ADAM Shallcross gave a youthful Leigh side hope of an unlikely victory with a blistering debut century for the first team at Lytham before they eventually fell 32 runs short of their target.

The 20-year-old all rounder was one of the older heads in a side with an average age of 18½ that included five teenagers and four young debutants from the Under-15s team.

Injuries, absentees and county withdrawals had forced Leigh into making the call-ups for the Liverpool Competition Premier Division match.

But Shallcross stood up to shoulder some of the responsibility, taking 2-51 as Lytham declared on 260-4 from 48.4 overs.

He then came to the crease with Leigh on 68-3, and after opener Ross Zelem fell for 35 the youngster watched on as wickets tumbled at the opposite end.

Leigh were reduced to 110-6 when Shallcross was joined by 14-year-old Lewis Bailey, but the pair shared a stand of 88 for the seventh wicket.

Bailey eventually went for 24 but Shallcross hogged the strike, protecting tail-enders Ben Smith, Lewis Dove and Andrew Bradshaw – all aged 14 – to rack up 117 from 96 balls before he was caught to leave Leigh stranded on 228 all out.