Birkenhead Park 178, Poynton 162. Birkenhead won by 16 runs.
Possibly one of the greatest Poynton innings of recent times was not enough to prevent them sliding to defeat at Birkenhead Park. Brian Kingham's unbeaten 119, made from 146 deliveries with 14 fours and three sixes was certainly one of the very best the club can ever have seen in a losing cause.
On a good pitch with a small boundary, it was very disappointing that the next highest Poynton score was ten. Poynton were reduced to 16-4 and then 42-6 as John Costain took 4-27 in a 14 over opening spell. There were some significant partnerships thereafter, but with practically all the scoring being done by Kingham.
Kingham reached his fifity in 101 balls as he attempted to steady the faltering Poynton ship, thereafter boundaries almost came at will as he timed the ball superbly, and although he attempted a number of big shots, he never gave Birkenhead a sniff of taking his wicket.
Crucially Kingham was unable to claim the strike for the final over, otherwise no one would have bet against him scoring the 17 runs required for an unlikely Poynton win, but instead the last wicket fell with Kingham stranded at the other end, having made over 70 per cent of the total.
Antonio Mayers claimed another five wicket haul in the Birkenhead innings, whose top scorers were Stuart Langford, with 62, and Andy Lee, with 35, who led the recovery from 40-4.
Poynton now only have a meaningless last day fixture to play at home to Didsbury before their season ends.
