Whalley Range were unable to follow up last week’s win over the league leaders with another victory on Saturday.

Range inflicted a first defeat of the season on Swinton Moorside before achieving a draw at home to Hindley St Peters this weekend.

Range won the toss and put the visitors into bat, with Saleem Akram taking 5-61 as Hindley scored 178-9 from their 48 overs.

And in reply, Range fell well short of their victory target with 139-7, picking up 10 points while Hindley secured 16.

Akram was in fine form, removing all of Hindley’s first five batsmen. James Hart (10) was first to go, caught by Faizan Ahmad, before fellow opener Mark Jones (18) was caught by wicketkeeper Chris Battle.

Martin Coetzee (10) was also caught behind, leaving Hindley on 46-3, before Martin Storey (6) was trapped leg before and Phil Moorfield (19) was caught by Aftab Younis.

A 69-run partnership for the sixth wicket took the visitors to 149, when Paul Delargy (22) was caught and bowled by Nigel Ramsumair (3-31), and Neil Cusick had Marc Birch (56) caught by Stephen Madden as Range wrapped up the innings.

Birch followed that up with 4-37, removing Range’s first four batsmen. Ahmad (5) was trapped lbw before Delargy caught both Zarrar Malik (18) and Aiden Erasmus (26) behind.

Stephen Madden (three) had been caught and bowled by Birch, leaving Range 62-4, and just two runs were added before Ejaz Din (eight) was caught by Storey off Ian Chesworth.

Cusick (34) and Waqas Malik (30no) took Range to 120, when Cusick was bowled by Paul Mather, and although the hosts lasted the 48 overs, they were way off the run rate needed for victory.

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