Four intriguing matches at Neston Cricket Club saw Pirates extend their lead at the top of the Disability Premier League (DPL) going into the final week of the group stages.
Hawks (116) beat Black Cats (89) by 27 runs
An outstanding spell at the crease from Jack Perry (51no) consolidated Ronnie Jackson’s efforts (21) to give the Hawks a solid platform for their first win this summer.
Two wickets apiece for Callum Flynn, Alex Hammond, Connor Flaunty, and Hugo Hammond helped to restrict the Black Cats’ response, who fell 27 runs short of their 116 target.
Pirates (190-7) beat Tridents (111) by 79 runs
Exceptional performances from Pirates’ opening four batters carried the Pirates well beyond Tridents’ reach.
Liam Thomas (48), Daniel Bowser (26), and Anthony Clapham (44) all shone. But it was Brendon Parr who stole the show, smashing 46 runs from just 18 deliveries in an innings that included five fours and four sixes.
In response, Liam O’Brien (43) and Umesh Valjee (31) both battled valiantly for the Tridents.
Pirates (160-5) beat Hawks (110-6) by two runs (DLS Method)
Pirates maintained their 100% start to the DPL with a fourth consecutive victory.
Brendon Parr’s 72 took him to 118 for the day and 253 for the DPL season, more than double his nearest rival (team-mate Anthony Clapham, 122).
Parr took just 81 minutes to stamp his authority on the fixture, ably supported by Jordan Williams (42) and Clapham (13).
Hawks were set a revised target of 113 from 12 overs but, despite the best efforts of Hugo Hammond (61no), their chase fell agonisingly short.
Tridents (105-4) beat Black Cats (157-9) by six wickets (DLS Method)
Tridents put themselves into the driving seat in the battle for a place in the DPL final, reaching their revised target of 105 with just one ball to spare.
Chris Edwards (42) and Ben Sutton (33) both performed well for the Black Cats, but a triple-response from Gregor McKenzie (35), Ben Williams (33) and Josh Price (32) saw the Tridents edge home.
Tridents’ win puts them on four competition points, two ahead of Black Cats going into the final weekend of fixtures.
Black Cats bowler and current DPL leading wicket-taker James Dixon said: “The standard of the competition is incredibly high this year. Each summer, the bar keeps getting raised. It's putting us all to the test, and it definitely feels like we're being pushed to play our best cricket.
“There’ve been some incredibly close games so far and we’ve been playing some good cricket, with strong performances from individuals across our team. We’ve just struggled to get the final results we’ve been looking for.
“It’s been great to be able to contribute, but we still have some work to do if we want to qualify for Finals in a couple of weeks. We’re feeling the pressure, but I believe we have the fight in us to get there.”
Sunday September 8
NCPC, Loughborough University Campus, Leicestershire
Hawks v Tridents @ 10:30 (pitch 1)
Black Cats v Pirates @ 10:30 (pitch 2)
Black Cats v Hawks @ 14:30 (pitch 1)
Pirates v Tridents @ 14:30 (pitch 2)
Friday September 13
Sophia Gardens, Cardiff
DPL FINAL - TBC v TBC
The DPL is livestreamed on ECB's YouTube channel. Click here to find out how to watch and learn more about this year's competition.