Match Day 15th May 2004
IT'S TIGHT AT THE TOP AS PRESTON LEAD BY TWO
By Gerry Wolstenholme
Eight points separate the top five clubs in the table as three of them, Blackpool, Preston and Fleetwood all won on Saturday and Darwen in sixth place are only five points behind as they won their third game in succession.
It was a top-of-the-table at West Cliff and the game lived up to its billing. Morecambe batted first and Mark Woodhead and Phil Dennison gave them their customary good start. Woodhead made a match top score of 38 and Dennison made 27 while Rajesh Yadav chipped in with 24. There were five wickets for 61 runs for Manoj Parekh and 4-38 for Pervez Shah in Morecambe's all out total of 171.
Preston set off badly and lost early wickets but Raouf Akbar, 35, and Munaf Bavla, 23, steadied the ship. Even so it looked an unlikely win when nine wickets were down with more than 20 runs still needed. But Glen Johnstone and Rhys Williams, both who made 13 not out, saw Preston home with the latter hitting a boundary and a two to win the game for his side by one wicket at 172-9 with three balls remaining. Jono Gates had 5-46 for the losers.
Blackpool meanwhile continued their steady progress and comfortably defeated Kendal at Shap Road, without even requiring the final 20 overs. Kendal made 153 all out, Kabir Khan making 48 but then only Terry Hunte, 24, and Kevin Howarth, 21, getting past the 20-mark. Stephen Croft continued his fine season by taking 4-42 while professional Justin Kreusch on his debut had 2-21 and looked quite sharp. Tim Barry also took two wickets, for 35 runs.
When Blackpool batted Steve Mercer was soon out and it was 1-1 but that was the end of Kendal success as Croft and Martin Pickles took the Kendal attack apart. Croft who won the game and brought up his own century with his second six, to add to one five and 16 fours, was 103 not out and Pickles was 41 not out.
Darwen made short work of Leyland Motors for whom Atif Ashraf hit 107, almost 76% of the all out total of 141. Neil Cordingley was the main wicket-taker with 4-12 and then Keith Semple struck 59 not out as Darwen cruised to 143-4 and victory by six wickets.
Fleetwood were another team who did not require the final 20 overs as they disposed of Barrow at Broadwater. A Barrow side that had scored over 200 on successive days last weekend never looked like reaching such dizzy heights and only James Riley with 47 made any impact on some tidy Fleetwood bowling. Doug Marillier led the way in that department with 4-54 as Barrow limped to just 135-8 in their 57 overs. Runs from the first four Fleetwood batsmen of whom Michael Clinning top-scored with 34 not out made victory by eight wickets at 136-2 a formality.
Chorley chalked up 203-7 at Leyland with Tom Smith making 66 and Nigel Heaton 63 and Steve Pallett taking 4-51. Smith and his brother Bill were then among the wickets as hapless Leyland were bowled out for 59, Tom taking 3-14 and Bill 3-20 as Leyland lost by 144 runs.
The only draw of the day came at Vernon Road where Netherfield hit the day's highest total of 260-5. Gareth White made 63, Dale Benkenstein 60 and Craig Parry 41 but the real sparks flew from the bat of Grahame Clarke whose 62 came from just 42 balls and contained four sixes and six fours. It was a daunting task for St Annes and though Jimmy Adams made 37, Joe Davie 35, Steve Twist 26 and Danny Hagen 21 only Adam Cotton 46 not out, and it was thanks to him that St Annes held on for a draw at 188-9. Benkenstein had 3-32 but the bowling honours went to a cameo spell by Craig Walmsley who returned 3-1-3-3.
Scores in brief (home side in bold):
Barrow 135-8 (Riley 47), Fleetwood 136-2
Barrow 0 points, Fleetwood 12 points
Kendal 153 (Khan 48, Croft 4-42), Blackpool 155-1 (Croft 103*, Pickles 41*)
Kendal 1 point, Blackpool 12 points
Chorley 203-7 (Smith T 66, Heaton 63, Pallett 4-51), Leyland 59
Chorley 15 points, Leyland 3 points
Morecambe 171 (Parekh 5-61, Shah 4-38), Preston 172-9 (Gates 5-46)
Morecambe 6 points, Preston 12 points
Netherfield 260-5 (White 63, Clarke 62, Benkenstein 60, Parry 41),
St Annes 188-9 ( Adam Cotton 46*)
Netherfield 11 points, St Annes 6 points
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division One
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Blackpool |
5 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
55 |
| Morecambe |
6 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
53 |
| Preston |
6 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
48 |
| Fleetwood |
5 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
12 |
48 |
| Netherfield |
6 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
47 |
| Darwen |
5 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
42 |
| Chorley |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
39 |
| Lancaster |
5 |
0 |
0 |
2* |
2 |
0 |
1 |
18 |
33 |
| St Annes |
6 |
0 |
0 |
1* |
2 |
1 |
2 |
18 |
33 |
| Barrow |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
18 |
30 |
| Kendal |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
29 |
| Leyland Motors |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
16 |
28 |
| Leyland |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
13 |
18 |
* includes 5 point for a tie
In the Second Division Guy Heffernan of Barrow continued his good form with the bat and made the day's only century, 113 not out, and this gives him three not outs in his three innings to date with an aggregate of around 186! However, despite Mike Hughes' 46 and T Bamber's 4-34 when Fleetwood batted, the game ended in a draw with Fleetwood making 220-9, Tony Buschini 76, in reply to Barrow's massive 259-4.
