DARWEN ARE EARLY LEADERS
On a day when there were some surprising results Darwen top the League table.
Darwen played Blackpool at Stanley Park and were invited to bat, the visitors accepted the challenge and scored 239 - 3 in their 50 overs.
Darwen's professional Atif Ashraf making 130 off 142 balls and had a 2nd wicket stand of 140 in 30 overs with Keith Semple 60.
In reply Blackpool reached 222 for 7, Charles Boucher their top scorer with 114 off 137 balls, Ashraf having a great day taking 5-88.
Netherfield 2 wins out of 2 collapsed to 101 all out only sub pro Mohammed Aziz 32 and Ryan Brown 31 reaching double figures.
Chorley scored 104 - 5 thanks to professional Stephen John 45 and captain Jack Catterall 29.
Fleetwood put in to bat by Carnforth made 186 - 9 Adam Shorrocks top scoring with 57 with contributions of 27 from Nick Coultas and 23 from Chirs Stanhope.
Lyndall Richardson 49 lead Carnforth's reply but were 142 - 8 at the close of play.
There was an exciting game at Kendal, the home side batted first and made 241 - 5, Terry Hunte 121 off 102 balls, (his 41st League century and passing 16000 runs.) and Ikram Ullah 69
Morecambe took up the challenge and required 12 runs off the last over, 10 to win off the last 2 balls, captain Mark Lomas pulls Kevin Howarth for 6, 4 required off 1 ball, but could only manage a 2.
Morecambe finnish on 240 - 8 with Mark Lomas 77no and the other main contributors in the chase were Phil Dennison 40, Gulam Maje 38 and Ryan Smith 27
Kevin Howarth 4-48 Kendal's leading bowler
At Fox Lane Leyland battered first and made 229 - 7 professional Ameer Khan making 102 and Karl Cross run out for 49.
St Annes were bowled out for 142, Ameer Khan making it an allround day taking 6-48, Stephen Twist 49, captain Duncan Whalley 33 and Ian Austin 24 the only batsmen for the visitors to reach double figures.
Preston were invited to bat at West Cliff by visitors Barrow and scored 180, professional Bilal Asad 34 and Pip McDonald 31 their top scorers.
Barrow were made to fight for their win reaching 184 - 4 with a ninth wicket partnership between Daryl Wearing 32no and Paul Wilcock 19no seeing the visitors home
Division One scores in brief (home side in bold):
Darwen 239 - 3 (Ashraf 130, Semple 60 ), Blackpool 222 - 7 (Boucher 114, Ashraf 5-88)
Darwen 9 points, Blackpool 4 points
Netherfield 101 (Dhar 4-20), Chorley 104 - 5 (John 45)
Netherfield 1 point, Chorley 12 points
Fleetwood 186 - 9 (Shorrocks 57), Carnforth 142 - 8 (Richardson 49, Smit 4-41)
Fleetwood 9 points, Carnforth 5 points
Kendal 241 - 5 (Hunte 121, Ullah 69), Morecambe 240 - 8 (Lomas 77*, Pedder 40, Howarth 4-48)
Kendal 9 points, Morecambe 5 points
Leyland 229 - 7 (Ameer Khan 102, Cross 49), St Annes 142 (Twist 49, Ameer Khan 6-48)
Leyland 15 points, St Annes 3 points
Preston 180 , Barrow 184 - 8
Preston 5 points, Barrow 12 points
* Not Out
Fleetwood and Darwen remain the only undefeated teams in the Second Division, Fleetwood won a high scoring game at Carnforth.
Carnforth 210 Robert Horsfall 53, Wayne Tomlinson 46 and Ben Hornby 45 their leading run makers.
Fleetwood knocked off the runs, reaching 216 - 3 in 39.1 overs thanks to Tom Wilson 99, Bruce Budden 49no and Joe Bell 41
Darwen invited to bat Blackpool at Birch Hall, and scored 259 - 8 with no 6 batsman Michael Penny making 129 no.
Darwen struggled to 149 - 7 at the close, Graham Ainslie 41 top scoring.
Barrow bowled out visitors Preston for 120, Guy Heffernan taking 5-30, they reached their target 121 for the loss of only 4 wickets
Like their first team Morecambe 2nds were in another exciting finnish against Kendal at Woodhill lane.
Kendal scored 217 - 7 , with Oliver Killiner 73 and Andrew Dugdale 54 their leading run makers.
In reply Morecambe fell 5 runs short, Stuart Errington 70, James Whincup 59 and James Law 36 the main contributors to the chase.
Adrian Potts 6-53 and Andrew Dugdale 5-57 shared the wickets for Kendal
Openers Rishi Girdhari 85 and Ben Haddrick 67 lead the way in Netherfield's 247 - 9, Josh Tolley 83 top scored for Chorley in their 250 - 4, John Hotham 42 and Laurence Ashworth 41no were other significant contributors.
Leyland had an exciting last over win against St Annes, St Annes 192 - 9 thanks to 92no from John Ashworth with 39 from David Bartholomew.Monty Cottam taking 6-53 for Leyland.
In the run chase steady innings from Stephen Cartwright 35 and Alex Mercer 33 gave Leyland a chance but the eighth wicket partnership Vincent Jones 40 no and Chris Dovey saw Leyland home 195 - 7 with two balls to spare.
Division Two results in short (home team in bold):
Preston 120 (Heffernan 5-30), Barrow 121 - 4
Preston 0 points, Barrow 12 points
Carnforth 210 (Horsfall 53, Tomlinson 46, Hornby 45, Gregson 5-55), Fleetwood 216 - 3 (Wilson 99, Budden 49*, Bell 41
Carnforth 3 points, Fleetwood 12 points
Blackpool 259 - 8 (Penny 129*), Darwen 149 - 7 (Ainslie 41)
Blackpool 9 points, Darwen 4 points
Kendal 217 - 7(Killiner 73,Dugdale 54), Morecambe 212(Errington 70, Whincup 59, Potts 6-53, Dugdale 4-57)
Kendal 15 points, Morecambe 5 points
Netherfield247 - 9 (Girdari 85, Haddrick 67 Oakes 5-37) , Chorley 250 - 4 (Tolley J 83, Hotham 42, Ashworth 41*)
Netherfield 3 points, Chorley 12 points
St Annes 192 - 9 (Ashworth 92*, Cottam 6-53), Leyland 195 - 7 (Jones 40*)
St Annes 5 points, Leyland 12 points
* Not Out
There will be no match report this week due to Gerry's stay in hospital
