MORECAMBE COMPLETE CUP DOUBLE

Morecambe 2nd Xl 143-8 , St Annes 2nd Xl 100

By Gerry Wolstenholme

In front of a large and enthusiastic crowd, Morecambe completed a Cup double at Woodhill Lane on Sunday when they defeated St Annes by 34 runs. Batting first on a track that did not lend itself to quick scoring they made 134-8 in their 40 overs and then bowled St Annes out for 100 in 38 overs to win by 34 runs.

Gulam Maje opened for Morecambe and he made the match top score of 24, albeit in 23 overs. He lost his partner Ian Izzatt at 22 in the seventh over when Gordon Whalley caught him off Richard Thomas who finished an excellent eight-over spell with figures of 8-3-13-1. John Ashworth caught Maje off Sean Bickerdike at 56-2 and it was 64-3 in the 25th over when Ian Makinson was caught by Haroon Patel off Charlie Boucher for 20.

Nick Milner made only four before David Booth took a splendid catch at long-on off Ian Baldwin and when Andy Mashiter edged to Whalley off Boucher for nine, Morecambe were 79-5 with 11 overs of the innings remaining. That they survived them was due to the efforts of Mike Fisher, Stuart Errington and Graham Lee who made 18, 19 not out and 13 respectively. Errington, who hit one huge straight drive for six, and Warren Quinn, five not out, put on a valuable unbroken 19 for the ninth wicket as the innings closed at a modest 134-8. Booth took 2-16, Bickerdike 1-19 and Baldwin 1-24 to augment Boucher's 3-29.

The Morecambe total looked a huge one after five overs of the St Annes innings for they were in big trouble at 10-3. Andy Kellett, six, was caught by Mashiter off Jono Gates, Boucher went in similar fashion off the bowling off Lee for nought and Adam Taylor fell leg before wicket to Gates for two.

Neil Bradley, 12, and Ashworth, 10, tried to get the innings back on track but both had gone by the time the total had limped to 49-7 in the 28th over. Thereafter Thomas, 17 not out, Baldwin, 16, and Booth, 16, did their utmost to bring their side back into contention but it was not to be. Quinn, with 4-14 from his eight overs, plied his left arm spin with some cunning and when Whalley was run out for one from the final ball of the 38th over, it was all over at 100 all out.

League chairman Norman Brown presented the trophy to the winning skipper, Stuart Errington, and after offering his congratulations, wished everyone well for the winter with the hope that they will return next season for more of the same.