By Michael Latham
St Annes heroes Hettiarachchi and Baer are cheered off |
St Annes take an eleven points lead over Preston into the final round of matches in the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (incorporating 3D Sports).
Andy Kellett's side staged a Lazarus-like recovery to defeat Fleetwood by 15 runs in a quite remarkable game at Vernon Road while Preston earned 12 points for an eight wickets win at home to Barrow.
All the other division one games were abandoned.
St Annes were outplayed for much of the game against Fleetwood yet staged a dramatic fight-back by capturing the last eight wickets for only ten runs.
The game at Vernon Road began at 1.40pm after morning rain and was reduced to 40 overs per side. St Annes, invited to bat by Fleetwood captain James Ellis, collapsed to 104 all out in 34.3 overs.
Adam Breakell, who took the wickets of the first five St Annes batsmen, and David Fish did the damage.
Breakell claimed five for 46 and Fish five for 34.
St Annes openers Atiq Uz-Zaman and skipper Andy Kellett had posted 47 for the first wicket before the former was caught behind for 30 in the 11th over.
Pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi and Stephen Twist both fell to sharp catches by Chesney Hughes at backward point and when Kellett was bowled by Breakell the home side were 72 for 4.
The last seven St Annes wickets fell for just 32 runs as Fish ran through the lower order, Breakell completing a busy day in the field with two catches.
St Annes captain Andy Kellett is bowled by Adam Breakell |
News came through from West Cliff that Preston's game with Barrow had commenced late as a 25 overs contest and that the visitors had been invited to bat.
St Annes started well, pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi bowling Nick Coultas first ball.
But Chesney Hughes and pro Rassie van der Dussen, both making their final Fleetwood appearances, then appeared to have taken the game away from the home side.
Hughes looked in prime form and had reached 38, including two straight sixes off Hettiarachchi, before he was brilliantly caught by Nathan Armstrong at deep backward square off the St Annes pro.
Van der Dussen and Mike Clinning then took the score to 79 with the visitors looking in total control of the game.
But Michael Baer entered the St Annes attack and claimed the vital wicket of van der Dussen leg before for 25 in the 16th over.
In his next over Baer captured the wickets of Clinning, caught behind by Duncan Whalley, and Ellis leg before to leave Fleetwood 80 for 5.
With the tension rising Hettiarachchi took over, having Tom Wilson caught by David Bartholomew at mid wicket off a delivery that appeared to stop and then running out Joe Bell with a superb piece of fielding.
Adam Sharrocks perished to another inspired piece of fielding, seeing his straight drive parried by Twist as he fell backwards over the boundary near the sightscreen, with Baer completing the catch.
With Breakell stranded at the non-striker's end Hettiarachchi ruthlessly applied the finish, as Tom Blundell was caught by Atiq and Fish trapped leg before.
The last eight wickets fell for just 10 runs as Fleetwood collapsed to 89 all out, Hettiarachchi claiming six for 36 and Baer three for 8.
St Annes players celebrate David Fish's dismissal |
Preston, meanwhile, completed an eight wickets win over Barrow at West Cliff in a game reduced to 25 overs- the minimum allowed under league rules.
The hard work of the Preston players in mopping-up operations to help make the ground ruled fit for play proved fruitful as Barrow, chasing a Lancashire Cup place after a fine run of form, were bowled out for 82.
Darren Nelson took the wickets of openers Jon Miles and Ian Allington before UCLAN student Andy Roberts ripped out the heart of the innings with a spell of four for 26.
Lukman Vahaluwala collected two wickets and David Fisher and Sajid Patel claimed run-out assists in an impressive display of out cricket by Bilal Asad's side.
With Sajid Patel curbing his natural attacking instincts to make 29 off 42 balls and Vahaluwala contributing an unbeaten 29 Preston eased to victory with 5.4 overs to spare.
Lukman Vahaluwala led Preston to victory over Barrow |
On the final weekend of the season Preston are at home to Morecambe while St Annes visit Darwen.
Preston can claim 15points for a win batting first and 12 for a win batting second so St Annes need a minimum of four points to claim the championship.
If the sides finish level on points the title goes to the side with most wins and St Annes currently have 12 wins to Preston's ten.
