Eagles beat EP in entertaining game

EP bowled first after winning the toss and dismissed Eagles for 220 in 47.1 overs as Usman Bashir smashed 72 from only 52 balls, with eight fours and five sixes, and Imran Khan hit 58, with 12 fours.

Jack Sunderland led the way for East Preston with 6-53 from 14 overs, while Dan Williams also grabbed two wickets.

EP made a steady start to their reply with a 61-run opening partnership between Chris Williams and Gary Weedon, before Williams was run out for 32 after a mix-up.

Weedon, Tim Miles and Colin Smith then fell in quick succession to leave East Preston 81-4.

Sunderland and Sean Rebbetts got EP back on track with a 78-run stand for the fifth wicket but Rebbetts’ dismissal led to four wickets falling for just six runs to leave EP 165-8.

Sunderland remained at the crease and added 38 for the ninth wicket with Joe Carter before he fell for a run-a-ball 85, which included eight fours and three sixes.

Carter and captain Richard Laker then fell just short of victory as Carter was bowled by Hameid Raiz, who finished with 5-16, in the final over of the game with five needed to win.

Laker said: “It was a very entertaining match for the spectators, with both teams fighting for the win from start to finish.

“I would have taken chasing 220 at the start of the game but we allowed Eagles to score 20-plus runs for their 10th wicket, which ultimately cost us the game. It was a lack of concentration on our part.

“Saying that, we did bowl and field well throughout, restricting Eagles to a score a lot less than they would have liked to set on our small ground. Jack was the stand-out performer with his six wickets and Joe Carter bowled very well, too, as did Tom and Dan.

“In reply, we made a solid start before Chris Williams was run out after a mix-up with Gary Weedon. Three more quick wickets fell before Jack and Sean put together a solid partnership and put us back in a winning position.

“Man-of-the-match Jack was brilliant again, hitting 85, but ran out of partners, leaving him just too much to do at the end, despite a good effort from Joe in the last few overs.

“It was very disappointing to lose, especially as we now find ourselves in fourth place 60-plus points behind Eagles.”