By Michael Latham
The proposed Round Robin Twenty20 day at St Annes descended into the realms of deep farce with just one match completed on a day of gale force winds and the host club conceding two games due to their inability to raise a team.
To the deep embarrassment of several players and club officials St Annes were forced to concede their T20 games against Blackpool and Preston as they could not raise eleven players.
That left the match between Preston and Blackpool as the only one to be played in horrendously gusting winds that forced the sightscreen at one end of the ground to be moved to mid wicket.
The game commenced just before 2pm and Blackpool, after electing to bat, amassed a respectable 159 for 8 in their 20 overs.
In-form professional Saj Werakoon supplied the early momentum, hitting 46 off 32 balls with six fours and one six.
Blackpool pro Saj Weerakoon followed up his 46 with an economical bowling spell |
Luis Reece batted more sedately and was on the verge of a deserved half century before he was run out by Omar Malik for 49 made off 39 balls with six boundaries.
Blackpool's Luis Reece made the games highest top score of 49 in 39 balls |
Preston fielded keenly in the terrible conditions and professional Bilal Asad, after bowling four overs, took over the wicket-keeping gloves from Johnny Winter and performed with distinction./p>
Despite suffering four run outs Blackpool's total was a challenging one and much depended on Bilal Asad with the bat.
As long as the Preston pro was at the wicket there was every chance that the Blackpool target could be overhauled.
Preston's pro Bilal Asad late cuts Luis Reece |
But after making 42 off 36 balls, including straight sixes off Reece and Andy Hogarth, Bilal Asad was run out by Blackpool captain Paul Danson in the 12thover.
Preston's Bilal Asad was run out after making 42 |
Despite 20 from Lukman Vahaluwala and 22 from Winter Preston had lost eight wickets for 122 in the last over when the umpires deemed the game had finished.
Andy Hogarth and Matthew Brown each took two wickets for Blackpool.
Scorecard
Bailey shines in Lancashire League
THWAITES CUP
The scheduled Thwaites Cup first round tie between Fleetwood and Chorley was abandoned at around 1-30pm with Broadwater besieged by gale force winds and driving rain.
SECOND DIVSION
Blackpool made full advantage of bringing forward their fixture with Fleetwood due to Lancashire's forthcoming county championship game at Stanley Park.
Opener Nicky Wall reached his first Division Two half-century, ending 57 not out as Blackpool secured a 12-point win at Stanley Park.
Scores: Fleetwood 100 (Jamie Hogarth 3 for 32), Blackpool 104 for 3 (Nicky Wall 57 not out)
ELSEWHERE
Carnforth professional Ryan Bailey hit 142 as substitute professional for East Lancashire in their Lancashire League victory over reigning champions Rishton. Bailey's innings was described by several East Lancashire stalwarts as one of the finest ever seen from a club professional. The South African hit three sixes and 15 fours in his 146-ball innings that dominated East Lancashire's total of 232 for 8.
Bailey then took two for 46 and was responsible for two run outs as Rishton were dismissed for151 at Blackburn Road.
Leyland pro Ameer Khan was out for a duck playing as sub-pro for Accrington but still finished on the winning side. Church were 109 all-out chasing Accrington's 140, Khan taking three for 46.
