FBC Manby Bowdler Shropshire League leaders Lilleshall kept their top spot in division one with a four wicket victory at Pontesbury.
It was their sixth win in eight games and maintained their one point lead over Allscott, who also won.
Now the top two meet at Lilleshall tomorrow (2pm) and adding spice to the occasion will be the fact that the visitors seem sure to include three or four ex-Lilleshall
players in their team.
At Pontesbury, Lilleshall had a dream start when Steve Bate, bowling the first ball of the second over, dismissed the in-form Sean McCarthy with a slow ball that had the batsman lbw for nought.
Askin then dismissed the other opener also for a duck, and when Bate (2-11 off nine overs) struck again to make it 29-3 Lilleshall were well in command.
They were even happier when the ever-dangerous Askin cut short a mini revival, suddenly finding an extra gear to grab three quick wickets.
The first came with a Nick Clewley catch in the slips and then keeper Price hung on to two edges behind the wicket.
Andy Bate (1-37) took a catch off his own bowling to take the seventh and after a spell of really sloppy Lilleshall fielding Ian Dawes held on to a fierce drive at cover point to give Askin his fifth wicket. He finished with 5-77 off his 20 overs.
Dawes came on at the end to claim two wickets as the tail threatened to wag and Pontesbury were finally all out for 151.
It was a score that Lilleshall would have taken at the start of play but they still felt the home side had got off the hook thanks to some lack lustre ground fielding.
However, openers Simon Bushell and Dave Marshall banished any thoughts of self pity with an opening stand of 60 that should have set Lilleshall on the way to a comfortable victory.
Marshall, in particular, took advantage of some short-of-a-length bowling and it was a bit of a surprise when he top edged a catch to third man after he had made just 37.
Lilleshall then contrived to give away the wickets, although Bushell could hardly do anything with the ball that trapped him lbw for 28. They still needed 40 to win when Price joined Clewley for the seventh wicket – but they stayed together to steer Lilleshall home.
Skipper Clewley led from the front with an unbeaten 36 that contained some commanding drives through the offside.
He was ably backed by the solid Price (14 not out), who finally finished it off with a glorious cover drive for another 21 points to set up tomorrow’s vital clash.
