Mens Knockout Cup Second Round Summary
Rain, bowl-out drama and Grey's 184 set up Lancashire Knock Out Cup quarter-finals
The race to Finals Day took a significant step forward on Sunday as the 2026 Lancashire Knock Out Cup quarter-final line-up was confirmed following a dramatic second round that featured weather interruptions, two bowl-outs and one extraordinary individual performance.
With rain sweeping across parts of the county, several ties were affected by the conditions. Royton and Horwich RMI both had to rely on bowl-outs to secure their places in the last eight, adding a rare twist to a competition that continues to produce drama at every stage.
The outstanding performance of the round came from Northern opener Liam Grey, whose magnificent 184 against Morecambe lit up Moor Park. Grey's innings, packed with boundaries and controlled aggression, helped Northern pile up an imposing 355-3, comfortably the highest total recorded across the round.
Supported by Stephen Lucas' superb 97, Northern laid down a marker as one of the competition favourites before completing a comprehensive victory to book a quarter-final meeting with Kearsley.
Kearsley themselves showed why they remain dangerous opponents. Reduced to 47-7 against Cheshire Lines, they appeared on the brink of elimination before Dhanraj Patel produced one of the innings of the competition. His counter-attacking 86 transformed the contest and laid the platform for a 49-run victory.
At Rainford, Jason Login starred with both bat and ball as the hosts progressed through their encounter against Farnworth Social Circle. Login claimed five wickets before returning to the crease to guide Rainford safely through the revised chase.
Leigh's reward for eliminating first-round centurion Syed Haider's Vertex side is a home quarter-final against Garstang. Karl Brown's unbeaten 63 from just 28 balls proved decisive as Leigh advanced in emphatic fashion.
Garstang, meanwhile, survived one of the most dramatic moments of the round. Chasing Chorley's total, they looked to be cruising before a collapse threatened to hand the initiative back to the visitors. However, Theo Smith held his nerve to steer Garstang over the line and into the last eight.
Settle produced arguably the bowling performance of the weekend. Defending just 153, they dismantled Little Lever for 53 to complete a remarkable 100-run victory and secure a quarter-final trip to Royton.
The weather ultimately had the final say in two ties. Royton were declared 3-0 bowl-out winners against Ormskirk after posting 161-6 before rain intervened, while Horwich RMI defeated Netherfield 2-0 in a bowl-out after the visitors were denied the opportunity to begin their chase.
The results leave just eight clubs standing as attention turns to the quarter-finals on Sunday 28 June:
Quarter-Final Draw
- Northern CC v Kearsley CC
- Rainford CC v Horwich RMI CC
- Leigh CC v Garstang CC
- Royton CC v Settle CC