FIRST Division Rainford knocked Leigh out of the Liverpool Competition Twenty20 cup in the second round despite the best efforts of Ross Zelem.

The Leigh opener got their reply off to a blistering start, hitting 51 off 38 balls, but the home side finished their allotted overs 13 runs short of their target on 144-5.

Hedley Molyneux (2-21) took two early wickets for Leigh but Rainford battled back from 10-3 to record an imposing total of 157-4, thanks to an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 88.

Wicket-keeper James Seward hit 50 from 37 balls and captain Paul Farrar 36 from 31.

Zelem and captain Matt McKiernan (36 from 36 balls) looked well set to help Leigh reach their total, but after they fell Rainford stole the initiative to set up a third-round tie against Premier Division leaders Ormskirk.

Leigh became Ormskirk’s latest victim in the league on Saturday as they fell to a 58-run defeat.

Hosts Ormskirk declared after posting 190-8 from 55 overs, with their captain Matthew Glayzer last man out on 72.

Richard Dempster (3-42) and McKiernan (3-52) played their part in restricting Ormskirk from an even bigger score.

But Leigh’s reply collapsed following the dismissal of openers Zelem (60) and Molyneux (25), with no other batsman able to make it into double figures as they fell from 64 without loss to 132 all out.

The result left Leigh third-bottom in the table, one place and six points above the relegation zone.