PRESCOT & Odyssey CC, who started the day in joint second place with Whitefield in the Merseyside & Southport Cricket Alliance, suffered a setback in their attempt to move clear from the Roby side.

Playing table-toppers NALGO at Alder Road, stand-in skipper Jason Ratcliffe won the toss and elected to field first. Cartmel and Tambe opened the bowling, the former taking the early wicket of NALGO leading run scorer McDonald before his line strayed and was replaced by Dagnall.

Tambe, in typical fashion, wheeled his way through 20 overs for just 50 runs and picked up five wickets into the bargain.

Dagnall took four wickets including opener Worthington for 43 and cleaned up the tail in an economic spell that yielded just 19 runs.

A target of just 114 to win may have lulled P&O into a false sense of security as some poor cricket and vital decisions going against them saw them scuttled for just 67 with only Ian Wilkinson really getting going to top-score with 25.

With Whitefield's game cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch P&O should really have taken advantage but have dropped into third place with three games in the season left but do have the easiest run-in of the top three and face already relegated Aughton at Burrows Lane this week.

The 2nd XI were soundly beaten by Prestatyn at Burrows Lane, despite setting a competitive total of 184, including a 50 from opener Neil Lockwood and a lusty 34 from Alex Morley.

The Welshmen though made light work of the reply. Hughes (86) just missed out on his ton as he was caught by Morley off the bowling of Doherty. That was the only wicket to fall in the Prestatyn innings, Young making 71 not out for the visitors taking them to victory in only 27.4 overs.

The 3rd XI drew a high-scoring match with neighbours Rainhill, who smashed 219-6 off 41 overs with Stre Khan making 126. James Taylor took four expensive wickets for P&O.

In reply Prescot mustered 127-6 ensuring the draw with Ste Crosbie top-scoring with 52.

On Sunday the 3rd XI took the long trip to Prestatyn for the final of the Merseyside Competition Trophy 2000 and were desperately unlucky not to take the title.

The Welsh side batted first and were bowled out for 163 in less than their allotted 40 overs, with Rod Dixon taking five wickets, Phil Kirk three and James Taylor two for P&O.

In reply P&O kept well up on the required rate and lost fewer wickets but when it came to the crunch were unable to reach the victory target. Needing four runs off the final ball Taylor was unable to connect, enabling Prestatyn to win by three runs. Earlier Kev Kehoe had scored 59 putting P&O in the box seat.

A disappointing day for the players and club but they have done themselves proud combining youth and experience well to reach the final.