Radcliffe skipper Richard Farnworth won the toss and had no hesitation to in batting first on another screamer of a Towncroft pitch.

The two Richards, Valentine and Fitton, opened up for Middleton with a tight spell – restricting the home side to just 27 from the first 10 overs.

Fitton once again bowled his 7 allotted overs and had commendable figures of 0 for 12 from his 7. Fellow left-armer George Walker replaced Fitton and he too had fine figures of 0 for 14 from 6 tight overs.

The experienced Valentine was bowling steady from the Hollin Lane End, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be his day with a number of edges dropping short of the fielders and falling into gaps.

Daniel Core replaced Valentine and immediately got the breakthrough with the score on 68, having Whiteley stumped by Scott Stanworth for 19.

A good partnership for the visitors took the score to 126 before Dale Highton, bowling his slow left armers, bowled Patel (21) and Core striking in the very next over, getting Farnworth for a well played captains innings of 63.

The spin twins then ripped through the Radcliffe lower order, although they could not quite finish them off, the visitors innings ending on 193 for 9 after the 50 overs.

High ton took 3 wickets for 60 runs, but the main man for the Moonrakers was Daniel Core who claimed an impressive 6 for 60 from 15 overs.

Scott Stanworth and George Walker opened up the innings for Middleton and put on a superb stand of 71. Stanworth was the main aggressor with 50 from only 46 balls, including 8 fours, before being caught out at gulley after immediately reaching his half century.

Steve Davey joined Walker and another half century partnership, this time of 66; put Middleton in the driving seat.

Walker fell with the score on 137, stumped by Farnworth of Whiteley for 39 – in a knock which can only do a youngster the world of good.

Grant Jones joined the skipper to bring up the third 50 run partnership of the game for the home side, a partnership that took the Moonrakers home with nearly 10 overs to go. Jones finished on 19 and once again Captain Davey saw his side through with a fine 60 not out off 88 balls to keep the winning run going.

- A maiden half-century from Andrew Deakin set up a very convincing victory against Radcliffe for the Second Eleven.

Batting first, Middleton set a total of 206 for 8. Deakin top scoring with 58, with useful contributions from Marvyn Dickinson (41) and Sam Warren (24) and Mark Buckley (17).

The chase was always going to be a difficult one for Radcliffe and at a position of 19 for 3 it was looking more and more like a foregone conclusion the only batter to get into double figures was Gul Zada, who hit 66 off 63 deliveries including a 'switch-hit' that went for a one bounce four.

But Middleton's quality prevailed with tight bowling and an almost faultless fielding display, Radcliffe were eventually 128 all out. Reece Jones being the pick of the bowlers taking 4 wickets for 30 runs.

Middleton (5 points) defeated Radcliffe (0 points) by 78 runs

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