Darwen's pro David Wiese has returned home but the club have engaged a deputy for the important game, the highly-rated Crompton CC professional Mohammed Zaman Khan, who deputised for the club earlier in the season.
FIRST DIVISION SCORES:
LANCASTER v DARWEN
Match abandoned (4pts each)
LEYLAND v CARNFORTH
Match abandoned (4pts each)
MORECAMBE v KENDAL
Match abandoned (4pts each)
NETHERFIELD v BLACKPOOL
Match abandoned (4pts each)
PRESTON v BARROW
Preston (12pts) defeated Barrow (0pts) by 8 wickets
Barrow 82 (A Roberts 4 for 26), Preston 85 for 2
ST ANNES v FLEETWOOD
St Annes (15pts) defeated Fleetwood (3pts) by 15 runs
Chorley - no game
St Annes 104 (D Fish 5 for 34, A Breakell 5 for 46), Fleetwood 89 (D Hettiarachchi 6 for 36)
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATING 3D SPORTS )
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division One
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| St Annes |
23 |
4 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
26 |
211 |
| Preston |
23 |
6 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
32* |
200 |
| Chorley |
23 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
33 |
175 |
| Morecambe |
23 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
33 |
174 |
| Netherfield |
23 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
7 |
41 |
165 |
| Barrow |
23 |
2 |
7 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
4 |
21 |
160 |
| Blackpool |
23 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
4 |
6 |
42 |
152 |
| Kendal |
23 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
2 |
8 |
5 |
36 |
144 |
| Leyland |
23 |
1 |
3 |
4 |
3 |
8 |
4 |
43 |
129 |
| Fleetwood |
24 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
9 |
3 |
37 |
125 |
| Darwen |
23 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
7 |
5 |
42* |
123 |
| Carnforth |
23 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
9 |
6 |
37 |
117 |
| Lancaster |
23 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
9 |
5 |
34 |
105 |
* 2 points deducted for slow over rate
Divison Two
Leyland upto second in division two
In division two there was play in only one game.
Leyland earned nine points from a winning draw in a match reduced to 45 overs at Carnforth and so leapfrogged Blackpool into second place behind champions Lancaster.
Openers Wes Royle (69) and Martin Brown (47) gave the visitors a fine start and Ian Farrington hit 60 not out and Andrew Makinson an unbeaten 61 as Leyland reached 245 for 2 before declaring after 41 overs.
That gave Chris Dovey's side 49 overs to bowl out the home side but Carnforth reached safety at 185 for 7, Robert Parker top-scoring with 49.
SECOND DIVISION SCORES:
BARROW v PRESTON
Match abandoned (4pts each)
BLACKPOOL v NETHERFIELD
Match abandoned (4pts each)
CARNFORTH v LEYLAND
Leyland (9pts) winning draw; Carnforth (4pts)
Leyland 245 for 2dec (W Role 69, A Makinson 61no, I Farrington 60no, M Brown 47), Carnforth 185 for 7 (R Parker 49)
DARWEN v LANCASTER
Match abandoned (4pts each)
FLEETWOOD v ST ANNES
Match abandoned (4pts each)
KENDAL v MORECAMBE
Match abandoned (4pts each)
Chorley - no game
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATING 3D SPORTS)
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Lancaster |
23 |
3 |
11 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
24 |
225 |
| Leyland |
23 |
5 |
5 |
4 |
0 |
7 |
2 |
38 |
197 |
| Blackpool |
23 |
6 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
7 |
2 |
18 |
193 |
| Chorley |
23 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
3 |
27 |
185 |
| St Annes |
23 |
4 |
6 |
2 |
2 |
6 |
3 |
24 |
178 |
| Darwen |
23 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
5 |
24 |
177 |
| Morecambe |
23 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
35 |
160 |
| Netherfield |
23 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
37 |
156 |
| Fleetwood |
24 |
1 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
11 |
3 |
27 |
135 |
| Carnforth |
23 |
2 |
3 |
0 |
5 |
9 |
4 |
30 |
117 |
| Preston |
23 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
10 |
3 |
21 |
113 |
| Kendal |
23 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
13 |
4 |
21 |
107 |
| Barrow |
23 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
13 |
5 |
40 |
89 |