Robin Bracewell once again missed out on a ton, making his second 90 of the season, this time 96, and Prash Aga made 85 as Blackpool amassed 230-4 against Kendal who replied in kind with 207-8, Paul Dowker 56, to secure the draw. Best bowling of the day came from Sean Bickerdike whose 5-68 helped St Annes to victory over Netherfield by 66 runs, 217-8 against 151 all out. In an ironic twist of fate, Chorley scored exactly the same total as their first team counterparts, 203-7, in which J Hotham made 80 and Dave Catterall 67, and although Leyland still lost, as did their first team, they made more of a fight of it to total 167, M Brown 72, to leave the deficit at 36 runs.
Scores in brief (home teams in bold):
Barrow 259-4 (Heffernan 113*, Hughes 47), Fleetwood 220-5 (Buschini 76,
Bamber 4-34)
Barrow 11 points, Fleetwood 5 points
Blackpool 230-4 (Bracewell 96, Aga 85), Kendal 207-8 (Dowker 56)
Blackpool 10 points, Kendal 5 points
Chorley 203-7 (Hotham 80, Catterall D 67), Leyland 167 (Brown 72, Demaine 4-52)
Chorley 15 points, Leyland 5 points
Darwen 170-9, Leyland Motors 138 (Jones 58, Bonner 4-31)
Darwen 15 points, Leyland Motors 4 points
Preston 114-9 (Lee 4-21), Morecambe 118-0 (Maje 59*, Izzat 51*)
Preston 0 points, Morecambe 12 points
St Annes 217-8, Netherfield 151 (Bickerdike 5-68)
St Annes 15 points, Netherfield 4 points
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| St Annes |
6 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
64 |
| Morecambe |
6 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
62 |
| Chorley |
5 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
53 |
| Darwen |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
43 |
| Barrow |
6 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
17 |
43 |
| Fleetwood |
5 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
35 |
| Leyland |
6 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
21 |
34 |
| Lancaster |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
12 |
33 |
| Leyland Motors |
6 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
13 |
31 |
| Preston |
6 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
10 |
30 |
| Netherfield |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
23 |
29 |
| Blackpool |
5 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
17 |
27 |
| Kendal |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
9 |
14 |
ACTION REPLAY:
FLEETWOOD STROLL TO VICTORY
Barrow 135-8, Fleetwood 136-2
By Gerry Wolstenholme
On a gloriously sunny day at Broadwater it was a stroll in the park for Fleetwood on Saturday as they comfortably disposed of a Barrow side that had hit over 200 in successive days last weekend. This time round they never looked like reaching such dizzy heights and ended their 57 overs with a modest 135-8. Fleetwood won in a canter, not requiring any of the final 20 overs, and finished two-wicket victors at 136-2.
Barrow won the toss and batted but they made heavy weather against some accurate Fleetwood bowling. They had advanced cautiously to 26 when Steve Hill struck twice in quick succession. He bowled Robin Adams for 10 at 26 and then had Shaun Miller caught behind by James Ellis for 18 at 31. James Riley and professional Rawl Lewis took the total past the half-century but then Lewis, five, was well caught by Doug Marillier at slip off Dave Fish at 51-3. It was 62-4 when Dean Williams, four, was very well caught at slip by Michael Clinning off Marillier and half the side had gone at 79 when Paul Wilcock, four, lofted a gentle catch to John Wright at mid-off.
Meanwhile Riley was battling on and he played one or two fine cover drives but when he had reached 47 and the total was 100, Marillier trapped him leg before wicket. His innings had come from 81 balls and contained three of the seven fours that Barrow struck in the innings. Two further wickets fell with the total at 100 and in successive balls as Marillier had Ray Mowat caught by Hill at short third man and then Ellis snapped up a catch to dismiss Ian Kermode for eight.
The hat-trick was survived and Daryl Wearing, 18 not out, and Lee Cosgrove, 17 not out, then showed the most urgency in the innings and put on 35 with both players benefiting from a life as Wayne Clarke and Rob Clark dropped catches at mid-wicket and long-on respectively. So Barrow closed at 135-8 with Marillier taking 4-54, Hill 2-18 and Fish 2-49.
When Fleetwood batted, they were going to have to bat badly not to win and Barrow were going to have to bowl exceptionally win if they were to have any chance. Neither scenario developed as John Hall and Wayne Clarke went sedately along to 64 without alarm before a good piece of chasing, picking up and throwing in, ran out Hall for 33. Clarke, 29, followed soon after when Adams took a catch at square leg to make it 68-2.
But that was all she wrote for Barrow as Clinning, dropped at eight by Lewis in the slips, made a cultured 34 not out and Marillier blasted a quick 29 not out from 34 balls with one six and three fours to take Fleetwood to a comfortable victory by eight wickets at 136-2.
