FLEETWOOD GIFT WRAP THE POINTS
By Gerry Wolstenholme
At Broadwater on Saturday, Fleetwood as good as gift-wrapped the 12 points for Morecambe as early as the 10th over of the first innings by which time three Fleetwood batsmen had perished for 22 runs. The final all out total of 163 owed much to Zac Taylor and Andy Singleton's resistance but once they had gone the innings was almost all over. Morecambe struggled in reply but skipper Phil Thornton grittily batted it out and, with his usual assortment of powerful drives, was there at the end to see his side home by three wickets at 164-7.
Fleetwood's early innings was as close to a disaster as one is likely to see on a cricket field. John Wright failed to move his feet to one that left him from Faruk Patel and he was caught behind for five. Professional Lloyd Ferreira played two fine shots for four and three and then neatly shouldered arms to Peter Stephens but the ball moved late and knocked back his off stump and that was 12-2. Michael Dewhurst, who had already survived a run out opportunity, then gave slip catching practice to Bryson Little as he fended a ball from Patel straight into the fielder' hands and that was 22-3.
Skipper Michael Clinning made 12 but Stephens then dragged him forward and Lewis Edge completed the stumping at 51-4. That was soon a symmetrical 55-5 as John Whalley, having driven the previous ball to the boundary, fenced at one from Stephens and Dennison, who had earlier dropped Clinning, took the catch. It was time for rearguard action and fortunately for Fleetwood, and the spectators who were in fear of another early finish, Zac Taylor and Andy Singleton, missed by Thornton at mid-on early on, came to the rescue.
They put on 70 runs for the sixth wicket before Powar, who had used every variety in his repertoire, had Singleton stumped by Edge for a fighting 28. Taylor found a good partner in James Ellis, who was fortuitously missed from a simple chance to Patel at gully, and they advanced the total to 152 before Taylor's fine effort came to an end. He lofted Stephens, who had returned after a short break, to Powar at mid-off and he was gone for 67 made from 110 balls with 10 fours.
From 152-7 the inning declined to 163 all out as Stephens proved too much for the tail and bowled the three remaining batsmen. Paul Hague and Steve Hill each fell for nought and Tom Blundell for two. This left Ellis on 19 not out and Fleetwood all out for 163. Stephens finished with an excellent 7-48.
When Morecambe replied, their prolific opening batsmen both failed. Mark Woodhead was caught at slip by Dewhurst off Hill in the first over after just four byes were on the board and then Dennison was caught at slip by Clinning off Blundell for nine and it was 28-2. That became 64-5 as Hill had Gareth Peddar leg before wicket for four and then caught and bowled Powar with a splendid low, tumbling catch. Hague chipped in by having Little leg before wicket for 14 and Morecambe were in a degree of trouble at 64-5.
But while Thornton is at the crease, even if he does on occasion start uncertainly, the side is always in with a chance of victory. And so it proved as he and Tommy Clough rebuilt the innings and took the total to 112 before the latter was well caught by Singleton at backward point for 18. And although Edge was comprehensively bowled by Hill for two at 116, there were no more alarms for Morecambe as Thornton, 57 not out with six fours and one six, and Andy Mashiter, masquerading as a number nine batsman, 23 not out including four boundaries, saw their side home by three wickets at 164-7.
Steve Hill's 5-45 was his first senior five-wicket haul but he lacked effective support at the other end in the absence of his usual partner Dave Fish. And Fleetwood's 163 was probably 50 runs too few on a track that was not perfect but was more batsman friendly than bowler friendly.
Division Two scores in brief(Home side in bold):
Lancaster 233-9 (Heywood C 48, Yadav 46), Blackpool 140-9 (Griffiths 51)
Lancaster 11 points, Blackpool 6 points
Chorley 212-6 (Dixon 59, Catterall D 42, Goldstein 4-32),
Netherfield 205 (Welbourne 88, Stewart 56, Catterall D 4-47)
Chorley 15 points, Netherfield 5 points
Kendal 96, Darwen 100-1
Kendal 0 points, Darwen 12 points
Leyland 60 (Patel 5-8), St Annes 62-5
Leyland 2 points, St Annes 12 points
Preston 150-9 (Cottam 5-56), Leyland Motors 151-6 (Totham 51, Wright 4-30)
Preston 3 points, Leyland Motors 12 points
Fleetwood 182-6 (Clark 65), Morecambe 154-9 (Makinson 45, Gregson 4-26)
Fleetwood 11 points, Morecambe 4 points
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
DIVISIONTWO
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Darwen |
12 |
2 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
130 |
| Leyland Motors |
12 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
116 |
| St Annes |
12 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
26 |
109 |
| Chorley |
12 |
1 |
5 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
2 |
15 |
100 |
| Morecambe |
12 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
16 |
94 |
| Fleetwood |
11 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
18 |
81 |
| Preston |
12 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
28 |
79 |
| Netherfield |
12 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
23 |
73 |
| Lancaster |
12 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
27 |
66 |
| Blackpool |
11 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
3 |
2 |
24 |
60 |
| Leyland |
12 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
1 |
18 |
46 |
| Kendal |
12 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
2 |
32 |
45 |
