The football team is on the way to the play-offs and can once again rejoice in the nickname 'Proud Preston' but the cricket team, after Saturday's performance, will have to be satisfied with 'Poor Preston'. Visiting Leyland, Preston performed admirably in the field and, with the returning Manoj Parekh taking 4-18, dismissed Leyland for a meagre 105. But once Preston batted, that was riches indeed for Preston were bowled out for just 45 to lose by an incredible 60 runs. Leyland skipper Brian Tennant might as well take home the 2001 season bowling prize right now as he was almost unplayable on a poor track to return figures of 9-11. Preston, with a number of first team players returning for the game, must wonder what had hit them and they must now long for the return of captain Tony Hesketh, back from Lancaster Town football duties for the next game.
Another side that never got near a hundred was Leyland Motors. Adrian 'Shed' Potts, one of the unsung bowling heroes of the League, took 4-9 as Motors capitulated for 55, little realising that the score would have defeated nearby Preston! Kendal made short work of the total and after one early wicket Terry Hunte motored to 41 not out as Kendal cruised home by nine wickets.
Blackpool entertained Chorley and the two sides played out what could be described as a bore draw. Chorley reached 199 with Roland Horridge top scoring with 55 and Marcus Sharp taking the bowling honours with 5-43 but Blackpool was never in the hunt and batted out time with a rather poor 117-6 to which Rudra Singh contributed 46.
Last year's League champions Netherfield secured an easy victory at Lune Road where Lancaster could only manage 131-9 in the face of some tidy Netherfield bowling. West Indian professional Gareth Breese made his first significant contribution with the bat as he made 41. In reply Netherfield stuttered a little but in the end ran out comfortable five wicket winners with 132-5.
At Darwen there was very nearly a sensational ending as Fleetwood came within six runs of a surprise victory. Darwen batted first and made 182-8 with Gareth Ainslie making 81 and Jeremy Newman pouching four wickets, albeit at a cost of 75 runs. Craig Pryor once again led the Fleetwood reply and following 55 and 45 in his first two knocks he contributed 59 and with Bobby Denning making 45 Fleetwood nearly upset the odds. But at the close the total was 177-7 and the visitors had to settle for a draw.
At St Annes the highest scoring match of the day saw the home side declare with three overs of its statutory 60 remaining. Dave Callaghan, once again setting his stall out to top the batting and bowling averages, scored 80 and captain Russ Bradley made 68. Then, after early wickets had fallen, Mark Woodhead, 59, and Andy Bird, 64, made a valiant attempt to reach the St Annes total but once they had gone it was odds-on a draw and Morecambe saw out time at 183-8.
The Bank Holiday games should see some shape to a League table so after Monday's games, one will be compiled.
Abbreviated results(home teams in bold):
Chorley 199 (Horridge 55, Sharp 5-43), Blackpool 117-6 (Singh 46)
Darwen 182-8 (Ainslie 81, Newman 4-75), Fleetwood 177-7 (Pryor 59, Denning 45)
Leyland Motors 55 (Potts 4-9), Kendal 57-1 (Hunte 41*)
Lancaster 131-9 (Breese 41), Netherfield 132-5
Leyland 105 (Parekh 4-18), Preston 45 (Tennant 9-11)
St Annes 224-4 dec (Callaghan 80, Bradley R 68), Morecambe 183-8 (Woodhead 59,
Bird 64)
Footnote: Brian Tennant's 9-11 return is the best ever in the history of the Northern (Premier) League. Prior to this R S Miller's 9-27 for Morecambe in the 1956 season was the best return. It is the 26th nine wicket haul in the 50 years of the Northern (Premier) League and the third in successive seasons following Mark Hadwin's 9-44 in 1999 and Stephen John's 9-52 last season.
MATCH OF THE DAY
By Gerry Wolstenholme
On a gloriously sunny but chilly Vernon Road, St Annes entertained Morecambe on Saturday. Morecambe won the toss and put St Annes in to bat, a ploy that was immediately successful when Adrian Darlington was comprehensively bowed by Peter Stephens for one when the total was just nine. Young Joe Davies, opening in the absence of Gareth Evans, was joined by professional Dave Callaghan but it was the former who kept the scoreboard moving.
When he had made 18 Davies edged Stephens through to wicketkeeper Damien Gudgeon who took the catch to leave St Annes at 32-2. Callaghan was out-of-sorts to start with and the runs that came were accumulated mostly from the bat of captain Russ Bradley. He started in fine form and his efforts rubbed off on Callaghan who, after his first huge six over long-on, settled in to run scoring mode.
