By Michael Latham
Lancaster
captain Michael Stevens led from the front with
92 |
The second round fixtures in the Furness
Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League
(incorporating Readers Cricket Balls) were played on another
glorious spring-like afternoon with the heavyweight clash
between champions St Annes and challengers Chorley taking
centre-stage.
St Annes were again without Sri Lankan
professional Dinuka Hettiarachchi but top all-rounder Stephen
Twist was back in the fold after being stranded in the United
States on holiday and missing the opening game. Former club
professional Mansoor Ahmed was employed as sub-pro.
Charles Boucher took command with a superb 108
off 100 balls including 19 fours as St Annes made 265 for 8 on
a fine batting track. Boucher, who returned to the club this
season after playing with Morecambe shared a third wicket
stand of 127 with Twist who reached 57 off 82 balls. Chorley's
South African pro JJ Smuts' spin bowling accounted for five
wickets at a cost of 88 runs.
After openers Jack Catterall
(39) and Jack Bentham posted 48 for the first wicket, Smuts
then anchored Chorley's reply, underlining his reputation as
arguably the top-rated professional in the league this year
reaching his 50 off 46 balls. But after appearing to be in a
challenging position in mid-innings at drinks Chorley then
settled for a draw and they closed on 192 for 5, Smuts
finishing unbeaten on 90 off 107 balls.
Mansoor Ahmed
wheeled away with his leg-spin to take four for 77
Barrow CC
2010 |
Barrow, meanwhile, started their campaign with
ambitious designs on the title after a winter of
team-strengthening. Daryl Wearing's side faced Lancaster at
Ernest Pass with Cumberland County duo Darren Clark and Graham
Dawson back in the ranks and former Cockermouth batsman Greg
Platten on debut.
But Lancaster, who finished with the wooden
spoon last season, demonstrated just what an improved side
they are this season and dominated the game without being able
to force the win. Skipper Michael Stevens stroked a classy 92
off 134 balls to provide the backbone of his side's 253 for 6
on a picture-book Ernest Pass surface. Sub-pro Andrea
Agathagelou made an impressive 47 and Tim Barry 45, sharing a
third-wicket stand of 105 with Stevens. Dawson toiled away for
figures of two for 69 and Lancashire Academy leg-spinner Liam
Livingstone, recovered from a broken arm took three for
65.
Barrow's victory hopes disappeared when pro Pasan
Wanasinghe was caught at long on off Agathagelou for 50 off 87
balls having seen openers Jon Miles and Platten run out by
keen Lancaster fielding. The home side closed out the game on
160 for 6.
Lancaster
CC 2010 |
Carnforth, bowled out for just 27 by Leyland in
Round One, played Darwen at Lodge Quarry. Opener Ryan Nelson
batted throughout the home innings for an unbeaten 79 and with
Phil Bovis making 58 Carnforth made 176 for 9, suffering a
clatter of wickets after Bovis was leg before to the Darwen
pro Mohammed Zaman Khan who collected three for 36. Lancashire
Academy player Yakub Bhamji took three for 41.
Mohammed
Zaman Khan then batted superbly as Darwen reached their target
with seven wickets and 20 overs in hand. He reached his half
century with 13 fours and only one single and had made 97 with
21 fours and one six before he became one of Adam
Cowperthwaite's three victims. Teenaged opener Niall Burke
supported his professional with 40.
A Netherfield side rocked by the decision of
long-serving opening bowler Scott Clement to leave the club
and take up a professional appointment with Appleby Eden in
the North Lancashire & Cumbria League travelled to Stanley
Park to oppose a Blackpool side who had Radcliffe's Pakistan
professional Anwar Ul-Haq as deputy professional.
Netherfield's Australian professional Nick
Kruger emerged as the key man in the contest taking five for
33 with his medium pace as the home side were bowled out for
146 and then scoring an impressive 75 off 62 balls (with eight
fours and three sixes) to spearhead his side's six wickets
win. Blackpool opener John Mounsey provided the main
resistance with 47 off 101 balls for the home side.
Kendal entertained Preston at Shap Road with the
visitors still awaiting the arrival of professional Bilal Asad
and had the best of a drawn game. Preston had Lancashire
Second XI batsman Adrian Shankar as sub-pro but he did not
bowl and was dismissed for 4.
Kevin Howarth continued his
fine start to the season with an unbeaten 54 off 63 balls as
Kendal reached 236 for 5 after openers Gareth Ashburner (43)
and Jack White (40) provided a solid backbone with a stand of
98. Lukman Vahaluwala toiled away to take two for 101 for
Preston.
Preston all-rounder David Fisher, who had taken
two for 27 with his off-spin, then opened with a patient 58
off 119 balls but despite solid contributions from Sajid Patel
(34) and skipper Adam Parker (35) Preston fell well short on
174 for 6.
Morecambe, looking to build on their fine
opening day win at Netherfield had Leyland as visitors at
Woodhill Lane. Leyland were captained again by David Makinson
after the former Lancashire bowler missed the opening day win
over Carnforth following travel problems on his return from a
holiday in Goa. Leyland all rounder Luis Reece had spent
another week on trial with Worcestershire 2nd XI after his
sensational seven-wicket haul last Saturday.
