Match Day 27th August 2001
NETHERFIELD ALMOST THERE
By Gerry Wolstenholme
Results in the Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League went very much Netherfield's way on Bank Holiday Monday as the Cumbrians won the local derby at Kendal beating the team in second place and Chorley lost at Darwen. So the title is almost in Netherfield's grasp as with two games to play it will take an extraordinary combination of results to deprive the Parkside boys of the crown.
It was a case of deja vu at Shap Road where spectators saw almost a re-run of the previous day's Slater Cup semi-final. As on Sunday, Netherfield won in the last over having restricted Kendal 155 in their 60 overs. The Kendal to order contributed very little and only 43 from Alan Fawcett and 32 from Adrian Potts helped Kendal pass the 150-mark. For Netherfield Marc Hadwin took 5-42 from 24.5 teasing overs. Then only two players reached double figures in the Netherfield reply but they got 128 between them with Pieter Strydom making 78 and Grahame Clarke 50, including seven fours and one six. Thirteen of the other 30 runs came from extras as, with three balls remaining, Netherfield went to 158-7 to win by three wickets.
For Darwen, Keith Semple took his weekend run tally to exactly 200 with 84 of his side's 205-9 against Chorley. Mark Hadfield made 40 and Gareth Cordingley chipped in with 35 as Rex Purnell took 4-50. Only Jim Fazackerley scored heavily in the Chorley reply and he made 73 not out from a disappointing 166 all out that saw Chorley lose by 39 runs. There were three run outs in the innings and Darwen skipper Jeff Hacking took 5-38.
Blackpool completed a season double over Fleetwood at Stanley Park. The visitors batted first and runs came from Craig Pryor, 50, and John Wright, 45, but Fleetwood still only managed 174-8. Stephen Croft led the Blackpool reply with 65 not out and with Mark Lomas contributing 50 Blackpool reached 177-6 to win by four wickets.
The game at West Cliff was over very quickly as Joe Davis ran amok amongst the Preston batsmen. His 6-22 saw the home side dismissed for only 47 that could have been worse but for some late order resistance from captain Glen Johnstone who, with 14, was the only batsman in double figures. St Annes lost two early wickets but Dave Callaghan and Russ Bradley saw their side safely home by two wickets at 48-2.
The other two games ended in draws. Firstly the Leyland derby saw Motors knock up 134 with Neil Eddleston once again making top score with 32. Martin van Jaarsveld took 5-56 but he failed with the bat, making only seven, as Leyland held on at 127-9 with Hilal Namajee making a best-yet of 46.
Lancaster batted first against Morecambe and made 199-8 with 40s from numbers two, three and four; Danny Hagen made 41, Gareth Breese 40 and Luke Phillips continued his good form with 45. Morecambe's reply of 167-9 owed nearly everything to Amol Muzumdar who completed a not out 100 from the final ball of the match.
Division 1
Abbreviated scoreboards (home team in bold):
Fleetwood 174-8 (Pryor 50, Wright 45, Sharp 4-55), Blackpool 177-6 (Croft 65*, Lomas 50)
Darwen 205-9 (Semple 84, Hadfield 40, Purnell 4-50), Chorley 166 (Fazackerley 73*, Hacking 5-38)
Kendal 155 (Fawcett 43, Hadwin 5-42), Netherfield 158-7 (Strydom 78, Clarke 50, Khan 4-47)
Leyland Motors 134 (van Jaarseveld 5-56), Leyland 127-9 (Namajee 46, John 5-42)
Lancaster 199-8 (Phillips 45, Hagen 41, Breese 40), Morecambe 167-9 (Muzumdar 100*)
Preston 47 (Davies 6-22), St Annes 48-2
Division 2
Abbreviated scoreboards (home team in bold):
Chorley 157 (Davies 6-77), Darwen 158-7
Blackpool 85 (Fish 4-22), Fleetwood 89-2 (Coultas 58*)
Morecambe 140-9 (Hird 60*, Errington 40), Lancaster 142-7 (Clough 5-28)
Leyland Motors 209-8 (Totham 99, Cartwright 54, Hatton 4-62), Leyland 174 (Hatton 71, Rounding 8-26)
Kendal 159 (Barrington 53, Nixon 4-58), Netherfield 160-4 (Scarr 70*)
Preston 126-8 (Mann 40, Booth 4-30), St Annes 128-0 (Kellett 65*, Kelliher 50*)
