Email This Article To Someone!

St John's continued their recent run of Premiership success by breezing past Crosby in quick time on Saturday. Having won the toss Crosby captain Dave Picken decided to bat and try expoit the very humid conditions by posting a large total and hopefully keeping St John's in the field for a reasonable period. However from the outset the Crosby innings was in trouble, losing openers Jack Rowlands and Kevin Kniveton in quick succession. Their main tormentor was Arnie Van Den Berg whose medium pace away swingers wreaked havoc with the Crosby top order. An inspired ten over spell saw him take six Crosby wickets for only 23 runs. Of the Crosby batsmen only Danny Kniveton offered any resistance and when he was bowled for 39 by Greg Hawke the rest of the innings quickly folded leaving St John's needing 106 to win. Crosby received some initial encouragement when skipper Dave Picken clean bowled the prodigious Chris Hawke for a duck but that was the last taste of success for the Marown outfit as John Norrington and Phil Littlejohn saw the Saints home in quick time with scores of 38 and 57 respectively. Crosby's batting obviously suffered from the absence of Simon Watson at the top of the order but their other batsmen need to show considerably more dedication and patience if they are to return to winning ways.

At College there was a not disimilar story as Castletown breezed past a struggling Loaghtyn Rams. Batting first Rams limped to 60 all out with Gareth Roome and Andy Sewell sharing seven wickets between them. In reply Castletown still managed to lose 4 wickets chasing this modest total, however a 24 from Gareth Morris was enough to see them comfortably home.

Standard Bank Premiership

Crosby 105 (D Kniveton 39, AvD Berg 6-23, G Hawke 3-33) St John's 106-1 (P Littlejohn 57no, J Norrington 38 no) St John's win by 9 wickets

Loaghtyn Rams 60 (G Roome 4-10, A Sewell 3-23) Castletown 61-4 (G Morris 24) Castletown win by 6 wickets

Ramsey 221 Cronkbourne 218. Ramsey win by 3 runs