Shireshead had a good weekend in the Westmorland Cricket League on Saturday as they climbed back to the top of Division One after a 10-wicket win at Heysham.

Heysham chose to bat first but could never break the shackles applied by Shireshead’s opening bowling pair of Dave Jack and James Rafferty.

Seven of the first 10 overs were maidens and once Rafferty had dismissed Jamie Antcliffe the wickets tumbled at regular intervals.

Rafferty had a stranglehold on the innings as he steadily picked up wicket after wicket, including three in one over, and he finished with the superb figures of 9 for 38, Tom Jacques picking up the last wicket to deny Rafferty all ten. Heysham captain Andy Powers (33 not out) batted through patiently amid the wreckage.

The Shireshead reply was a measured affair as Tom Jacques (60 not out) and young Joe Cunliffe (33 not out) knocked off the required runs for victory inside 25 overs. Both played in an accomplished fashion to secure the 15 point win, but it was certainly James Rafferty’s day.

On Sunday there was more success for Shireshead as they reached the Hackney and Leigh Cup Final after defeating Westgate by six wickets.

Westgate won the toss and elected to bat. Both openers departed to leave Westgate at 16 for 2 from seven overs. However, Dylan Conroy (44) took the attack back to Shireshead as he capitalised on some loose bowling.

Andy Hill (28) and Alex Briggs (22) continued the good work as the score ticked past 100 with 13 overs of the allotted 35 still remaining.

The fall of Briggs to Joe Cunliffe signalled a change in fortune as Shireshead gradually wrested back control, and only A. Arestidou (26) contributed over the latter part of the innings with Simon Gould (2 for 33) and Dave Jack (3 for 26) finishing strongly. However ,Westgate had good reason to be satisfied with 159 for 9.

The Shireshead reply began steadily. Tom Jacques (48) and Joe Cunliffe added 45 for the first wicket and when Cunliffe fell Shireshead needed 115 for victory from 120 balls.

Dave Jack joined Jacques and they added 31 until a tired Jacques fell, caught and bowled to Hill with 49 required for victory from 45 balls.

Paul Yates joined Jack at the crease, but with Jack striking the ball increasingly cleanly and Yates ensuring Jack got plenty of strike, Shireshead’s momentum gradually built.

Fourteen runs were required from the last 12 balls, but a tidy over from Conroy meant 9 runs were still required when the last over began.

Zac Buchanan was given the privilege of bowling, with Dave Jack on strike. Jack swung the first ball high over midwicket, where former PNE and Morecambe goalkeeper Arestidou dived valiantly but only succeeded in parrying the ball over the boundary for 4.

Jack (60 not out) then followed this with a mighty straight 6 to loud celebrations from a good-sized crowd to cap a superb innings and win a fantastic game of village cricket.

In Division One of the league, Windermere picked up 15 points after they defeated Arnside. Windermere had posted 125-9, After some tight bowling by Arnside, Windermere were on 48-2 at drinks.

However, a fourth wicket partnership of 80 between J. Park (70) and M. Park (25) picked up the run rate. Bullough (5-30) the main threat of the Arnside bowlers.

In reply Arnside were all out for 55. Two direct run-outs from S. Fletcher and M. Park saw the wickets fall. J. Park (4-29), M. Park (2-15), S. Carruthers (2-9) finished the innings off.

Milnthorpe defeated Warton in a low-scoring game. Warton were all out for just 67 thanks to a first innings return of 7-36 by J Parkinson. Milnthorpe knocked the runs off for the loss of two wickets as they closed on 71-2.

Westgate defeated Silverdale. C. Buchanen's top score of 68 saw Westgate post a formidable total of 164-4. In reply Silverdale were bowled out for 60 with the wickets shared throughout the team.

Darren Nelson returned figures of 7-13 as Carnforth sauntered past Ambleside. Nelson's first innings return saw Ambleside all out for just 29. In reply Carnforth closed on 34-2.

In Division Two Sedgwick defeated Westgate A R. Elliott and B. Chapman (21) put on 31 in just 11 overs but then the wheels fell of fWestgate’s wagon. Phil Webster (11) and David Hughes (6) were the next highest scorers as J. Dalzell (8-2-16-2) and M. Brierly (9-3-25-2) dealt with the top order. The tail failed to wag as C. Norman (5.1-3-6-3) and the jet lagged R Hanson (4-4-0-3) left the hosts with a feeble 57 on the board.

In reply the visiting skipper Adam Hornby (39 no) threw the bat at the bad balls and kept out the rest.

Jacob Vaughan (7-3-9-0) was the pick of the bowlers and claimed a run out as he brilliantly diverted a drive back to him on to the wickets with the non-striker out of his ground.

Sam Conroy (4-0-16-1) was unlucky not to have taken more wickets and Chris Beales (4-0-16-1) bowled with good pace and caused the batsmen problems, but there were far too few runs to defend and Sedgwick passed the total with a six that ended up stuck in a tree and with seven wickets in hand.