Barkby United sunk by Khan and Mehmood

After captain Steve Flowers won the toss and put the visitors in, Will Fazakerley struck an early blow, having pinch hitter Charles Dagnall caught sharply at slip by Tom Flowers for six.

Rothley found runs hard to come by against Fazakerley who regularly beat the bat, and Ian Kirk who trapped Williams (14) lbw.

Karim and Khan consolidated as they looked to rebuild the innings as Kirk continued to pose problems, his 10 overs going for 21 runs, while Aiden Morris started tightly as the visitors reached 65-2 off the first 20 overs.

Karim was run out sharply by the combination of Kirk and Ben Silver which brought in international hockey player Ward.

After an escape, Khan and Ward then launched a ferocious counter-attack, with usually reliable Barkby spinners Townsend (0-83) and Drake (0-78) coming in for serious punishment.

Left arm spinner Sharpe failed to stem the flow of runs as Ward helped himself to 20 from the over.

Fazakerley eventually made the breakthrough, removing Ward (82) caught and bowled with the score on 228-4.

But with Fazakerley (2-47) now bowled out, Khan and O’Brien (37 not out) piled on the runs as Rothley closed on a mammoth 339-4 with Hamzah Khan scoring an incredible 158 from 119 balls.

Barkby’s reply began disastrously, with Matt Boyce was trapped in front first ball and then Flowers cleaned up for 14, both to Mehmood.

Kirk (17) was next to fall as Barkby struggled on 38-3.

David Tew and Fazakerley took the score to 62 before Tew fell to Dagnall for 19, and just as Fazakerley looked set for a big innings, he became Dagnall’s second wicket, for 32.

Silver hit three boundaries in a breezy 17 before snicking off to Dagnall, and any hopes of a famous run chase were quickly dampened when Steve Flowers fell for 42.

Hong Kong paceman Mehmood (7-22) mopped up the tail as Barkby collapsed to 165 all out.

Barkby will look to return to winning ways at Barrow on Saturday.