AN UNINSPIRING DRAW
St Annes 208 Blackpool 137-6
By Gerry Wolstenholme
Spectators could have been forgiven for anticipating that the Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League game between second placed St Annes and fifth placed Blackpool would provide good entertainment and a closely fought contest. Nothing could have been further from the truth as the game latterly provided very few thrills and drifted aimlessly to a conclusion as another boring draw at Stanley Park.
Blackpool won the toss and in putting St Annes in to bat one imagines that they had aspirations of knocking off any total that the visitors would post. But after St Annes reached 208 all out from the penultimate ball of the final over, Blackpool made no effort whatsoever to chase the runs and finished at 137-6 after 50 overs. Admittedly Blackpool lost two early wickets and skipper Mark Lomas was nursing an injury but that surely should not condemn a game to the also-played category as early as, say, the 15th over of the second innings. But, sadly it did and spectators who did remain to the finish, and many had already left, had to suffer 35 overs of pure boredom.
And yet it all started so promisingly as Adrian Darlington launched himself into the Blackpool attack, or more particularly the Stephen Croft part of it. He struck five boundaries, four in one Croft over, before being adjudged leg before wicket when advancing down the track to Marcus Sharp. His 24 had come from 34 balls and it left St Annes at 32-1. Gareth Evans and Dave Callaghan carried on the attack before Evans, 19, was caught in the gully by Chris Barrow off Darren Walton.
Callaghan, having escaped what seemed a good shout for leg before wicket, was next to go when he had made 18. Walton got a ball to rear off a good length and Callaghan could only fend it to slip where Lomas, equally as surprised as Callaghan at the result of the ball, had to juggle to hold onto the catch. Then came the best batting of the match from Joe Davies and Russ Bradley. It was the former who took the lead and he dished out some punishment to 'Billy' Mustafa, who after his good debut at Fleetwood found the First Division somewhat tougher this time.
Davies hit him for one mighty six over long on and eventually forced him out of the attack. Back came Marcus Sharp and the professional removed Davies' middle stump after he had made an entertaining 48, from 67 balls with one six and six fours. Adam Cotton was then dismissed in somewhat controversial fashion as he edged left arm spinner Barrow to slip where Lomas dived forward and claimed the catch. The bowler's umpire consulted his colleague and the decision went against Cotton who was dismissed for nought. Sean Bickerdike perished quickly too as he and Bradley went for a very tight run with a push on the off side. But it was to Barrow's left and the fielder swooped on the ball and brilliantly threw down the wicket with Bickerdike well short of his ground. Duncan Whalley then made three before Sharp claimed his third leg before wicket decision.
Andy Kellett joined Bradley and he played a delightful cameo innings. He was only in for 18 balls but from them he scored 23 valuable runs with one boundary and some neat dabs all round the wicket for quickly taken runs. He was ninth out at 208 when he fell leg before wicket to Barrow but by then he had lost his captain whose 61 from 122 balls with five fours was a determined effort to take his side to maximum batting points. They failed at the last hurdle when Dave Taylor and Roger Banks went for an impossible single off the penultimate ball that saw the latter run out for nought. And it was all over at 208 with Sharp once again proving difficult to get away and taking 4-30 from 19 overs, nine of which were maidens. Walton, who retired from the attack with an injury, took 2-29 and Barrow 2-62 while Mustafa had to settle for 0-59 from 11 overs.
Just as St Annes had done Blackpool began in good style but it was only to last for six balls. The first ball from Callaghan was a no-ball, and then Gavin Armstrong struck a two and a boundary before from the fifth legitimate ball he appeared to edge Callaghan through to Whalley. The celebrations were quickly cut short when the umpire decided in the batsman's favour. Callaghan was obviously none too pleased with the decision and his next ball was probably 10 yards faster and it ripped through Armstrong's forward prod to remove off and middle stump in spectacular fashion. Not to be outdone Joe Davies from the south end then uprooted Richard Lamb's middle stump before the batsman had scored and Blackpool were 7-2.
Obviously some consolidation was required but Stephen Croft thought otherwise and played some attractive strokes with runs coming from both opening bowlers. Callaghan changed ends and Paul Danson, on eight, flicked him off his legs straight to Dave Taylor at square leg but the catch was put down. It proved costly for St Annes, not necessarily in runs but certainly in time for Danson batted on and on. Croft meanwhile kept the board moving but when he made 35 good runs, from 73 balls with four fours, he was leg before wicket to Dave Taylor and it was 62-3.
Blackpool at this stage needed less than five runs an over with Lomas joining Danson at the crease. But the pair became moribund with no discernible effort being made to score runs and with only the odd bad ball being punished. Danson was eventually stumped by Whalley off Taylor for 24 and this brought David Bartholomew, normally an exciting cricketer to the crease. But, presumably playing to orders, he patted ball after ball back down the pitch
Lomas escaped one confident shout for a catch behind the wicket and by the time he was out for 35 the game had lost all its appeal and interest. He flicked at Davies and Gareth Evans at mid-wicket dived to take a good catch. Walton then hit one boundary and added a few singles before, in the penultimate over, he fell leg before wicket to Davies for eight thus giving St Annes one bowling bonus point. Callaghan had by that time resorted to bowling one ball from around 27 yards, bowling a couple of bumpers while also working on perfecting his slower ball. At the close Blackpool were 137-6 with Bartholomew 20 not out. Joe Davies completed a good all-round day with 3-38 while Taylor had 2-46 and Callaghan 1-29.
The result was St Annes seven points, Blackpool four points but overall the cricket did not bring very much credit to the Northern Premier League.
Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League Second Division
Abbreviated scorecards:
Lancaster 119- (Johnstone 48, Davies 5-52, Cook 4-38), Darwen 120-6
Chorley 130 (Sherlock 5-38, Fish 4-24), Fleetwood 135-3 (Coultas 100*)
Leyland 180 (Walsh 62, Mee 4-40), Kendal 183-5 (Mee 87*)
Leyland Motors 112 (Lee 4-32), Morecambe 117-1 (Hansson 52, Izatt 51*)
Preston 185 (Bunker 92, Hartley 5-45, Nixon 5-47), Netherfield 152 (Wright 6-63)
Blackpool 154-9 (Baldwin 4-16), St Annes 156-5 (Hill 57, Aiden Cotton 44*)
