Match Day 18th August 2001
RAIN AGAIN - BUT KENDAL MOVE INTO SECOND PLACE
Gerry Wolstenholme
Rain interfered once again with the Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League programme on Saturday when one of the six scheduled games failed to start and two others did not have enough play to constitute a result.
But up in Kendal it was all sweetness and light as the home side rolled over luckless Lancaster by eight wickets. Lancaster made 151-7, Luke Phillips top scoring with 512 not out, and Kendal chased the total successfully and reached 155-2 with captain David Fallows reaching 55 not out and Simon Little 49 not out.
The only other result came at Leyland Motors where leaders Netherfield avoided the rain by finishing the game off very quickly. Motors batted first and all the bowlers contributed, as a very modest 66 all out was the result. Netherfield did lose four wickets in reaching the target but 68-4 gave the Cumbrians a further 12 points.
At Preston the home side made 110-8 with seamer Paul Hague taking a senior best of 4-40 and Fleetwood replied with 49-6.
Morecambe, who have slipped a little of late, entertained title hopefuls Chorley but after making 55-5 rain ended the proceedings. But it was not before Josh Marquet continued his impressive season with 4-19. There were only three meaningless overs at St Annes and the Blackpool versus Leyland clash at Stanley Park was abandoned early in the afternoon.
With only 41 points separating the leading eight clubs, the League is still as close as it has been for quite a few seasons.
Division 1
Abbreviated scoreboards (home team in bold):
Blackpool v Leyland - match abandoned
Lancaster 151-7 (Phillips 51*), Kendal 155-2 (Fallows 55*, Little 49*)
Leyland Motors 66, Netherfield 68-4
Morecambe 55-5 (Marquet 4-19) v Chorley - rain stopped play, match abandoned
Preston 110-8 (Hague 4-40), Fleetwood 49-6
Darwen 13-0 v St Annes - rain stopped play, match abandoned
Gerry's Match Of The Day
THANK GOODNESS FOR FOOTBALL!
By Gerry Wolstenholme
St Annes 13-0 v Darwen - match abandoned
St Annes skipper Russ Bradley having just volleyed home a goal. Watching are Gareth Evans, Adam Cotton and the shirtless Sean BickerdikeThe football season gets ever more encroaching into the cricket season and most of the time it is an intrusion. But perhaps Saturday at Vernon Road it was just as well for some of the St Annes players treated what few spectators were sheltering from the drenching rain to an impromptu game. The highlight was a diving header by skipper Russ Bradley and a volleyed goal that had the goalkeeper claiming that it did not go between the posts. It always was the case with coats down for a goal and no amount of arguing will ever resolve such situations!
While some of the St Annes players rid themselves of tension, the Darwen players relaxed in the dressing room and discussed more relevant matters such as the forthcoming disciplinary hearing for two of its players. Michael Horsefield and Jeff Hacking both appear before a Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League panel next week for allegedly discussing incidents with an umpire. They are both hoping that the result will be the same as that for Chorley captain Roland Horridge who appeared in similar circumstances last week. Horridge received a rebuke for his behaviour and then reportedly found himself being approached as to his availability to stand as an umpire next season. This is, of course, if he does retire as he is stating that he will. On that issue, it will be a sad day when, arguably, the best Northern Premier League captain, and no mean batsman, bows out of the game.
On the question of the Darwen hearing, views were interesting. One senior Darwen player jokingly said that he had tipped off the hearing to ban Michael Horsefield indefinitely and another player who is often said to miss games against Chorley, said, tongue-in-cheek, that he was on the umpire's side on both issues. One of the players in question could not defend himself for he was snoozing in the dressing room, having allegedly had one of his most successful Friday nights out for 15 years. The nature of our hero's reported success varied but is not a subject to be discussed on a cricket website!
A splendid, and splendidly-served, early tea was taken and then, almost out of the blue, or more literally out of the heavy dark clouds, the covers were removed and play started. Well almost started for the covers took some time to be removed. As one of the St Annes committee drove the tractor out to remove them he found that there was no diesel in the motor so it stopped halfway through removing the first of three heavy covers. To the rescue came the cavalry in the form of the St Annes players and, as the rain once again fell heavier, the covers, and broken down tractor, were manually removed to various parts of the ground.
Word must have got out that a start was due and the telephone suddenly became red hot. One of Gary Jackson's twins did a brilliant job in answering the queries - even if those who heard him say that play was about to start were left wondering when they arrived at an empty ground some 10 minutes later!
Three overs were bowled, in the ever-increasing rain, 13 runs were scored all to Gary Jackson who was playing beautifully before the umpires decided that enough was enough. And, much to the satisfaction of the few very wet spectators, players trooped off the field and the covers were manfully replaced. A few minutes later the umpires sensibly called the game off and a watery, but interesting, afternoon was over. For the first time this season the scorecard is reported in full!
Darwen
G Jackson not out 13
M Hadfield not out 0
Extras 0
Total (0 wkt) 13
Bowling: D Callaghan 2-0-6-0; Davies 1-0-7-0.
Football was most definitely the order of the day at a very wet Vernon Road
Division 2
Abbreviated scoreboards (home team in bold):
Morecambe 78 (Demming 6-38), Chorley 81-4 (Catterall J 38*)
St Annes 124-5 v Darwen - rain stopped play, match abandoned
Fleetwood 117-8 Kaye 5-27), Preston 74-8 (Sherlock 4-40)
Kendal 125-9, Lancaster 126-4
Blackpool 47-1 (Armstrong 34*) v Leyland - rain stopped play, match abandoned
Leyland Motors 66 (Hartley 5-32, Clinton 4-4), Netherfield 41-2
