Thread by @TomEvansCricket

Nice day for it. I’m at @RainhillCric, where league leaders @Leigh_CC are batting first. Couple of overs in, from Khalid Usman and Jamie Harrison, not much to report except what a nice day it is.

Relatively sedate start, which honestly I could do with after last week. Opening pair of Tom Grundy and Sam Dorsey have moved the score on to 14/0 without undue alarm. Attacking field for Khalid; Grundy punches a full toss through it. 18/0 from 5 overs.

Batters happy to dig in and wait for the loose ball. Not too many of those so far - Harrison sticking to a testing full length. 22/0 from 10 overs

Wicket - Grundy stays back to one from Khalid and misses it - looked pretty plumb LBW to me. 22/1

Big over from Khalid, that - he’s looked steady but not especially threatening beforehand. Matty Hurst the new man.

Hurst seems keen to play a few shots, sweeping Khalid for four. Paul Millar replaces Harrison. 40/1

Important breakthrough for Millar - Hurst has a go at a wide one but can only nick it. 47/2. Captain Karl Brown the new man.

This is Millar’s first league game for the 1st XI and he’s looked tidy. Keeping it full and straight (even though a short wide one got the wicket). Hurst a decent first scalp! 51/2

The players are having a nice drink. Very sunny but a bit of a breeze.

Another for Millar - Dorsey pushes forward and nicks to wicketkeeper Brown. 52/3 and the leaders in a bit of trouble.

Adam Shallcross punches Millar for two through the covers, but he’s given very little away. Currently 2/8 from five overs.

Brown starting to tick though. Two fours in an over from Khalid, then a flat pull for six off Millar. 83/3

Vish Maheshwari - also on 1st XI debut - replaces Millar. Brown puts his loosener over the clubhouse. Shallcross also starting to settle. 104/3

A *very* long train goes past as Harrison replaces Maheshwari after two overs. 115/3

These two have put on 63 in virtually no time.

Harrison has calmed the scoring rate but there’s only so many overs he can bowl in this heat. Shallcross belts Khalid down the ground and not one man moves. 124/3 in the 35th.

Brown squeezes two out to backward point to move to 50. Celebrates by launching Harrison back over his head for six. 140/3

In-out field as Khalid bowls to Shallcross… and gets him caught behind on the sweep. He’s not happy but has to go. Important breakthrough - 142/4

Harry Church joins his skipper, who is continuing to play his shots. Khalid disappears through mid-off and it’s 158/4 with 14 overs to go until the cut-off.

Drinks at 159/4. Brown 74*.

Former Lancs man into the 80s now - choosing which balls to go for, and giving it absolutely everything when he does. 173/4

Five on the leg side boundary as Harrison bowls to Brown… and one of them, Khalid, catches him at long-on for a fine 87. Put his side in the lead, if not quite in command yet. 180/5

Alex Mason is the first LHB we’ve seen today. Khalid still wheeling away from the bottom end, unchanged all innings. Leigh’s lower order have a job to do to seal maximum points - they need 38 from eight overs. 182/5

Harrison has switched from fast-medium to finger spin. Possibly his way of hinting it’s time for a breather - has been hurtling in for some time in the hot sun. 194/5 in the 49th

50 overs up and the 220 target well within reach. 208/9 as Mason turns Harrison for four.

Elsewhere, S&B’s Aryan Juyal has a lot to learn - normal procedure the week after I’ve done a big feature about how great you are is to get out for single figures. Instead he’s scored another century, at Northern.

Here, Millar is back on, and he traps Mason LBW. 218/6

Bonus points in the bag in the 53rd over - don’t think Brown is the type to bat on. Khalid bowls Finn Hulbert to make it 223/7… out comes the next man though.

No declaration yet, so he’ll probably pull the plug in two overs. Church and Nathan Graham just trying to blast a few more. But Graham picks out Jamie Cooke and the declaration comes at 228/7

Millar finishes with four wickets, an excellent return despite Brown getting after him a bit. Lion-hearted spells from Khalid and Harrison. But I get the feeling Leigh have achieved what they set out to, and 229 will take some chasing against their attack.

I was wrong last week. Will I be wrong again? Who can say.

Also a nonzero chance I’ll have to leave abruptly, if you were looking for an extra frisson (if a Test and the FA Cup final aren’t too distracting, you bunch of part-timers). Finn Hulbert has the ball for Leigh, 229 the target.

And he strikes in the first over - Ross Higham, having punched one for four, edges low to second slip. 4/1

The other batter is Billy Godleman. If he gets a century, I’ll ask him about the thing. He and number 3 Mike Rotheram are both wearing number 10; thankfully, they’re batting the opposite way round from each other.

Patrick Allan the other opening bowler. Both he and Hulbert have been a big part of why Leigh are top of the league. Godleman creams Hulbert through the covers when he strays too full. 13/1

Allan with a celebrappeal against Rotheram which is turned down. Good wheels though.

Godleman launches Hulbert into someone’s garden. Great shot. This is the ball after.

Allan hits Rotheram on the pad again… this time he gets the verdict. Very full, looked straight enough from here (long on boundary). 25/2

Meanwhile Aryan Juyal has done this… though as my young assistant today was quick to point out, I would quite often get the same score week after week in my playing days.

James Clarke (called him Jamie Cooke earlier, apologies, he has JC on his shirt) has joined Godleman. 29/2, another 200 needed.

Another for Allan, and another LBW, bending one into the left-handed Clarke’s pads. 35/3

Khalid Usman is the new man. Godleman flicks Hulbert for six off one leg. Fine shot, the sort of shot you’d want to be your photographic legacy for all time. But you don’t always get to choose, do you?

Khalid eases Allan through the covers, lovely shot. Scoring at a decent rate despite the wickets - 51/3 off 10. Wallasey have completed a 10-wicket rout of Orrell Red Triangle.

Adam Shallcross replaces Allan. Another excellent seam option for the leaders. 56/3 chasing 229

Spin from the other end as Alex Mason comes on. Got one eye on my phone battery here. Might have to go milestones and wickets only, or if there’s a dog on the pitch.

50 for Godleman. Very busy innings. Khalid looking solid too. 99/3, 130 to win.

#Drinks at 107/3. 20 mins or so plus the last hour to go. 122 to win.

Godleman has his sweep working. Leigh’s turn to look short of ideas. Hulbert coming back for the last over before the last hour. 134/3, 95 to win.

Last hour. 137/3. 92 needed from 20 overs. Singles available everywhere - Leigh need this wicket.

And at precisely the worst moment, I have to go. Sorry. Updates later.

Rainhill won by five wickets - Khalid finished on 95*. Godleman was run out for 74.

@threadreaderapp unroll