Wally's Dollys won the Pike Shield thanks to a commanding second innings performance against Abitare.

The Section J leaders overcame a shaky start to beat the Section K top team 254-206 at Bolton Cricket Club on Friday.

Abitare could scarcely have asked for a better start as opposition players Morgan Guest had no score, Elise Jackson was hit out and Selby Evans was out at first base on the first round.

Only four runs had been scored by the first five batters and they had two out. Then another two batters were dismissed at first base on the second round as the Abitare fielders grew in confidence.

But as the Dollys settled, Sinead McEown finished on double figures with 16 while the last pair, Alicia Ford and Cortney Kirby, scored 22 and 31 respectively, including a rounder by Kirby, the only one of the innings, to take Wallys Dollys to 104.

Abitare lost two batters on the first round and apart from a three by Angela Bennet, all the other batters scored singles.

Second time around, Tanya Chadwick and Bennet scored rounders with the others scoring singles except for Nicola Stephenson who was dismissed at first base. Remarkably, Gemma Grundy scored 12, all singles, before being caught out.

Natalie O’Mara scored six ones before escaping with a no score and going on to score another five singles. Then as one of the last three, she hit a rounder and a three before being caught out for 20.

Chadwick finished on 17 and Olivia O’Mara 16, but the star of the innings was Bennet who was denned for 51, including four rounders, to push the Abitare score to 130 and a lead of 26.

Wallys responded well at the start of the second innings with all batters surviving the first round although three failed to score.

They made steady progress scoring ones and twos, not taking risks, and after five rounds still had eight batters.

Last batter Kirby scored the only rounder of the innings and finished with 32, as one of the last pair, Elise Jackson scored 20 while five other batters had double-figure scores taking the innings total to 150 and 254 for the match.

That set Abitare a target of 125 and, in confident mood, Wallys dismissed two batters in each of the first two rounds, including Bennet who was out at first base for just two.

Despite losing their first innings star batter early, Abitare had rounders from Lesley Blinkhorn, Chadwick and last batter O’Mara, but Dollys did not panic and dismissed the opposition for 76.

Little Lever Cricket Club is the venue for the Blackburn Shield final on Friday when Section G leaders Stoneclough Ladies meet Kearsley Cricket Club who are in the middle of the Section I table, but league position is no real guide to a trophy final.

The semi-finals for the Handicap Competitions will be played at Bolton Cricket Club on Sunday. Darcy Lever C&SC A and The New Inn play their Festival Trophy game at 11am with the Dorothy Clarke game between Mad Hatters and Blades Barbers at the same time. These will be followed at 1pm by Hillbilys against Davies XI in the Festival and Darcy C&SC D against The Royal B for a place in the Dorothy Clarke final.