RUNS IN THE SUN
Netherfield 242-5 St Annes 218-7
By Gerry Wolstenholme
On a gloriously sunny day fifth-placed St Annes entertained League leaders Netherfield at Vernon Road on Saturday and spectators were treated to a run feast as 460 runs were scored in the two innings. Netherfield made slightly more of them and, totalling 242-5, set St Annes a very stiff target but the home side was well in the hunt at 200-2 with a run a ball required for victory. But, just as last week in the Slater Cup, St Annes fell away from a promising position and had to settle for a draw at 218-7.
Netherfield got off to a steady rather than spectacular start and the first run did not come until the fourth over as Craig Walmsley and Tommy Prime had a good look at Dave Callaghan and Joe Davies. Walmsley then opened up but he had only made 14 when he blocked a ball from Davies that spun back on the stumps and dislodged a bail and that was 21-1. It was soon 28-2 as Prime edged Davies into the eager hands of Callaghan at slip and he was gone for 11.
Simon Dutton joined Pieter Strydom at the crease and the pair advanced the total to 65 before the former smote a long hop from Roger Banks straight at Neil Bradley in the gully. An annoyed Dutton left the wicket with 12 to his name. But Strydom continued on his merry way with no alarms and, assisted by skipper Jimmy Moyes he took the total to 112 at which point Moyes, having just lofted a beautiful straight six, played all over a ball from Adam Cotton and was bowled for 17.
That was the limit of St Annes success for some time as Grahame Clarke joined Strydom and although Clarke took some time to get into his customary stride, once he did so, the St Annes bowlers suffered. That is except for David Booth who wheeled away at the north end very tidily. Even Strydom found it difficult to pierce a well-set field and Clarke played one of the day's best shots when he was forced to improvise to keep the scoreboard moving. He stepped outside leg stump and, off the back foot, audaciously thumped Booth one bounce over extra cover.
Callaghan was brought back into the attack at the south end but by then the batsmen were well in their stride with Strydom racing past 700 League runs for the season when he had reached 62. Clarke struck two huge sixes as only he can but when he had made 47 he skied the deserving Booth to Cotton who held the catch to leave Netherfield at 203-5.
Stuart Horne joined Strydom who monopolised the remainder of the innings. In the 80s David Taylor at long off was slow to react to a possible catch and on 97 he fired a shot straight through the leaping Banks' hands at mid-wicket. Otherwise his innings was chanceless as he took runs at will and when the 60 overs expired he was a magnificent 128 not out made from 153 balls with nine fours and two effortless sixes. Horne ended eight not out as Netherfield closed on 242-5. Davies with 2-49 was the most successful bowler but it was Booth with 12 overs for 52 runs and one wicket at the height of the onslaught who took the plaudits.
St Annes set off in pursuit of the huge total slowly but as runs accumulated the innings began to gain momentum. Gareth Evans and Adrian Darlington forced opening bowlers Scott Clement and David Wheatman from the attack and although spinners Marc Hadwin and Strydom were tried, they too were soon replaced.
The opening pair cruised past 100 with a straight six from Darlington off Horne but the very next ball the batsman was dragged fractionally forward and Moyes effected a very smart stumping. That was Darlington gone for 50 made from 80 balls with seven fours and one six and St Annes had lost its first wicket at 103.
Evans and Callaghan then continued to dominate the Netherfield attack although the professional had a somewhat slow start by his standards. Netherfield rotated the attack but it made no difference as the batsmen continued to take runs freely until Evans edged Hadwin to Moyes and was gone for a splendid 77 made from 137 balls with eight fours. With Cotton joining Callaghan the 200 duly arrived and there were then 43 runs required from 42 balls so a St Annes victory was very much a possibility. But without addition, and just after surviving a vehement appeal for a catch behind the wicket, Callaghan was bowled by his fellow countryman Strydom for 42 made from 83 balls with five fours.
And that was the start of a St Annes decline and a Netherfield resurgence with the catalyst being the return to the attack of Marc Hadwin for his teasing leg spin restricted the runs to such a degree that chances had suddenly to be taken. In so doing wickets fell and St Annes lost four while only three runs were added; from 212-3 the total slipped to 215-7.
Davies made four before a mix-up with Cotton cost him his wicket to a run out and Cotton, 10, was caught by Clement off Strydom, who was now looking menacing after having dished up some very hittable balls earlier in his spell. Russ Bradley then had to try to attack and his advance down the track only resulted in his being stumped off Hadwin for nought, a fate that also befell Banks off the bowling of Strydom. So Duncan Whalley and Neil Bradley were left to reflect what might have been and bat out the remaining overs to take St Annes safely in at 218-7. Strydom had 3-43 but the bowling honours went to Hadwin whose 2-38 was a modest reflection on his worth to his side on the day.
Division 2
Abbreviated scoreboards (home team in bold):
Leyland 155 (Jackson 7-21), Chorley156-3 (Catterall 88*,Yardley 48)
Fleetwood 267 (Latus 46, Coultas 43, Dawson 4-61), Lancaster 174-9 (Batterbee 49)
Leyland Motors 142 (Roebuck 4-58), Blackpool 143-1 (Lamb 80*, Mercer 48*)
Morecambe 208-7 (Hansson 40, Davies 5-44), Darwen 161-9 (Bateson 71,
Winder 4-53)
Netherfield 203-5 (Stewart 68, Jones 52, Welbourne 51), St Annes 117 (Kellett 49 Nixon 8-59)
Kendal 162 (Harrison 5-21), Preston 167-5
Sunday score:
St Annes 114 (Aidan Cotton 36, Williams 4-23), Preston 115-8 (Richardson 43*,
Booth 5-14)
