By Michael Latham
Mandla Mashimbyi inspired Morecambe to victory at Fox Lane |
Morecambe began their defence of the Furness Building Society Cup with a nail-biting one wicket win at Fox Lane but last season's runners-up Preston lost out in equally dramatic circumstances at Kendal.
Darwen and St Annes cruised to comfortable wins while Chorley ended their losing streak by edging home against Barrow.
Morecambe were indebted to professional Mandla Mashimbyi and their last wicket pair of Gert Maartens and Jono Gates as they earned their second one wicket win of the weekend.
Fielding just six of last season's cup-winning side after the departure of Gareth Pedder, Mark Lomas, Vishal Goyal, pro Bruce Martin and the retirement of Phil Thornton they suffered at the hands of Leyland's highly talented 17-years-old batsman Henry Thompson.
Thompson hit a superb 72 off 78 balls including five fours and two sixes to help Leyland post a challenging 204 for 6. Thompson and 16-year-old Tom Foster (22 not out) put on 69 for the sixth wicket before Thompson was caught off the last ball of the innings. Professional Ameer Khan contributed 39 before being stumped by Lewis Edge off the experienced Graham Lee, who was the most economical of the Morecambe bowlers.
Morecambe looked well out of contention after Foster took 3 for 19, until Mashimbyi and Alex Thistlethwaite came together in a seventh wicket stand. Thistlethwaite (28) expertly supported the South African who thrashed 79 off 68 balls including five fours and three sixes. But Mashimbyi was well caught by Ameer Khan off a skyer with Morecambe 29 short of their target.
Lee contributed 10 before being run out by Luis Reece's superb throw leaving the last pair of Jono Gates and Gert Maartens to score ten off the last over bowled by Reece.
But Gates hit a straight six off the third ball of the over and Maartens garnered the winning runs with one ball to spare in a dramatic finale.
Gert Maartens kept his nerve to steer Morecambe home |
There was an equally dramatic finish at Shap Road where Stuart Parkin hit a six to help Kendal over the finishing line with three balls to spare.
Preston had been bogged down by the spin of Ben Simm and Alan Dugdale and were bowled out for 140, Simm taking four for 32 and Dugdale two for 26. Kendal skipper Ross McMillan claimed two run out assists with fine fielding.
At 73 for one, Kendal looked comfortable in their reply but Adam Parker took four for 18 to spark a collapse. Lee Sparks and Dugdale added 22 for the eighth wicket and Parkin launched a six with the last pair together to win the game.
Adam Peacock hit 76 off 97 balls to get Chorley back to winning ways at Windsor Park.The left-handed opener hit ten fours and one six in a match-winning innings and Will Moulton's unbeaten 25 saw the home side over the finishing line.
Chris D'Leny provided the backbone of Barrow's 148 for 9, the former Cumberland county wicket-keeper hitting a superb unbeaten 73 off 67 balls to rescue his side from 27 for 4. Billy Smith had bowled a superb opening spell for Chorley, taking three for nine from eight overs while Matt Parry overcame injury concerns and weighed in with three for 22.
Darwen cruised to a nine wickets win over Carnforth at Birch Hall as South African professional David Wiese took four for 13 to help skittle the visitors for just 66. Kamran Anwar's spell of three for 8 supported what was an impressive display of out-cricket by the home side.
David Wiese took four wickets for Darwen |
Openers Niall Burke and Cris Clarke hurried Darwen past their target with a stand of 57. Though Burke fell to Bradley Hoyle's leg-spin for 31 Clarke was unbeaten on 27 when John Cordingley finished the game with a six.
Darwen powered past Carnforth by nine wickets |
Atiq Uz-Zaman produced his second explosive innings of the weekend to see St Annes home against Lancaster at Vernon Road. The Pakistan Test batsman was unbeaten with 90 as St Annes passed Lancaster's 155 for 8 for the loss of two wickets.
Atiq put on 76 for the first wicket with captain Andy Kellett (20) and 79 for the second with pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi (31) and hit ten fours and two sixes.
Lancaster at one stage were 100 for 2 after opener Michael Stevens hit a fine 55 but they lost six wickets for just 55 runs as St Annes veteran David Bartholomew claimed six for 33 in his eight overs.
FIRST DIVISION SCORES:
CHORLEY v BARROW
Chorley won by 3 wickets
Barrow 148 for 9 (C D'Leny 73no), Chorley 149 for 7 (A Peacock 76)
DARWEN v CARNFORTH
Darwen won by 9 wickets
Carnforth 66 (D Wiese 4 for 13), Darwen 71 for 1
KENDAL v PRESTON
Kendal won by one wicket
Preston 140 (B Simm 4 for 32), Kendal 142 for 9 (A Parker 4 for 18)
LEYLAND v MORECAMBE
Morecambe won by one wicket
Leyland 204 for 6 (H Thompson 72), Morecambe 205 for 9 (M Mashimbyi 79)
ST ANNES v LANCASTER
St Annes won by 8 wickets
Lancaster 155 for 8 (M Stevens 55, D Bartholomew 6 for 33), St Annes 159 for 2 (Atiq Uz-Zaman 90no)
Revised Second Round draw (12 July)
Morecambe v Kendal
St Annes v Darwen
Netherfield v Chorley
Blackpool v Fleetwood
SECOND DIVISION
In the Second Division Cup holders Darwen cruised to a six wickets win at Carnforth but the result is subject to an appeal by Carnforth who claim that the visitors fielded an ineligible player under the rules of the competition.
Last season's runners-up Preston bowled out Kendal for just 64 at West Cliff and cruised to a nine wickets win with 26.4 overs to spare.
Chorley captain John Hotham hit an unbeaten 60 to inspire a four wickets win at Barrow.
Steven Pallett celebrated taking 500 Northern League wickets by recording figures of four for 24 as Leyland defeated Morecambe by 70 runs at Woodhill Lane. The in-form Nathan McDonnell scored 55 for the visitors, Morecambe skipper Nick Milner taking four for 10.
Second division leaders Lancaster made progress, defeating St Annes by 33 runs in a low-scoring game at Lune Road.
SECOND DIVISION SCORES:
BARROW v CHORLEY
Chorley won by 4 wickets
Barrow 141 for 8 (G Kermode 59), Chorley 143 for 6 (J Hotham 60no)
CARNFORTH v DARWEN
Darwen won by 6 wickets
Carnforth 110 (G Lawrenson 4 for 34), Darwen 116 for 4
LANCASTER v ST ANNES
Lancaster won by 33 runs
Lancaster 143 (G Whitehead 5 for 32), St Annes 110 (P Sparrow 4 for 25)
MORECAMBE v LEYLAND
Leyland won by 70 runs
Leyland 215 for 8 (N McDonnell 55, N Milner 4 for 10), Morecambe 145 for 9 (S Pallett 4 for 24)
PRESTON v KENDAL
Preston won by 9 wickets
Kendal 64, Preston 65 for 1 (D Patel 44no)
Revised Second Round draw (12 July)
Preston v Leyland
Darwen v Lancaster
Chorley v Netherfield
Fleetwood v Blackpool
