By Michael Latham
The 3D Sports Northern Premier League leaders Leyland went desperately close to a fourth successive 15-point win before having to settle for a winning draw against Darwen at Fox Lane. The visitors hung on at 153 for 9, Niall Burke last man out for 40 to the last ball of the innings, chasing 174 to win. The Leyland professional, Ameer Khan, top-scored with 70, including three sixes and six fours, and followed up with four wickets.
Ameer Khan scored 70 and took 4 wickets for leaders Leyland |
Reigning champions St Annes close the gap on Leyland to six points after a four-wicket home win over Chorley. Stephen Twist continued his inspired start to the season with bat and ball, taking 5 for 18 in Chorley's innings of 165 for 8 and then spearheading his side's reply with 72. Bill Smith took 4 for 62 for Chorley after their vice captain Andy Holdsworth had top-scored with 46.
Andy Holdsworth top scored for Chorley |
Kendal are third after professional Ross McMillan's inspired bowling spell helped skittle Carnforth for 128 at Shap Road. McMillan collected 7 for 15 and then added 44 not out with the bat to partner skipper Ikram Ullah (58 not out) to a convincing win. Carnforth's professional, Ryan Bailey, top-scored with 47.
Ross McMillan produced a match winning display for Kendal ( photo by David Sykes ) |
Morecambe, last season's runners-up, collected a thrilling 15-point win at West Cliff as Preston were dismissed for 177 chasing a victory target of 194. The in-form Graham Lee took 4 for 38 after captain Mark Lomas had returned to form with an undefeated 67 in the visitors innings, professional Bruce Martin adding 48. Sajid Patel and Munaf Bavla each fell just short of half centuries for Preston.
Netherfield's present and former captains were the star turns in a nine-wicket win over bottom club Fleetwood at Broadwater. The in-form ex-skipper Scott Clement took 5 for 17 as Fleetwood were bowled out for 90, professional Callum Ferguson weighing in with 4 for 18. New captain Chris Parry, after two ducks over the Bank Holiday weekend, then steered his side to their target with an innings of 53 not out.
Scott Clement was again among the wickets for Netherfield |
Michael Stevens and Danny Milligan were the Lancaster stand-outs as they collected a 15-point win over Barrow at Lune Road. Stevens, another player to start the season in top form, finished unbeaten on 85 as Lancaster piled up the day's highest total, 214 for 6. Milligan then collected 5 for 46 as Barrow's recent poor batting displays continued the visitors were bowled out for 105.
RESULTS
FIRST DIVISION
Fleetwood v Netherfield
Netherfield (12pts) defeated Fleetwood (0pts) by 9 wickets
Fleetwood 90 (S Clement 5 for 17, C Ferguson 4 for 18), Netherfield 91 for 1 (C Parry 53 not out)
Kendal v Carnforth
Kendal (12pts) defeated Carnforth (0pts) by 9 wickets
Carnforth 128 (R Bailey 47, R McMillan 7 for 15), Kendal 129 for 1 (Ikram Ullah 58 not out, R McMillan 44 not out)
Lancaster v Barrow
Lancaster (15pts) defeated Barrow (1pt) by 109 runs
Lancaster 214 for 6 (M Stevens 85 not out), Barrow 105 (D Milligan 5 for 46)
Leyland v Darwen
Leyland (9pts) winning draw; Darwen (4pts)
Leyland 173 for 7 (Ameer Khan 70), Darwen 153 for 9 (N Burke 40, Ameer Khan 4 for 63)
Preston v Morecambe
Morecambe (15pts) defeated Preston (4pts) by 16 runs
Morecambe 193 for 7 (M Lomas 67 not out, B Martin 48), Preston 177 (Sajid Patel 48, Munaf Bavla 48, G Lee 4 for 38)
St Annes v Chorley
St Annes (12pts) defeated Chorley (3pts) by 4 wickets
Chorley 165 for 8 (A Holdsworth 46, S Twist 5 for 18), St Annes 169 for 6 (S Twist 72, B Smith 4 for 62)
3D SPORTS NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division One
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Leyland |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
54 |
| St Annes |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
48 |
| Kendal |
4 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
47 |
| Morecambe |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
43 |
| Lancaster |
5 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
41 |
| Carnforth |
5 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
39 |
| Darwen |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
31 |
| Blackpool |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
29 |
| Netherfield |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
11 |
28 |
| Chorley |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
11 |
27 |
| Barrow |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
12 |
17 |
| Preston |
5 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
9 |
13 |
| Fleetwood |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
7 |
8 |
DIVISION TWO
Barrow v Lancaster
Barrow (12pts) defeated Lancaster (2pts) by 3 wickets
Lancaster 124 (G Heffernan 4 for 30), Barrow 125 for 7
Carnforth v Kendal
Kendal (9pts) winning draw; Carnforth (5pts)
Kendal 275 for 6 (G Ashburner 57, A Thompson 55, A Dugdale 50), Carnforth 181 for 8 (T Barnfield 60, A Dugdale 5 for 29)
Chorley v St Annes
St Annes (9pts) winning draw; Chorley (6pts)
St Annes 210 for 7 (G Costin 81 not out, G Watson 43 not out), Chorley 180 for 8 (S Tolley 44, N Cookson 41, P Willis 4 for 25)
Darwen v Leyland
Darwen (12pts) defeated Leyland (0pts) by 6 wickets
