Pro Paranavithana fires Blackrod into Knockout quarters
Blackrod and Salesbury, the two remaining Anthony Axford North West Cricket League sides in the draw, will meet in the quarter-finals of the Lancashire Knockout Cup later this month after securing contrasting Sunday successes.
Salesbury beat Blackpool of the Northern Pyramid Premier League 1-0 in a bowl out after their second-round clash could not be played because of wet weather at the Toplex Salesbury Cricket Ground.
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Spinner Sam Bristol was their accurate hero amidst a series of misses from both sides.
Blackrod, meanwhile, won in more conventional fashion at home to NWCL rivals Padiham in a fixture which was unaffected by the weather at their Vicarage Road home.
Sri Lankan professional Navod Paranavithana top-scored with an opening 72 off 100 balls in Blackrod's 184-8 in 45 overs after they elected to bat first.
He was the only home batter to reach 20, even though five other team-mates made it into double figures.
Padiham captain Toby Burrows led the way with 3-13 from nine accurate overs of spin, while Oliver Parr and professional Iftikhar Naseer struck twice apiece.
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Naseer bowled his opposite number Paranavithana at 141-6 in the 38th over. But, crucially, another 43 runs were added. Charlie Fletcher's unbeaten 19 from number seven was central to that.
In their defence, Paranavithana struck twice, but the new-ball seam of Matthew Readey was key with 4-22 from his nine overs as Padiham fell from health at 78-2 in the 27th over to 140 all out in the 41st.
The key passage of play came when Readey struck three times in the 31st over, which saw Padiham fall from 88-3 to 88-6.
He bowled South African overseas amateur Zander Van Tonder and former skipper Owen Deakin-Pickard and trapped Cameron Thorne lbw. The latter two came in successive deliveries.
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From there, Padiham were always swimming against the tide.
Pro Naseer top-scored with 64 from number four and was last man out, caught off Thushendra De Zoysa.
Blackrod will now host Salesbury on June 29 in the last eight, in which they will be joined by Burnley, Clitheroe, Fleetwood, Formby, Netherfield and Northern.
Formby will play Fleetwood at home after Sunday wins against Appleby Eden and Roe Green, respectively.
Burnley will host Netherfield. Burnley beat Longridge and Netherfield triumphed against Lowerhouse.
And Northern will host Clitheroe after they won at Prestwich, who were last year's joint-champions with Ormskirk. Clitheroe, meanwhile, beat Shaw.
Prestwich had knocked Ormskirk out in last month's Round-One repeat of last year's final, which had failed to finish - hence joint champions.
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