IT'S SO EASY FOR NETHERFIELD
By Gerry Wolstenholme
The Netherfield bowlers had a field day at Blackpool's Stanley Park on Saturday. Blackpool won the toss and on a gloriously sunny day the visitor's players could have been forgiven for thinking that they would be in for an afternoon of chasing the leather! But it was not to be for the bowlers all performed magnificently and this, coupled with Blackpool's inept and spineless batting, resulted in a meagre total of 53 all out. Admittedly Netherfield lost four wickets in attained their target, but the result was never in doubt.
Scott Clement started the demise of the home side by dismissing one of the best batsmen in the side Martin Pickles for just two and that was 7-1. The slide was on! Chris Barrow, a hard-hitting batsman who is a makeshift opening batsman and useful in the role in a limited overs contest, made 11 before flat-footedly swinging at Stuart Nixon only to play the ball down onto his stumps. And that was 14-2.
It was soon 24-3 as the agile Tommy Prime superbly caught Mark Lomas low down at point and he was gone for five. Stephen Croft quickly followed at 36-4 when he tried to sweep John Eccles only to find the safe hands of Clement at backward square leg. Steve Mercer had failed to score when he prodded Eccles to Clarke at silly mid-off and that was 39-5.
Richard Lamb made eight but did not look a permanent fixture and so it proved when the returning Nixon bowled him at 46-6. One run later and a mix-up between Oliver Newby and Paul Danson resulted in Craig Walmsley throwing down the stumps while the batsmen were still in consultation and Newby was gone without scoring. Marcus Sharp showed some defensive application but, having made one, he edged Nixon through to Simon Dutton and it was almost all over at 52-8.
Martin Hackett made one before he too prodded a ball to Clarke at silly mid-off this time off Pieter Strydom and the same bowler wrapped up the innings later in the over when he had last man David Brookes leg before wicket for nought. That was 53 all out with the wickets shared by the four bowlers, Nixon 3-14, Clement 2-20, Eccles 2-8 and Strydom 2-4.
Netherfield's reply did not get off to the best of starts and at 19-3 they were worse off than Blackpool had been. Prime was bowled by Newby for two, 4-1, Strydom seemed a trifle unlucky to be given out leg before wicket to the same bowler for six, 14-2, and John Mason was leg before wicket to Sharp without scoring. A fourth wicket was lost when Paul Stewart, having suffered what appeared to be a groin strain, was bowled by Newby for four.
But Simon Dutton came to the wicket, made a sedate eight not out, and Craig Walmsley smashed the winning runs over mid-on for his third boundary in a sensible 32 not out that took his side to 55-4 and victory by six wickets. Newby took 3-30 from seven overs, three of which were maidens, but when defending such a small total, he did bowl too many loose balls, all of which were punished.
The early, 4-45pm, finish allowed a trip up the coast to see the end of the Fleetwood versus St Annes game where Fleetwood had batted first and made 137. The majority of the runs had come from the tail with Zac Taylor top-scoring with 47 and Geoff Love continuing his good form with the ball by taking 7-40.
Gareth Evans had already gone for nought in the St Annes reply but Kelliher and Love made steady progress against a Fleetwood attack that was persevering rather than penetrating. Kelliher did survive one vehement appeal for a catch at the wicket but he had made 50 before he was finally dismissed. Stephen Twist and Adrian Darlington made fleeting visits to the crease and it was left to Love to make the winning runs. He blossomed late in his innings and struck lusty boundaries in his 71 not out that took his side to victory by six wickets.
Second Division results in brief (home team in bold):
Chorley 59 (Brown 6-24), Kendal 60-3 - no overs given
Chorley 0 points, Kendal 12 points
Darwen 226-8 (50 overs) (Chatterton 58, Crane 56, Davies 48),
Leyland Motors 142-8 (52 overs) (Totham 43)
Darwen 9 points, Leyland Motors 3 points
Leyland 149-8 (Tennant 66, Lee 5-57), Morecambe 150-5 (Edge 67, Tennant 5-62)
- no overs given
Leyland 0 points, Morecambe 12 points
Netherfield 211-8 (50 overs) (Hartley 67*, Jones 64), Blackpool 111 (40.2 overs)
(Thompson 40, Clinton 4-15)
Netherfield 15 points, Blackpool 2 points
Preston 133-8, Lancaster 134-3 (Masterman 48, Dennison 40) - no overs given
Preston 0 points, Lancaster 12 points
Fleetwood 193-8 (50 overs) (Clark 117), St Annes 122 (39.1 overs) (Sherlock 6-54)
Fleetwood 15 points, St Annes 2 points
BAY 96.9 NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
DIVISION TWO
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Lancaster |
18 |
3 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
17 |
166 |
| Morecambe |
18 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
16 |
155 |
| Fleetwood |
18 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
22 |
151 |
| Netherfield |
18 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
17 |
140 |
| St Annes |
18 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
10 |
117 |
| Chorley |
18 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
8 |
1 |
12 |
100 |
| Darwen |
18 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
16 |
99 |
| Leyland |
19 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
17 |
97 |
| Leyland Motors |
18 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
3 |
10 |
90 |
| Preston |
18 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
18 |
85 |
| Blackpool |
19 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
2 |
23 |
84 |
| Kendal |
18 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
2 |
18 |
80 |
