Six of the best for East but batting lets down Lancaster

A limp display with the bat put the brakes on Lancaster's bright start to the season.
Callum East is congratulated on a wicket. Picture: Tony NorthCallum East is congratulated on a wicket. Picture: Tony North
Callum East is congratulated on a wicket. Picture: Tony North

Table-toppers Leyland arguably scored 20 runs too many on an even-paced Lune Road pitch despite an impressive six-wicket haul from Callum East.

Lancaster skipper Ben Simm inserted Leyland and East found early joy when Chris Parkinson miscued a cut straight to Charlie Swarbrick at backward point.

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Professional Richardt Frenz never looked completely comfortable against East and the young quick got his man when the South African nicked to the safe hands of Abhimanyu Khod at slip.

Karl Cross couldn’t capitalise on an early reprieve when Alex Metcalfe spilled a simple chance at cover – the opener pinned by a Liam Moffat in-swinger for 19.

Despite the odd bad ball, East kept taking wickets from the River End – first castling Nathan McDonnell before making Andrew Makinson his fourth of the afternoon with a ball the right- hander did well to get bat on.

Lancaster had their foot in the door with Leyland five down but the languid Henry Thompson slammed it shut and he found assistance in the shape of Ross Bretherton.

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Thompson reached his 50 but a smart catch by Moffat at mid-wicket gave Simm his first scalp and Moffat then took the wicket of Bretherton for 38 before Dale Vardy and James Rounding moved the visitors beyond 180 as Moffat and the returning East mopped up the rest of the innings with Leyland finishing on 184 all out.

Openers Jamie Heywood and Metcalfe carried on from where they started the previous week but Makinson removed a prodding Metcalfe with the second ball of his spell at 32 for 1 and a second edge from Swarbrick gave McDonnell a simple catch at slip to make it 50-2.

A classic good length delivery saw the back of Heywood after nicking a Cross outswinger and pro Khod attempted a big drive and nicked off for 17 to give Cross his third and leave Lancaster in a hole at 60 for 4.

Rajat Agarwal followed soon after in similar fashion and just as Brendan Hetherington was beginning to find his stride Cross struck again – a towering leading edge found the bowler underneath it to give the seamer five wickets.

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When a Thompson off-break got through a wild swipe from Stuart Phillips it was all over bar the shouting at 85 for 7.

Lee Sparks couldn’t pull off any late order heroics, holing out to deep long-on and a Simm leading edge gave Bretherton a chance to chip in with the ball to leave Lancaster on the brink.

East was the last man to go, cutting Thompson to Parkinson at slip to cap off a sorry innings that failed to reach three figures.

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