4th XI: Low-Scoring Thriller at Colne

With PlayCricket suffering a nationwide outage on Saturday, our 4th XI match report was delayed—but the lads delivered a clinical performance on the pitch.

Lowerhouse won the toss and sent Colne 3rd XI in to bat, skittling the hosts for just 37 in a dominant display with the ball. Jax Edwards set the tone with an outstanding 3 for 7 off 6 overs, well-supported by Hammad Aurangzeb (2 for 10 off 3) and Josh Nelson (2 for 2 off 2).

The chase proved trickier than expected on a tough wicket, but Lowerhouse crossed the line 5 down in 15.4 overs, anchored by Oliver Roberts’ unbeaten 13.

1st XI: Heartbreak in Last-Over Stunner Against Walsden

With Ben sidelined by an ankle injury, Paddy stepped up to captain the 1st XI at home against Walsden, welcoming back Joe Hawke after his recent hiatus. Walsden won the toss and opted to bowl following a rain-delayed morning. In a reduced 46-over clash, Lowerhouse posted 169 for 8, driven by Dan Salpietro’s gritty 56, Frankie Haasbroek’s 32, and a solid 24 from skipper Paddy Martin.

Walsden’s chase started cautiously, reaching 128 for 2 off 35 overs and seemingly cruising toward victory. However, a sensational Lowerhouse fightback turned the match on its head, taking 3 wickets in just 5 balls.

With Walsden needing 37 off 67 balls with 5 wickets in hand, the House bowled their tightest spell of the season to squeeze the opposition down to the wire:

• The Squeeze: Walsden needed 18 runs off the final 5 overs with 4 wickets remaining.
• Final Over: Walsden required 4 runs off 6 balls.

Despite heroic efforts, Walsden managed to scrape over the line with just 1 ball to spare. Toxy Hussain led the bowling attack with 3 for 45 off 13, supported by Paddy Martin (2 for 37 off 12) and Dan Salpietro (1 for 30 off 10.5).

2nd XI: Title Race Goes Down to the Wire

The 2nd XI set up a dramatic final-day showdown after a convincing away victory against Nelson. Put in to bat in a rain-reduced 29-over match, Lowerhouse posted a competitive 138 for 6, thanks to joint top-scoring efforts of 43 from both Will Norcross and Oli Williams.

The bowling unit made short work of the reply, skittling Nelson for 81 in 27.5 overs. Declan Stansfield ripped through the lineup with 4 for 19 off 8 overs, while Jax Edwards capped off a brilliant weekend with 3 for 16 off 6.