Lancashire League: Late heroics clinch stunning victory (24 June 1999)

24 June 1999

Lancashire League: Late heroics clinch stunning victory

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Jez Hope and David Ormerod bowled the Lancashire League to a stunning victory in their Inter League clash with the Central Lancashire League at Church last night.

Chasing a target of 166, the Central Lancashire League were bang on course for victory needing 12 to win off the last two overs with four wickets still in hand.

But Bacup's Ormerod then struck back with two wickets in the game's penultimate over to take his match haul to 4-26 and leave the Central Lancashire League still 10 short with six balls left.

And then Hope, who plays for Lowerhouse, wrapped things up in dramatic fashion with two victims off the first two deliveries of the final over to dismiss the visitors for 161 - six runs short of their target.

Earlier, an opening stand of 78 between Phil Deakin (56) and Simon Brierley (37) had put the Central Lancashire League in the driving seat until East Lancs' Nasir Iqbal struck back with two wickets.

And Ormerod then removed mid-order dangermen Garth Hunter (16) and Paul Carroll (23) courtesy of two fine catches from Enfield's Liam Jackson as the Central Lancashire League slumped to 144-6.

Even at that stage, they still looked favourites to meet their target until Ormerod and Hope performed some late heroics to swing the game back in their side's favour.

Source :: The Lancashire Evening Telegraph