By Michael Latham
Pasan
Wanasinghe and Graham Dawson combined to destroy Darwen
(courtesy Ian Allington) |
Nathan McDonnell was Leyland's last over hero as
the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League
(incorporating Readers Cricket Balls) leaders enjoyed a
dramatic victory at Stanley Park.
McDonnell kept his cool in a tense situation to
steer his side to a three wickets win over fourth-placed
Blackpool, hitting two sixes off the final over as Leyland won
with one ball to spare.
With an unbeaten 65 off 64 balls
McDonnell, who came in at number 7, showed a maturity belying
his teenage years as he negotiated a stiff target of 14 from
Andy Furniss's final over.
Leyland had slumped to 35 for 3
chasing Blackpool's 202 for 6 but professional Brett Pelser
steadied the ship with a crucial 69 off 118 balls, Karl Cross
hitting 30 before McDonnell took centre stage.
Earlier Lancashire CCC star Steven Croft had
survived three chances in the field to make his second century
in as many innings for Blackpool this summer. Opening the
innings, Croft hit 108 off 165 balls including six fours and
eight sixes to provide the bulk of his side's 202 for 6.
Furniss hit 38 off 54 balls in a fourth wicket stand of 84
with Croft with Pelser and Peter Cummings each taking two
wickets for Leyland.
Leyland earned 12 points for their win batting
second and will enjoy their traditional mid season tour of
Malta next weekend as they sit out the next round of games.
Their nearest challengers St Annes and Barrow both earned
maximum 15-point victories and will attempt to make up
ground.
Leyland have played 16 out of 25 games and have 186
points. Defending champions St Annes (15-157) and third-placed
Barrow (15-150) are both still firmly in contention though
fourth-placed Blackpool (16-137) have lost ground.
St Annes beat Netherfield by 135 runs at Vernon
Road with Sri Lankan spin ace Dinuka Hettiarachchi picking up
his ninth five-wicket haul of the summer. Hettiarachchi
collected six for 31 as the visitors subsided to 88 all out
chasing St Annes' 223 for 6.
Ben Dowling, who has rejoined
St Annes after a spell at Clitheroe, took three for 42
including the prize wicket of Netherfield pro Nick Kruger,
bowled for 6. Only Ben Barrow, who was 32 not out, provided
any sort of resistance.
Wicketkeeper Duncan Whalley, who
was captaining St Annes in the absence of Andy Kellett top
scored with 50 in his side's 223 for 6. Charles Boucher hit 45
as Netherfield captain Marc Hadwin returned figures of four
for 39 off 19 overs of leg-spin.
Barrow pro Pasan Wanasinghe passed 50 league
wickets for the season as he combined with Cumberland county
bowler Graham Dawson to destroy fifth-placed Darwen at Ernest
Pass.
The deadly duo each took five wickets apiece as
Darwen crumbled to 52 all out after Barrow posted 187 for 5.
At one stage both bowlers were both on hat-tricks at the same
time having taken wickets in successive balls with their last
two deliveries of their respective overs as Darwen lost six
wickets in the first six overs of their reply.
Wanasinghe
took five for 18 and Dawson earned five for 32 as Darwen
batted only 18.1 overs, with pro Mohammad Zaman Khan (11) and
Kamran Anwar (17) their only batsmen to reach double
figures.
Khan had bowled a testing 18-over spell to take
three for 58 as Barrow had to fight hard for their runs.
Cumberland opener Greg Platten top-scored with 41 and
Wanasinghe hit 40.
Fleetwood's Second XI captain Matt Clark took
over as First XI skipper after pro Matt Frith relinquished the
position in midweek for his side's visit to Chorley. Andy
Singleton will now captain Fleetwood Second XI.
Clark
opened with 25 off 22 balls and Frith hit a superb 97 off 133
balls including 13 fours and one six before he was stumped by
Alex Weetman off professional JJ Smut as Fleetwood reached 215
for 7. Chris Stanhope hit two sixes in his 23 and Ryan Smith
three sixes in his 28 off only 18 balls. Playing his last home
game for the club Smuts took four for 59.
Smuts, who will leave Chorley to join South
Africa's Emerging Players tour of Australia was left
tantalisingly short of breaking the club record for a
professional as he was bowled by Frith for 26. He needs seven
runs next week at Lancaster to beatk Kiwi Stuart Duff's record
of 719 runs set back in 1987. With Smith, Sam Bell and Mark
Wilkinson each taking two wickets Chorley were always behind
the chase and they relied upon Michael Critchley's obdurate
undefeated 47 off 84 balls to salvage a draw at 149 for 9
before they embarked on the club centenary dinner at the Pines
Hotel.
Preston's
Lukman Vahaluwala congratulates Gareth Pedder on his
match-winning performance followed by Darren Nelson and
Darren Moore |
Carnforth enjoyed their second 15-points win of
the season as they defeated Preston by 124 runs at Lodge
Quarry. Ryan Nelson batted superbly throughout Carnforth's
innings to make an undefeated 87 off 147 balls with eight
fours. Nelson's third wicket stand of 127 with skipper Darren
Moore, who returned to form with 59 off 97 balls, provided the
backbone of Carnforth's 198 for 4.
Ryan
Nelson hit an undefeated 87 for
Carnforth |
Professional Gareth Pedder and Darren Nelson
then combined to end Preston's mini revival of two successive
maximum points wins as the visitors subsided to 74 all out.
Pedder took six for 24 off 13.3 overs and Nelson, who played
for Preston last season, four for 40 in a fine display of seam
bowling, backed by some impressive fielding. Nelson picked up
an outstanding caught-and-bowled to dismiss Preston
professional and captain Bilal Asad for six and only Javaid
Hussain (23 not out) provided prolonged resistance.
