Match Day 22nd June 2003 MORECAMBE, KENDAL, LANCASTER, LEYLAND MOTORS UNDEFEATED SO FAR IN THWAITES SMOOTH BEER CUP By Gerry Wolstenholme In Group One there is only one side with a 100% record and that is Morecambe who defeated Leyland by eight wickets in a high scoring game at Fox Lane and of the rest St Annes are the only team with two defeats as they lost by 13 runs at Netherfield. Every other team has a won one, lost one record. Blackpool threw away their chances at Chorley where the home side won by three runs. In Group Two Kendal, Lancaster and Leyland Motors have 100% records while Darwen, Fleetwood and Preston have lost both games. On Sunday, Kendal beat Darwen by 16 runs, Lancaster amassed 253-3 to beat Preston by 68 runs and Leyland Motors beat Fleetwood by four wickets. Scores in brief (home sides in bold): Leyland 216 lost by eight wickets to Morecambe, 219-2. Chorley 194-5 beat Blackpool, 191-8, by three runs. Netherfield 168-7 beat St Annes, 155, by 13 runs. Kendal 223-6 beat Darwen, 207, by 16 runs. Fleetwood 170-7 lost to Leyland Motors, 171-6, by four wickets Lancaster 253-3 beat Preston, 185, by 68 runs. In Division Two, Morecambe lead Group One as the only unbeaten side with two wins while Netherfield and St Annes are also unbeaten but have only one completed match (the bowl-outs). Chorley and Leyland have lost both games while Blackpool have won one and lost one. In Group Two Darwen and Preston are both unbeaten while Fleetwood and Kendal have lost both games with Lancaster and Leyland Motors winning one and losing one. Second Division scores in brief (home side in bold): Leyland 97 lost to Morecambe, 98-4, by six wickets. Chorley 157 lost to Blackpool, 160-3, by seven wickets. Darwen 160-8 beat Kendal, 140-9, by 20 runs. Fleetwood 187-8 lost to Leyland Motors, 188-8, by two wickets. Preston 145-8 beat Lancaster, 119, by 26 runs. The St Annes versus Netherfield game was cancelled. The production of tables will be more meaningful after another round when run rates might play a part in the positions. ACTION REPLAY: BLACKPOOL THROW IT AWAY By Gerry Wolstenholme Chorley 194-5, Blackpool 191-8 Despite Martin Pickles rolling back the years and scoring a scintillating 84, Blackpool contrived to lose their thwaites Smooth Beer Cup tie at Chorley's Windsor Park on Sunday by three runs. Chorley batted first and made a formidable 194-5 from their 40 overs aided and abetted by some wayward Blackpool bowling that produced an astonishing 47 extras. In reply Blackpool practically had the game won at 161-2 with overs in hand but they then lost their way and finished four runs short of victory at 191-8. Blackpool's reply had gone so well even though Chris Simcock, after one good cover drive, had been caught at slip by Roland Horridge off Stephen John for four at 22-1 in the fifth over. Pickles had been firing from the hip from the first ball and with Steven Croft he took the total to 91-2 before Croft, 24 and having driven Ross Demming for four boundaries in one over, casually flicked Andy Harty to the waiting Horridge at mid-wicket. Lomas joined Pickles and although the Blackpool captain was unable to find the boundary the score mounted well in advance of the required rate. Less than four an over was required from the final 20 overs before the run rate slowed as the Chorley bowling tightened. And then Pickles, a splendid 84 from only 91 balls with two sixes and eight fours, was caught on the square leg boundary by Dixon off Harty and it was 161-3 with 34 runs required from 35 balls. Chorley's last throw of the dice was to bring back John and he responded in admirable fashion with two maiden overs including the wicket of Deon Kruis who rashly flashed at a wide ball and was caught by Neil Senior for one. Demming then bowled Paul Danson for one and it was 167-5 in the 36th over. Lomas, a rather slow 36, and Darron Walton, 10, then required 10 runs from two overs. But Blackpool failed as Lomas was leg before wicket to Ian Oakes, Steve Mercer was run out by Dixon for two and, after a leg bye from the third ball of the final over, Walton was stumped by Senior off Ian Mawdsley for 10. This left Dave Higham to face two balls with four runs required for victory. He failed to score and that gave Chorley the most unexpected of victories. When Chorley batted, Blackpool struck with the second ball as Kruis bowled Jack Catterall for nought. And when Jim Fazackerley was caught by Hackett off Walton for 15, Mawdsley was caught by Kruis off Walton for 17 and Senior was caught by Croft off Kruis for one, Chorley were in some trouble at 71-4 in the 19th over. But Horridge and John put aside any worries and added 108 runs in 19 overs. Horridge, 34, was run out by an excellent piece of fielding by Lomas and that left Paul Greenwood four not out, John 74 not out made from 82 balls with four sixes and four fours and Blackpool chasing 195 for victory. Then followed the exciting climax. And on a list of the 10 most unbelievable finishes of all time, this undoubtedly would rate in the top three, if not at the top of the pile! As one Chorley player said afterwards, "How did we win that?"

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