BUT MORECAMBE HANG ON AT ST ANNES
Blackpool 56, Chorley 58-2
St Annes 214-4, Morecambe 205-8
By Gerry Wolstenholme
Chorley had an easy afternoon at Stanley Park on Saturday, making short work of the Blackpool batting to have the game finished by six minutes past four. Stephen John made early inroads into the Blackpool batting and with good support from the Smith brothers and Ross Demming the home side were dismissed for a paltry 56. Chorley did lose a couple of wickets in reply but cruised home in 12 overs with 58-2 two in by eight wickets.
The day seemed to begin on a bright note for Blackpool as Tom Smith dropped Martin Pickles in the gully early on and seven overthrows were gathered in two poor pieces of fielding by the Chorley side. It was soon 22-0 and Blackpool looked as though they were going to go on to a reasonable total. But it was not to be for the whole side were then bowled out for the addition of only 34 runs.
Pickles, a top score of 15, was first to go when he edged the dangerous Stephen John through to wicketkeeper Neil Senior and Blackpool were on the slippery slope at 22-1. Steven Croft failed to score as he was adjudged leg before wicket to John and Blackpool were 22-2. Skipper Mark Lomas hit one boundary then, in a much delayed decision, was given out caught behind off John, and the following ball professional Deon Kruis was bowled by an inswinging yorker from the same bowler. That was 26-4.
The steady Chris Simcock and Paul Danson edged the total to 33 with John removed from the attack due to a twinge in the back. It did not give Blackpool any respite as Tom Smith had Simcock caught at slip by John for six. Danson made nine before Ross Demming bowled him at 48-6.
Demming struck again in his next over when Steve Mercer, five, was well held at gully by Tom Smith and it was 49-7. Paul Sidebotham made one before Demming induced an edge to Senior and then John Caunce, in for the unavailable Chris Barrow, called Martin Hackett for an impossible run. The wicketkeeper's expletive as he tried to make his ground was enough to tell him that he was never going to beat Karl Dixon's throw from backward point. Dixon threw the stumps down with Hackett three yards out of his ground and that brought in the veteran Dave Cresswell to partner Caunce. They took the total to 56 before Billy Smith had Cresswell caught behind for three and with Caunce three not out, the innings was over at 56 by 12 minutes to three. Thank goodness there had been the early overthrows and a second top score of 10 extras otherwise Blackpool would have been in an even more sorry mess!
Chorley's reply did not get off to the best of starts with the very much in-form Tom Smith getting an edge to a flier from Kruis for Hackett to take the catch before a run was on the board. Kruis celebrated his second NPL wicket in fine style, running ecstatically down the track and past the batsman! He struck again when the total had advanced to 25 when he had Ian Mawdsley, 16, splendidly caught in the gully by a diving Caunce.
But that was the end of Blackpool's success as Jim Fazackerley, 19 not out, and Nigel Heaton, 20 not out all in boundaries from 13 balls, saw Chorley to their early finish at 58-2. Blackpool fell to the foot of the table and unless things take a turn for the better, that is where they will remain for the season.
The early finish meant a trip to St Annes for the final innings of the game against Morecambe. St Annes had compiled 214-4 with Stephen Twist making 85 not out and Adam Cotton firing a hard-hi and speedy 55 not out, an innings that contained four sixes off the unfortunate Peter Stephens who finished with 2-129.
Morecambe's reply was quickly in tatters as Mark Woodhead and Lewis Edge were both dismissed by Twist for nought with the total on nine. Both were beaten for pace and edged through to wicketkeeper Duncan Whalley. Enter stand-in professional Johan Louw and he scored freely with some fierce drives. He did always give the bowler a chance and when he had made 43 his drive to long-on did not have enough power on it to carry the waiting Twist who snaffled the catch to leave Morecambe on 76-3.
Phil Thornton's arrival at the crease often spells trouble for the opposition but he could not make contact and with Phil Dennison monopolising the strike the Morecambe skipper could not get his big-hitting game into first gear. He did strike two big sixes but when he had made 24 an inspired bowling change brought about his downfall. Adam Cotton, 'Pies' came on and Thornton saw his chance for quick runs, or so he thought. He looked at a couple of balls before launching a huge drive down the ground. As with Louw, it did not have enough power to carry the boundary and Sean Bickerdike took the catch, Thornton gone for 24 and Morecambe 126-4.
Dennison survived a confident appeal for a catch at the wicket off Twist and he went on to make 55 before another bowling change saw him dismissed. Roger Banks returned to the attack and Dennison cut him with power on the off-side only to see a diving Gareth Evans make a spectacular catch at point and Morecambe were 157-5.
Tom Clough then employed the sweep to good effect in making 19 before a yes/no interlude with Andy Bird saw him run out with the total on 166. Faruk Patel made four before he fell leg before wicket to Banks at 176-7 and when Gulam Marge was deceived by a delightful ball from Geoff Love to be bowled for one, Morecambe seemed to be putting up the shutters at 179-8.
But after a couple of watchful overs Bird and Damien Gudgeon suddenly went onto the attack but it was too late, particularly with Love bowling an extremely tight line and length. The game was drawn as the innings closed at 205-8 in an afternoon of entertaining cricket all round.
Division Two scores in brief (home team in bold):
Blackpool 107, Chorley 110-2 (Greenwood 55)
Blackpool 0 points, Chorley 12 points
Fleetwood 115 (Bonner 4-27), Darwen 116-4 (Hadfield 60*)
Fleetwood 1 point, Darwen 12 points
Leyland Motors 168-8, Kendal 147 (Ashburner 57, Totham 6-36)
Leyland Motors 15 points, Kendal 4 points
St Annes 150-6,Morecambe 139-8 (Taylor D 5-67)
St Annes 8 points, Morecambe 3 points
Lancaster 156 (Simm 61, Welbourne 6-64),Netherfield 157-1 (Haddrick 78*,
Stewart 76*)
Lancaster 1 point, Netherfield 12 points
Preston 115 (McKenzie 8-48), Leyland 60 (Wright 7-3)
Preston 15 points, Leyland 4 points
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Darwen |
5 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
55 |
| Leyland Motors |
5 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
47 |
| St Annes |
5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
11 |
38 |
| Chorley |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
36 |
| Fleetwood |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
34 |
| Preston |
5 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
33 |
| Leyland |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
32 |
| Morecambe |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
27 |
| Blackpool |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
23 |
| Netherfield |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
22 |
| Lancaster |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
10 |
18 |
| Kendal |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
8 |
16 |
