Preston Strikers leapfrogged White Coppice 1st XI to regain top spot in Division 5 with a comprehensive 106-run win on Saturday.

It was the third time the two sides had met this season but, on this occasion, there was no repeat of Coppice’s earlier league win and dramatic victory in the Crabtree Cup a fortnight ago.

Saturday’s game was switched from Preston Strikers’ ground after an errant cricket ball broke a solar panel on a nearby house.

White Coppice went into the match on the back of seven straight league and cup wins, and captain Jake Smalley won the toss and had no hesitation in asking the opposition to bat first on a green track.

Strikers’ prolific opening batsman Berin Shaji was out injured, so wicketkeeper Jithinraj Sundharan was promoted up the order to open with Nakulan Vm.

With Matt Tinsley away, Nathan Shepard opened the bowling and nearly had a wicket with the first ball of the match. Sundharan edged to first slip Bobby Wood but he was unable to cling on one-handed and the ball went to the boundary.

However, Shepard was not to be denied for long when he dismissed Vm, who top-edged a pull to Anis Haider at fine leg.

Haider nearly had a wicket of his own in his first over when Sundharan nicked one to wicketkeeper Ant Dark, who couldn’t cling on, and Wood was unable to grab the parry.

Sundharan’s luck finally ran out when he fell to one of the catches of the season. He clubbed Shepard to the long-off boundary but Elliot France turned on his heels to take a stunning two-handed grab over his shoulder.

At that stage Preston Strikers were 24-2, but Prasanna Pandi and Jishnu (23) consolidated with a partnership of 41 to take the score to 65 before the latter was bowled by Visakh.

Jerin James, who was out first ball in the Crabtree Cup match, had more success this time with 33 from 30 balls, including two big sixes.

The standout innings of the day came from Pandi, who hit his first-ever hundred.

After a patient first 50, punctuated with a number of quickly run singles, he moved up the gears to pepper the boundary for his second 50. In total, he hit 10 fours and three maximums on his way to an unbeaten 103 from 101 balls.

Preston Strikers lived up to their name by clearing the ropes nine times to close their innings on an imposing 241-7 from their 45 overs.

Captain Smalley took a leaf out of Ben Stokes’ book by deciding to open the innings, albeit he has no intention of retiring.

Preston Strikers’ opening bowlers Shibu Mathew and Sravan Nalonthayil conceded 13 wides between them in a wayward opening spell.

Coppice made a good start at 72-1 before losing their last nine wickets for 63 to be all out for 135.

Adderley was the first to go for 26 from 30 balls when he was caught and bowled by Mathew.

Smalley hit five fours and one huge six on his way to a top score of 36 before perishing.

Preston Strikers fielded brilliantly, underlined by the tumbling boundary catch to dismiss Bobby Wood and the run-out of Elliot France with a direct hit.

Ant Dark hit a quickfire 24 from 17 balls but Preston Strikers fully deserved their 106-run win.

• White Coppice 3rd XI lost a thriller against Southowram CC by nine runs.

At 145-8 in pursuit of a target of 155, White Coppice looked set for a memorable run chase before Marcus Barretto and Janayad Ilyas were dismissed in quick succession by Martin Bishop.

Earlier, Tom Dulson won the toss and decided to bowl first and was rewarded with an excellent display from his bowlers.

Syed Bukhari and Vincent Evans bowled excellent opening spells, but bad luck struck at the end of over 16 when Janayed Ilyas crumpled after starting his 3rd over. A suspected tear in his calf put him out of the game, so skipper Tom Dulson finished off the over. There was also good support from Phil Caswell, picking up career best figures of 3-14, two of which came from quick stumpings by Chris Scott.

In reply, Scott (19) and Syed Bukhari (27) shared an opening partnership of 36, with 23 runs coming from a memorable first over. A flurry of wickets saw Coppice reduced to 61-4, before Joe Seager (22 from 38 balls) and Vincent Evans (26 from 49 balls) built the club’s 3rd best 5th wicket partnership of the season, taking the score to 96.

Captain Dulson had a strike rate of 600 at one point, smashing his first ball for a big six.

Reduced to 10 men, there were just ten runs needed to win. Seager’s 12-year old son, Seth, who was scoring, said he would pad up & make both his hardball & Coppice debut as the eleventh man. His bravery in stepping up for the team was commendable but ultimately White Coppice fell agonisingly short.