Leigh Cricket Club still top of Liverpool Cricket Competition (From Leigh Journal)

Leigh Cricket Club still top of Liverpool Cricket Competition

3:59pm Friday 28th May 2010 in

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NINE bonus points for Leigh's first XI will be the sole positive they can take from Saturday as visiting side Maghull won by one wicket chasing 231.

Leigh will look back on a poor performance in the field and wonder what could have been, despite remaining top of the Liverpool Competition First Division.

The Leigh skipper Dave Dove led from the front after his heroic 98 saw his side recover from a middle order collapse and posted a total of 231 on a flat track at Beech Walk.

Karl Brown made 42 from 40 balls and Paul Keenan, 35, was unlucky to be on the wrong side of a dubious umpiring decision.

Dave Dove and Barry Greenwood batted well towards the end of the innings and provided 50 runs for the eighth wicket partnership and gave Leigh a strong chance to win the game.

On a very flat wicket and a rapid outfield, bowling a side out was always going to be tough but Leigh will have to, grudgingly, admit they lost the game in the field.

Poor ground fielding and dropped chances have to be regarded as cardinal sins in such conditions and Leigh were guilty of several of these crimes.

Shane Townsend cashed in and scored an impressive 120 for the visitors and set up the game for the lower order to, eventually, finish off.

Leigh were unable to capitalise on chances provided to them and failed to convert pressure into wickets.

The only stand-out bowler for Leigh was Richard Dempster, who took 4 for 46, and Joe Davies was, yet again, immaculate behind the stumps and did everything he could to drag Leigh back into the contest.

Maghull finished the game in the last over when they required four with one wicket left.

A sweetly timed cover drive from Bower confirmed the first defeat of the season for Leigh.

Fortunately for Dove’s side they were able to pick up nine bonus points and remain top of the league by a handful of points.

They will need to ensure there is no repeat this weekend where they entertain Liverpool at home on Saturday and then Skelmersdale on bank holiday Monday.