Isle of Man Cricket Association’s 40-over Weekend Premier League got underway on Saturday with Crosby facing Cronkbourne and Valkyres travelling to Ramsey.

Last season’s league winners Peel and St John’s were scheduled to face Castletown but player unavailability for the southerners meant that they were forced to forfeit the game, handing 20 points to Peel and beginning the season with a 20-point deficit.

Crosby faced a youthful Cronkbourne side at Marown Playing Fields.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, Cronkbourne’s innings got off to the worst possible start with captain Nathan Knights out with only seven on the board, caught and bowled by his Isle of Man team-mate Chris Langford.

Cronkbourne’s innings was repaired by Isle of Man captain Matty Ansell and he was joined at the crease by all-rounder Nathan Williams.

The pair added 44 for the second wicket before Ansell was the first of Ed Walker’s five wickets, shortly followed by Williams who was Cronkbourne’s top scorer with 29.

Walker was the pick of Crosby’s bowlers, picking up his ‘fifer’ from six overs at a cost of only 10 runs, with Matty Young and Tom Lothian both picking up a brace.

Lothian took the last two wickets of the Cronkbourne innings leaving Crosby chasing a target of 79.

Crosby opening batsman Jamie Brown made light work of the target with a rapid, unbeaten 58 from 48 balls, which included four fours and three sixes.

JJ Griffin picked up a couple of consolation wickets and spinner Nathan Williams proved his all-round credentials with the wicket of his ex under-17 Isle of Man team-mate Henry Telford, but Brown’s innings ensured an early finish after only 12 overs of the innings.

There was a close finish at Ramsey where the home side won the toss and chose to field first. Valkyres opener Herman Vyas top scored with 69 which included a partnership of 62 for the first wicket.

Vyas and wicket keeper Shahid Rafique added a further 73 for the second wicket which ultimately helped Valkyres close their innings out at 258 after last man Muhammed Muaz was run out by Luke Ward with four balls to go.

Kyle Shnier was the pick of Ramsey’s bowlers, picking up four wickets, while all-rounder Michael Webber and Luke Ward picked up two apiece.

Ward’s run-out was to prove decisive as Ramsey reached the target on the last ball of their innings.

Michael Webber added 131 for the second wicket with David Andrews.

Although Webber was only agonisingly three short of a century in the opening game of the season, one of three wickets for Ubaid Khan, Ramsey held on for a four-wicket win.

l In Weekend Division One, Cronkbourne beat Ramsey largely thanks to Nick Clague’s 46, while Crosby conceded the points to Finch Hill.

l In Weekend Division Two, Castletown beat Valkyres in a close game but regulations determined that, as Castletown had conceded their first team game, their second team game was also a non-result.

Peel and St John’s second team enjoyed a high-scoring win over Cronkbourne at Mullen-e-Cloie with half-centuries from Harry Hewson and top scorer Tim Evans.