coppice 2nd XI hosted Wyre 2nd XI on Sunday and Martin Cuerden lost his fourth toss on the spin as Wyre decided to bat first.

It was a good toss to lose as there was a bit of moisture in the pitch, which meant there was something in it for the bowlers.

The home side didn’t have to wait long for the first wicket, with Anto Kuriakose striking with his first ball of competitive cricket for White Coppice to dismiss Stephen Richards for a duck.

Richards was one of eight Wyre batters to be dismissed for either 0 or 1.

The Wyre batters then lived dangerously for a while, with John Townson particularly unlucky to end up wicketless, with edges not going to hand and the bat beaten on several occasions.

Kuriakose ripped through the top order, taking 4-3 from eight overs to reduce Wyre to 27-4.

Coppice found resistance in No. 3 James Bamford, who batted well for 34 not out off 72 balls, but he played a lone hand as Mike Houghton (3-15) and the latest paid-up member of the rapidly expanding burglar’s club, Martin Cuerden (3-19), combined to bowl Wyre out for 59, with the last six wickets falling for just 16 runs.

In reply, Elliot France and Jeff Smith got Coppice’s run chase off to a quick start, reaching 22-0 from five overs.

The highlight of the day, though, was Jeff Smith’s first six at the home of Coppice in his 16th season at the club, which was met with great applause from his surprised teammates.

Anyone familiar with the ground will know he cleared the ropes at Tinners’ Corner, so named after Matt Tinsley brought up his first six for the club at the same spot last season.

Smith said: “I got giddy trying to repeat the exact same shot and holed out to the man on the boundary.”

Both openers fell for 22 before Chris Walsh and Mike Houghton combined for a 3rd wicket partnership of 31 to settle any potential nerves.

Houghton fell for 18 just before the close to round off a good personal day, which left Chris Hoyle to knock off the winning runs for the loss of just three wickets.

White Coppice’s perfect weekend was completed by the 3rd XI’s convincing 134-run win against Cherry Tree 4ths.

With Tom Dulson away at Wembley watching Bolton Wanderers in the play-off final, Jamie O’Dwyer captained the team as he made his first appearance in nearly a year.

The same teams had met on May 3rd when Cherry Tree ran out winners by two wickets, but Coppice had other ideas on Sunday.

Batting first, Janayed Ilyas (26) and captain O’Dwyer (22) shared a 51-run partnership for the opening wicket before both were dismissed in quick succession.

Six players reached double figures, with Anis Haider top-scoring with 40 while Kamran Banaras and Luke Glover both hit 22 as Coppice closed on 190 all out.

Cherry Tree’s batters struggled against an impressive Coppice bowling attack, with James Hurst adding another three wickets to his season’s haul and Jack Dalziel chipping in with his best-ever Coppice figures of 3-1 from 1.5 overs as Cherry Tree were bowled out for 56 in 24 overs.