White Coppice 1st XI beat Norcross 2nd and the weather to pick up a massive 12 points to rise to fifth in the league.
With captain Jake Smalley unavailable, Ryan Adderley skippered the team.
One of the first things he did was agree to reduce the match to 20 overs-a-side to try to beat the forecast rain.
He then won a crucial toss and asked Norcross to bat first.
Adderley opened up with his fellow spin twin Amaan Ughradar, reducing Norcross to 28-8.
Norcross reached 15-0 but Adderley took three wickets in a triple maiden over before James Morris was run out by Richard Bush to reduce the innings to 20-4.
Ughradar finished with 3-12 while Adderley went one better to take 4-10 on top of the 6-26 he took against the same opposition in June – giving him combined figures of 10-36!
Any hopes of a Norcross revival were snuffed out by Ibby Akram, who took 2-5 off 3.4 overs as the innings closed on 48 all out after just 53 minutes. Eyewitnesses say Akram’s first four deliveries were ‘unplayable’.
White Coppice’s openers Richard Bush and Matt McGuinn made a solid start before McGuinn was controversially run out for six for backing up too far with no advance warning from the bowler.
McGuinn must have broken a mirror in a former life because he’s had zero luck this season but he continues to put the team ahead of any personal glory.
The dismissals of Dan Preston and Ughradar reduced Coppice to 25-3 but an unbeaten 23 by in-form Richard Bush at a run-a-ball guided his team to an emphatic seven-wicket win before the rain started to fall.
It was a superb all-round performance ahead of next week’s game at second-placed Thornton Cleveleys 3rds.
White Coppice 2nd XI slipped to a soggy six-wicket defeat against Burscough 2nds.
With Martin Cuerden unavailable, Jeff Smith stepped up as captain and his first job was to lose the toss.
With rain forecast, Burscough declined the offer of playing a rain-reduced game and asked Coppice to bat first on a well-used wicket in persistent drizzle.
The visitors reached 40-1 before Sharu Ughradar was dismissed for a patient 14 off 49 balls.
Russ Millhouse top scored with a crisp 26 off 34 balls but only two players reached double figures as Coppice were bowled out for 101 in the 36th over.
Burscough’s openers reached 26 before Ubaid Rehman made the breakthrough thanks to a stunning one-handed catch in gully by Ughradar.
The home side slipped to 40-4 with Adam Mannan taking 2-24 but Coppice were punished for dropping Burscough captain Anthony Dever, who hit an undefeated 50 off 48 balls.
White Coppice Sunday team headed to Eskdale for their annual friendly fixture.
Coppice captain Tom Dulson won the toss and decided to bowl first as Eskdale reached 71 before losing their first wicket. They finished on 166-6 from their 30 overs.
In reply Coppice were bowled out for 88 with Dulson (19); Jim Lawrenson (16); David Elstins (14) reaching double figures.