Leyland 115 (S Parker 42, D Bonner 4 for 23), Darwen 118 for 4 (S Jackson 60 not out)
Morecambe v Preston
Morecambe (12pts) defeated Preston (3pts) by 5 wickets
Preston 163 (P Mann 52, G Martins 4 for 49), Morecambe 166 for 5
Netherfield v Fleetwood
Netherfield (15pts) defeated Fleetwood (2pts) by 80 runs
Netherfield 203 for 8 (S Jones 45), Fleetwood 123 (S Nixon 4 for 39)
3D SPORTS NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Chorley |
5 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
60 |
| Morecambe |
4 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
42 |
| Netherfield |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
39 |
| Blackpool |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
38 |
| Barrow |
5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
7 |
38 |
| St Annes |
4 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
35 |
| Lancaster |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
34 |
| Darwen |
5 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
33 |
| Leyland |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
7 |
22 |
| Fleetwood |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
22 |
| Preston |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
6 |
21 |
| Carnforth |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
6 |
19 |
| Kendal |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
17 |
Michael Latham's Featured Match
Leyland v Darwen
LEYLAND SO CLOSE TO ANOTHER 15 POINT WIN
The 3D Sports Northern Premier League leaders Leyland came desperately close to a fourth successive 15-point victory but in the end had to settle for a winning draw in a tense local derby against Darwen before a decent-sized crowd at picturesque Fox Lane.
David Makinson's side was left to rue three missed catches at vital stages in the second half of the Darwen innings that could have cost them victory.
The obdurate Niall Burke rode his luck, surviving a towering caught and bowled chance off Leyland pro Ameer Khan to emerge as Darwen's top scorer.
Burke was out to the last ball of the innings, caught at mid-wicket by Steve Pallett off Ameer Khan for 40 as Darwen finished on 153 for 9 chasing 174 to win.
Leyland had amassed their highest total of the season after Makinson elected to bat on winning the toss but never had things all their own way.
Stuart Hampson and Gareth Cordingley each took three wickets in a tidy and efficient Darwen bowling and fielding performance.
Ameer Khan struck three sixes and six fours in a high class innings of 70 before he miscued a drive against Darwen pro Atif Ashraf and fell to a well-judged running catch in the deep by Michael Clarkson.
The Leyland pro's dismissal left his side 128 for 6 in the 42nd over and with him went home hopes of a 200-plus total on an easy paced wicket in warm and sultry conditions.
But Tom Reece batted sensibly in the closing stages to finish 36 not out and guide his side to 173 for 7.
Hampson had struck two early blows for Darwen, bowling Leyland opener Chris Parkinson and having Peter Cummings caught behind by impressive reserve wicket-keeper Mark Bennett.
Leyland's opener Chris Parkinson is bowled by Stuart Hampson |
Leyland's Peter Cummings is caught behind by Mark Bennett of Hampson |
Karl Cross helped Ameer Khan add 58 for the third wicket before he was caught behind off Gareth Cordingley. The in-form Darwen all rounder then had Ian Farrington caught by brother John at slip first ball before Andrew Makinson came in to avert the hat-trick.
Makinson became Bennett's third victim off Cordingley's bowling and after Ameer Khan's dismissal James Rounding and Reece nursed their side to two batting points before Rounding was bowled by Hampson in the penultimate over.
Darwen made a disastrous start losing two batsmen in Andrew Makinson's opening over.
Pro Atif Ashraf was superbly caught by Farrington low down at mid-wicket and Kamran Anwar fell LBW.
Gary Jackson and Gareth Cordingley set about a repair job until the former was bowled by Ameer Khan to leave Darwen 54 for 3 in the 21st over.
Leyland skipper David Makinson then struck a crucial blow, having Cordingley caught behind for 34 in the next over.
John Cordingley was next to fall, bowled by David Makinson and when Mark Emery was caught by Parkinson at cover off the Leyland pro the visitors were struggling at 83 for 6 in the 33rd over
Darwen batsman John Cordingley sweeps Ameer Khan |
But Niall Burke and Bennett then stopped the rot, though both offered chances. Burke survived a towering caught and bowled attempt off Ameer Khan while Bennett was twice put down in the slips off David Makinson's bowling.
Mark Bennett survives a dropped catch in the slip courdon |
The pair had taken the score to 122 when Bennett fell, caught by David Makinson at mid off after his son Andrew had been recalled to the attack in the 43rd over
Hampson became the eighth man to fall, bowled by Ameer Khan for 13 to leave Darwen 136 for 8 in the 46th over.
But despite crowding the bat Leyland could not make another breakthrough as Burke and captain Andrew Cook held out under pressure until Burke was out to the last ball of the match.
Leyland took nine points from an excellently contested game, Darwen collected four. Ameer Khan finished with four for 63 and Andrew Makinson three for 44.