The pair raced along and Morecambe captain Phil Thornton's constant change of bowling had little effect. Bradley drove a six and Callaghan added three more, all out of the ground so that new balls were at one time in constant demand. After they had added 144 in 118 minutes and it looked as though St Annes would reach 250 with plenty of overs to spare Callaghan was unexpectedly dismissed. Stephens had returned at the opposite end to where he had opened and, having suffered at the hands of Callaghan, had him leg before wicket for 80 made from 132 balls with five fours and three sixes.
Bradley continued the onslaught but when he had made 68 he was caught by Ghulam Maje off Patel when the total was 200-4. His runs came from 125 balls with six fours and one six. Then came a cameo of an innings from the mighty Adam Cotton. He faced only 19 balls but made a powerful 33 that contained three sixes and one four. He did have one stroke of luck when he was caught at deep mid-wicket by Maje off Patel but the ball was a no-ball. Sean Bickerdike never got a taste of the action as Russ Bradley declared the innings at 224-4 with three overs of the statutory 60 remaining. Peter Stephens was the most successful bowler with 3-70 from 21 overs while Faruk Patel's wicket cost the bowler 52 runs.
Morecambe were in for a hard time in trying to overhaul the St Annes total and that was made even harder after just one ball. Opener Tommy Clough was bowled by Callaghan to bring in professional Amol Muzumdar whose two knocks to date for Morecambe had brought him just 19 runs.
However, he looked in good form from the start and with the dependable Mark Woodhead keeping the other end tight he began to score all round the wicket. But when the total had reached 53, and he had made 27, Dave Taylor induced an edge that young wicketkeeper James Ellis comfortably pouched. Probably the happiest man on the field was Adrian Darlington for the previous ball, the last of a Zac Taylor over, he had missed one of the easiest chances at mid-on.
Leg spinner Zac Taylor gained his reward 11 runs later when he took two wickets in one over. Nick Milner, having played two exquisite cover drives for four, was bowled and then the potential match-winner Phil Thornton received the same treatment before he had scored. And Morecambe was reeling at 64-4. But St Annes had reckoned without Woodhead and new recruit from the Yorkshire Leagues Andy Bird.
Bird in particular drove the ball hard and with Woodhead continuing to steadily accumulate they soon put Morecambe back on track. They shared a partnership of 99 in 85 minutes and with it the pendulum swung Morecambe's way. But then, as often happens, both fell at the same total and a comfortable 163-4 became a more worrying 163-6.
Woodhead was the first to go. Callaghan, after suffering some punishment from the end that he opened at, was brought back at the opposite end with immediate dividends. He had Woodhead leg before wicket for 59 made from 128 balls with three fours and one six. And then Darlington, who had been just introduced into the attack, accounted for Bird in similar fashion. Bird had made 62 from 76 balls with nine nicely struck boundaries.
Thereafter it was a combination of a rearguard Morecambe action and a concentrated St Annes attack. Six slip fielders, leg slip, short leg and silly mid-off crowded the batsmen who were anxious to reach 180 to give Morecambe a second batting bonus point. Morecambe achieved its goal in the penultimate over but not without one or two more heart-stopping moments. Ghulam Maje was caught behind by Ellis for four, 172-7, and John Eccles was superbly stumped by the young wicketkeeper off Darlington for two, 175-8. But with six overs remaining that was the limit of the St Annes success as Peter Stephens, six not out, and cheered on by his team-mates on the balcony, and Gudgeon, three not out, saw Morecambe to the draw at 183-8. Callaghan ended with 3-39 from 18 overs while young Zac Taylor had the satisfying figures of 7-1-21-2.
An ex-senior umpire made one interesting observation during the game.The watching well-respected Alan Stuart remarked that it was about time that the Lancashire Cricket Board was told by the Northern Premier League that 60 over cricket was not on. He felt that the NPL should go the same was as some of the other Lancashire Leagues, Central Lancashire, Lancashire, Ribblesdale et al, and play cricket under its own rules. After all he remarked "We have always produced good cricketers from that form of the game in the past." There are indications that many players and spectators feel the same way but it is not out of the question to imagine that such views will be lost on the LCB who, under direction from the ECB are intent on this form of the game continuing.
Division 2 Results
Abbreviated Results(Home team in bold type):
Chorley 200-6 dec (Standway 58, Mustafa 4-52), Blackpool 185 (Griffiths 69,
Cooke 5-37)
Darwen 185 (Bennett 60, Jackson 44, Sherlock 5-59), Fleetwood 173 (Cooper
56*, Latus 55, Howard 7-36)
Preston 159-6, Leyland 107-9 (Starkie 6-30)
Kendal 215-6 (Wilson 77, Ashburner 61), Leyland Motors 51 (Parkin 7-20)
St Annes 90 (Lee 4-25), Morecambe 95-1 (Izatt 60*)
Lancaster 133 (Hartley 4-31), Netherfield 136-5 (Hogg 54)
