Birch shines as Wavertree widen gap at the top; LOCAL CRICKET.

Byline: ANDREW STRATTON

WAVERTREE increased their lead at the head of the Bromborough Paints Merseyside and Southport Alliance with a 44-run success at Moorfield.

Players to shine were Josh Birch with 63, Ian Jennions 5-54 and Neil Clarkson 4-46. Mike Harrison struck 80 for the losers.

Second-placed Whitefield went under by 39 runs at Sutton. Ron Hughes 66 and Steve Birkett 4-42 were best for Sutton. Nareen Ashraf hit 63 for Whitefield and Rafa Afridi claimed 5-66.

Alder cruised home against Haydock by nine wickets. Scott Aitchison reached 46 not out. Mark Masroor claimed 4-6 and Steve Dean included a hat-trick in his 4-29 return.

Birkenhead St Mary's whipped Southport Trinity by seven wickets. Shakeel Nawaz played a key role with 6-37.

Parkfield Liscard accounted for Norley Hall by 68 runs. Amir Baig top scored with 77 and Grant Hughes finished with 5-38. Best for Norley were Chris McLoughlin with 86 and Wayne Cassidy 4-58.

Rain brought a premature finish at Prescot & Odyssey who were on 155-5 chasing a 211-8 declared total by Caldy. Best for the combined side were David Atkinson with 43 not out and Laurence Mason with 4-67. Danny Hargreaves struck 73 for the Wirral side and Chris Edwards 55.

Maritime went under by five wickets at home to Huyton despite good knocks from Falias Linz 74 and Sellathurai Sasikumar 45. Peter White 45 and Mohammed Zahid 5-61 were influential for the winners.

SCORES: Merseyside and Southport Alliance: Alder 73-1 (S Aitchison 46no), Haydock 72 (M Masroor 4-6, S Dean 4-29); Birkenhead St Mary's 54-3, Southport Trinity 53 (S Nawaz 6-37); Maritime 164 (F Linz 74, S.Sasikumar 45, M Zahid 5-61), Huyton 165-5 (P White 45); Moorfield 135 (M Harrison 80, I Jennions 5-54, N Clarkson 4-46); Wavertree 1766dec (J Birch 63); Norley Hall 151 (C McLoughlin 86, G.Hughes 538), Parkfield Liscard 219-8dec (A Baig 77, W Cassidy 4-58); Prescot & Odyssey 152-5 (D Atkinson 43no), Caldy 211-8dec (D Hargreaves 73, C Edwards 55, L.Mason 4-67); Sutton 250-8dec (R Hughes 66, R Afridi 5-66), Whitefield 211 (N Ashraf 63, S Birkett 442). Merseyside Competition: Aigburth 165-7 (J Russell 74no), Old Xaverians 210-4dec (K Heywood 87, J McDonald 83no); Bromborough 112-9, Manweb 172-6dec (J Roberts 77); Goodlass 80, Cheshire Lines 84-5; Merseyside Commonwealth 183-2 (J Joshi 75no, P Griffiths 51), Singlehgurst 182-5dec (W.Vernon 83); Port Sunlight 200 (J Roberts 46, J Kelly 4-37), St Mary's College OB 91-9 (J Roberts 5-37).