READERS Cup glory remains on the cards for Netherfield after the Parkside Road club booked their place in the semi-finals with victory over Preston.


Professional Colin Ackermann played a pivotal role in the home side setting a total of 237-8 from their 40-over allocation, top-scoring with 69.


Preston – currently bottom of the Northern Cricket League – mustered 142 in reply, with Netherfield skipper Marc Brown weighing in with four wickets.
 

Before starring with the ball, Brown ensured the hosts started in positive fashion by putting on 84 for the opening wicket with Ben Barrow.
 

Preston captain Soyeb Dukanwala interrupted progress by bowling Barrow five short of his half-century – an innings which contained six fours.


Brown followed shortly afterwards, trapped leg before by Andrew Starkie, after clearing the boundary ropes twice in a 45-ball stay at the crease.
 

And John Huck’s wicket was the third to fall without the addition of a run as the wicketkeeper returned a catch to Starkie off his own bowling.


Starkie – who went on to claim 4-40 from his eight overs – had Greg Hall caught at gully by Dukanwala before the Indian off-spinner accounted for Shane Dixon.


With the score on 114-5, Brendon Herron united with Ackermann to push the score onto 179 before the former became Starkie’s final victim after scoring 25.


Eastern Province batting all-rounder Ackermann had started his innings patiently before accelerating and finishing with a flourish, ultimately falling to Usman Alam with 222 on the board.


His 65-ball knock included seven boundaries and two sixes as lower-order contributions from Nathan Dixon and Bradley Earl took the score to 237.


Preston have struggled this season in the batting department with Netherfield’s total always likely to prove challenging.


And the difficulty of the chase was increased when Bradley Airey bowled opener Ben Harrison for seven with Yasin Patel falling soon after, caught by Barrow at point off Dixon.


The Lancashire club’s skipper, Sajid Patel, stuck around for a 43-ball 30 until being caught on the long-off boundary, again by Barrow, as Airey struck for a second time.


Dukanwala and Miya Ahmed Lunat took the away side’s score beyond a hundred before the latter fell to Ackermann, caught on the boundary fence by Dixon.


Javid Hussain was run out for two before any lingering hopes Preston may have had disappeared as Dukanwala was bowled by Brown for 37, with the score on 120.


The visiting lower-order then collapsed to 142 all out inside 36 overs, losing their last four wickets for 22 runs as Brown took centre stage with the ball, taking 4-12 from 4.3 overs.


After Earl bowled Yasin Boda, the former Carlisle man had Imtiaz Martak caught in the deep by Dixon before bowling Ali and Starkie for two and seven respectively.


This victory sees Netherfield set up a home semi-final clash with Blackpool, who completed a comprehensive eight-wicket win over Fleetwood on Sunday.