Standish Cricket Club capped off a historic week for the club by lifting their first-ever knockout cup title, completing a memorable few days following the opening of their new clubhouse after years of hard work, planning and perseverance.

Penwortham Cricket Club were excellent hosts for the 2026 Palace Shield Loxham Cup Final, which saw Standish take on Longridge 3XI.

Standish won the toss and elected to bat, with their opening partnership of 107 setting the tone for the innings. Wood contributed 49 and Khan an excellent 83, before Khushnood added 30 and captain Mitch Dwyer produced a blistering 63 from just 36 balls.

Longridge fought back through Limbani, who claimed four wickets and helped peg back the Standish middle order. From 208-2, Standish slipped to 254-8 from their allotted 40 overs, leaving Longridge with a challenging target.

With plenty of final experience behind them, Longridge entered the run chase confident. However, Standish's bowling attack oozed confidence from the very first ball.

Mohammed Asghar Jami struck immediately, dismissing Helm for 0 and Wilkinson for 1. Khushnood then removed Fairclough for 1, leaving Longridge struggling at 21-3.

Danny Wilkinson Jr (26) and James Gregson (37) attempted to rebuild the innings, but wickets continued to fall at regular intervals. John Simpson (60) and Tom Charnley (36) battled hard to keep Longridge in the contest, but Standish's bowlers continued to apply the pressure.

Captain Mitch Dwyer claimed two wickets as every Standish bowler played their part, eventually bowling Longridge out to secure a 63-run victory and their first knockout cup triumph.

It was a fantastic achievement for Standish Cricket Club and the perfect way to round off a truly historic week for the club.

Many thanks to our sponsors, MHA, for making the presentations, to Penwortham Cricket Club for their excellent hospitality and to the umpires and scorers for their efforts throughout the day.

Congratulations to Standish Cricket Club – 2026 Palace Shield Loxham Cup Champions!

Scorecard below.

https://northernpyramid.play-cricket.com/website/results/7728662