Leyland professional Brett Pelser was forced out
of the game after suffering a severe migraine during practice
and took no part in the game, meaning that Leyland's second
15-points haul of the season was even more
meritorious.
Bolton Schoolboy Henry Thompson, a member of
the Lancashire Academy squad, batted superbly to make an
unbeaten 84 off 119 balls with 11 fours. He shared a second
wicket stand of 126 with Reece (55 off 102 balls) as Leyland
reached 188 for 9. Chris Williams, Morecambe's winter recruit
from Westmorland League side Silverdale took four for 37 and
pro Mandla Mashimbyi three for 34.
Morecambe struggled to
61 for 7 in reply, Andrew Makinson marking his first
appearance of the season with a superb opening spell of five
for 43. Teenager Ryan Smith battled hard to make 54 off 113
balls before he was bowled by Reece and skipper Tommy Clough
made a defiant 39 as Morecambe were eventually dismissed for
160, Reece taking three for 55.
The Ernest
Pass Memorial Ground looked a
picture |
FIRST DIVISION SCORES
BARROW v LANCASTER
Lancaster (8pts) winning draw; Barrow 4pts
Lancaster 253 for 6 (M Stevens 92, A Agathagelou
47, T Barry 45), Barrow 160 for 6 (P Wanasinghe 50)
BLACKPOOL v NETHERFIELD
Netherfield (12pts) defeated Blackpool (1pt)
by 6 wickets
Blackpool 146 (J Mounsey 47, N Kruger 5 for 33),
Netherfield 149 for 4 (N Kruger 75)
CARNFORTH v DARWEN
Darwen (12pts) defeated Carnforth (2pts) by 6
wickets
Carnforth 176 for 9 (R Nelson 79no, P Bovis 58),
Darwen 179 for 4 (Mohammad Zaman Khan 97, N Burke 40)
KENDAL v PRESTON
Kendal (8pts) winning draw; Preston 4pts
Kendal 236 for 5 (K Howarth 54no, G Ashburner
43, J White 40), Preston 174 for 6 (D Fisher 58)
MORECAMBE v LEYLAND
Leyland (15pts) defeated Morecambe (5pts) by
28 runs
Leyland 188 for 9 (H Thompson 84no, L Reece 55,
C Williams 4 for 37), Morecambe 160 (R Smith 54, A Makinson 5
for 43)
ST ANNES v CHORLEY
St Annes (8pts) winning draw; Chorley 6pts
St Annes 265 for 8 ( C Boucher 108, S Twist 57,
JJ Smuts 5 for 88), Chorley 192 for 5 (J J Smuts 90no, Mansoor
Ahmed 4 for 73)
Fleetwood no game
SECOND DIVISION
In Division Two Darwen rolled over Carnforth for
60 at Birch Hall after declaring on 213 for 5, skipper Gary
Jackson making an unbeaten 72.
Champions Lancaster defeated
Barrow by 70 runs at Lune Road, opener Danny Welbourne's 53
the crucial innings.
Morecambe skipper Gert Maartens made a
valiant 72 in his side's 120 at Fox Lane as Leyland cruised to
a seven wickets win with Australian guest player Daniel Hall
53 not out.
Kendal held out for a draw at West Cliff with
nine wickets down, Darren Braithwaite leading the resistance
with 50.
Opener Nick Wall hit an unbeaten 61 to steer
Blackpool to a four wickets win at Netherfield.
St Annes
finished six runs short of victory with nine wickets down in a
thrilling finish at Chorley, Russ Bradley scoring 42 and
taking four wickets for the visitors.
SamTolley top-scored
with 47 in Chorley's 178 for 8.
SECOND DIVISION SCORES
CHORLEY v ST ANNES
Chorley (9pts) winning draw; St Annes 5pts
Chorley 178 for 8 (S Tolley 47, I Mawdesley 45,
S Naden 41, M Grindley 4 for 22), St Annes 173 for 9 (R
Bradley 42)
DARWEN v CARNFORTH
Darwen (15pts) defeated Carnforth (1pt) by 153
runs
Darwen 213 for 5 dec (G Jackson 72no),
Carnforth 60
LANCASTER v BARROW
Lancaster (15pts) defeated Barrow (1pt) by 70
runs
Lancaster 174 for 6 (D Welbourne 53), Barrow 104
(P Sparrow 4 for 38)
LEYLAND v MORECAMBE
Leyland (12pts) defeated Morecambe (0pts) by 7
wickets
Morecambe 120 (G Maartens 72), Leyland 122 for
3 ( D Hall 53no)
NETHERFIELD v BLACKPOOL
Blackpool (12pts) defeated Netherfield (1pt)
by 4 wickets
Netherfield 131, Blackpool 133 for 6 (N Wall
61no)
PRESTON v KENDAL
Preston (10pts) winning draw; Kendal 5pts
Preston 183 for 9 (Z Patel 47), Kendal 153 for
9 (D Braithwaite 50)
Fleetwood no game