Gareth
Pedder took six wickets for
Carnforth |
There was no play in the game between Kendal and
Lancaster at Shap Road due to rain.
FIRST DIVISION SCORES
BARROW v DARWEN
Barrow (15pts) defeated Darwen (1pt) by 135
runs
Barrow 187 for 5 (G Platten 41, P Wanasinghe
40), Darwen 52 (P Wanasinghe 5 for 18, G Dawson 5 for 32)
BLACKPOOL v LEYLAND
Leyland (12pts) defeated Blackpool (5pts) by 3
wickets
Blackpool 202 for 6 (S Croft 108), Leyland 203
for 7 (B Pelser 69, N McDonnell 65no)
CARNFORTH v PRESTON
Carnforth (15pts) defeated Preston (0pts) by
124 runs
Carnforth 198 for 4 (R Nelson 87no, D Moore
59), Preston 74 (G Pedder 6 for 24, D Nelson 4 for 40)
CHORLEY v FLEETWOOD
Fleetwood (10pts) winning draw; Chorley
4pts
Fleetwood 215 for 7 (M Frith 97, JJ Smuts 4
for 59), Chorley 149 for 9 (M Critchley 47no)
KENDAL v LANCASTER
Match abandoned (4pts each)
No play due to rain
ST ANNES v NETHERFIELD
St Annes (15pts) defeated Netherfield (1pt) by
135 runs
St Annes 223 for 6 (D Whalley 50, C Boucher 45,
M Hadwin 4 for 39), Netherfield 88 (D Hettiarachchi 6 for
31)
Morecambe no game (play Lancashire Colts
Sunday)
SUNDAY 18th July
League
Division One
MORECAMBE v LANCASHIRE COLTS
Match abandoned (4pts each)
No play due to rain
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATIN READERS CRICKET
BALLS )
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division One
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Leyland |
16 |
4 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
186 |
| St Annes |
15 |
2 |
9 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
7 |
157 |
| Barrow |
16 |
4 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
1 |
13 |
150 |
| Blackpool |
16 |
4 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
17 |
137 |
| Morecambe |
15 |
1 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
19 |
118 |
| Darwen |
15 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
1 |
32 |
115 |
| Lancaster |
16 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
4 |
23 |
110 |
| Netherfield |
15 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
18 |
98 |
| Kendal |
16 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
42 |
91 |
| Preston |
16 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
2 |
24 |
81 |
| Chorley |
16 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
9 |
1 |
29 |
75 |
| Carnforth |
15 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
10 |
1 |
34 |
70 |
| Fleetwood |
15 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
37 |
65 |
| Lancashire Colts |
9 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
18 |
57 |
SECOND DIVISION
In Division Two leaders Chorley (15-145) are two
points ahead of Leyland (14-143) with Blackpool (14-131) third
and Darwen (15-131) fourth.
Chorley edged to a two wickets win at Fleetwood
chasing the home side's 144 for 7 in which Neil Jackson hit 53
and Chris Harty took four for 47.
Leyland earned a significant nine wickets win
over Blackpool at Fox Lane, reducing the visitors to 10 for 7
at one stage. Blackpool mustered 64, Steven Pallett taking
four for 25 and Leyland reached their target in double-quick
time.
Darwen's home game with Barrow was abandoned but
defending champions Lancaster (15-119) earned a six wickets
win over Kendal after Danny Welbourne hit an undefeated 62.
Andrew Starkie took five for 32 as Preston beat
Carnforth by 63 runs at West Cliff after John Denwood
collected a five-wicket haul in Preston's 159. Yasin Patel
made 41 for Preston.
The game between Netherfield and St Annes was
abandoned with the home side 29 for 2.
SECOND DIVISION SCORES
DARWEN v BARROW
Match abandoned (4pts each)
No play due to rain
FLEETWOOD v CHORLEY
Chorley (12pts) defeated Fleetwood (3pts) by 2
wickets
Fleetwood 144 for 7 (N Jackson 53, C Harty 4
for 47), Chorley 145 for 8
LANCASTER v KENDAL
Lancaster (12pts) defeated Kendal (0pts) by 6
wickets
Kendal 101, Lancaster 102 for 4 (D Welbourne
62no)
LEYLAND v BLACKPOOL
Leyland (12pts) defeated Blackpool (0pts) by 9
wickets
Blackpool 64 (S Pallett 4 for 25), Leyland 66
for 1
NETHERFIELD v ST ANNES
Match abandoned (4pts each)
Netherfield 29 for 2; St Annes did not bat
(rain stopped play)
PRESTON v CARNFORTH
Preston (15pts) defeated Carnforth (3pts) by
63 runs
Preston 159 (Y Patel 41, J Denwood 5 for 51),
Carnforth 96 (A Starkie 5 for 32)
Morecambe no game
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATING READERS
CRICKET BALLS)
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
l |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Chorley |
15 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
25 |
145 |
| Leyland |
14 |
3 |
5 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
18 |
143 |
| Blackpool |
14 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
11 |
131 |
| Darwen |
15 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
20 |
131 |
| Lancaster |
15 |
2 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
2 |
9 |
119 |
| Preston |
15 |
3 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
2 |
19 |
117 |
| St Annes |
13 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
27 |
95 |
| Morecambe |
14 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
14 |
92 |
| Netherfield |
15 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
9 |
2 |
21 |
86 |
| Barrow |
13 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
17 |
81 |
| Fleetwood |
13 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
1 |
23 |
79 |
| Kendal |
14 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
22 |
51 |
| Carnforth |
14 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
2 |
21 |
29 |
