Lune Road presented a tough surface to bat on with little pace but Morecambe got off to a steady start through Sam Dixon and the returning Ikram Ullah.

Callum East impressed from the River End taking the ball away from Morecambe’s right-handers as both openers fell but Morecambe still had a good platform at 43 for 2 after 8.

Ben Simm rotated himself, Iain Burstow and Rameez Raja to stem runs but Ryan Pearson and Siraj Randiv kept the scoreboard moving for the visitors.

Raja got the vital wicket of Randiv with the score on 56 as a length ball popped on the Sri Lankan who could only spoon the ball to cover.
Ryan Pearson impressed at the crease with 22 but the Lunesiders began the wrestle control from the visitors.

The bat of Eddy Read has given Lancaster headaches in recent weeks but it wasn’t to be this time for the Yorkshireman as he holed out to long-off – 82 for 4.

With 5 overs remaining wickets began to tumble. First Pearson and then Phil Thornton departed exposing Morecambe’s tail.
Burstow and Simm worked well in tandem before Moffat returned to mop up the lower order.

From 90 for 4 Morecambe fell to 98 all out chasing quick runs in the final four overs with the wickets shared among the Lunesiders’ attack.

Playing back on Lune Road can often be a risky business and the hosts suffered an early setback as pro Raja was pinned LBW by his opposite number Suraj Randiv in just the second over.

But Lee Sparks continued to impress – striking two maximums in his quickfire 31 to get the hosts rolling.

Suraj Randiv posed problems for Lancaster’s batsmen from the Atherton Road end, bowling Heywood and then turning one through the gate of Sparks in his final over to leave the Lunesiders 51 for 3.

Enter Charlie Swarbrick who steadied the jitters initiated by Randiv with some sumptuous cover drives.

With the hosts 63 for 3 at the halfway point, Morecambe needed wickets and got them as Jamie Cassidy bowled a tight spell removing Kieran Moffat and Craig Heywood – 77 for 5.

Swarbrick kept his cool however and supported by Iain Burstow, the Lunesiders edged toward the target.

With Read bowled out, Dixon could do little as Iain Burstow struck the winning runs with an over to spare – Swarbrick finishing with an excellent unbeaten 35 as the LPNM Lunesiders won by five wickets.