New club records for Miller and Harty
St Annes sub-pro Qaiser Abbas had an inspired afternoon |
St Annes took a seemingly decisive hold on the race for the championship of the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (incorporating Readers Cricket Balls) after beating both threatening rain clouds and the challenge of Carnforth on Bank Holiday Monday.
St Annes' sub-pro Qaiser Abbas, the Todmorden professional was the hero as Andy Kellett's side recovered from their four-run defeat at Blackpool on Saturday. Deputising for Dinuka Hettiarachchi who is back home in Sri Lanka after his wife gave birth to their third child, Abbas weaved a magical spell of slow left arm bowling to wreck Carnforth's innings. He took 7/37 off 19.4 overs with only Carnforth pro Gareth Pedder offering much resistance.
Carnforth opener Ryan Nelson is bowled by Qaiser Abbas |
Pedder struck 47 off 54 balls including seven fours and one six before he was bowled by Atiq Uz-Zaman. Teenager Brad Hoyle batted impressively for an unbeaten 13 off 55 balls. Former Carnforth batsman Atiq then hit an unbeaten 50 off 69 balls to move onto 974 runs for the season and after Pedder took two wickets Abbas supplied the fireworks, blasting an unbeaten 51 off 29 balls with seven fours and two sixes as St Annes celebrated an important victory at ten past five.
Atiq Uz-Zaman moved closer to 1,000 runs for the season in St Annes' win |
Defending champions Leyland finished four runs short of victory with the last pair together at Ernest Pass in a thrilling finish to another eventful game. Third-placed Chorley were frustrated by the weather at Darwen.
With two games remaining St Annes (231pts) lead the way from Leyland (213pts) and Chorley (201pts).
Leyland picked up only three points from their rain-reduced game at Barrow. The home side reached 141/8 in 42 overs, Graham Dawson hitting 54 off 57 balls after coming in at number7 and skipper Chris D'Leny making an unbeaten 37. Barrow had been 37/5 after Leyland pro Brett Pelser and Andrew Makinson wrecked their early order but Dawson and D'Leny revived them with a stand of 89. There were five rain delays in the Barrow innings.
Leyland slumped to 32/5 in reply, Daryl Wearing again bowling superbly but Pelser stood firm. He found an able partner in James Rounding who hit 36 off 58 balls before he was caught by Phil Renny off spinner Gary Collins after a stand of 71. Collins went on to take 5/52 as Leyland fell just short, Pelser needing six off the final ball and managing just a couple. Pelser, who finished unbeaten on 71 off 111 balls has hit 967 runs and is closing in on Gordon Greenidge's club record of 976 runs set in 1993.
Blackpool and their fast bowler Richard Gleeson completed a highly successful Bank Holiday weekend. Paul Danson's side claimed their second 15-pt victory in three days, following up their dramatic four runs win over St Annes with a 25 runs success at Broadwater against Fleetwood and are fifth on 186pts behind fourth-placed Netherfield (193) with a game in hand.
Gleeson backed up his match-winning haul of 6/53 against St Annes with a brilliant spell of 7/28 to reach 50 wickets for the third successive season.
Blackpool reached 108/8 off 37 overs in a rain-reduced game; Andy Furniss made 31 and Gleeson 28. Adam Parker claimed 4/53 and Sam Bell 3/51. Despite 36 from former Norcross batsman Steve Wright Fleetwood were all out for 83 with seven balls remaining, Gleeson claiming the vital wicket of Parker lbw without scoring and going on to produce another fine display of sustained hostility and penetration backed by good fielding. Steven Mercer claimed two more wickets and now has 52 for the season.
The Kendal derby finished with scores level after Kendal lost three wickets in the game's final over attempting to overhaul Netherfield's 141 after several stoppages for rain. The result took some of the gloss off a record-breaking day for Kendal captain Chris Miller.
Off-spinner Miller took 6/43 and now has 64 wickets for the season, three ahead of the club record he set last year. Pro Jamie How hit 54 but Netherfield claimed three wickets in a dramatic final over when Stuart Nelson was run out off the final ball. Kendal finished 141/9 off 41 overs.
Darwen reached 58/4 off 20.5 overs before rain interrupted their game against Chorley at Birch Hall and there was no further play. Left arm opening bowler Billy Smith continued his fine form and took 3/22 off ten overs for the visitors.
Morecambe edged the local derby with Lancaster at Woodhill Lane in another game ruined by the weather. A total of five rain breaks, three in the Morecambe innings proved decisive. Morecambe made 114/6 in 39 overs, pro Anwar Ali unbeaten on 32. Michael Stevens bowled 18 overs to take 3/59 in a true captain's effort; Ben Simm claimed 3/41 off 19 overs. Simm has 58 wickets, three short of the Lancaster amateur record he established last season.
Lancaster closed on 101/7 after 32 overs, Anwar Ali claiming 5/31 off 16 overs after another top-class display of fast bowling. He now has 72 wickets, six short of Hettiarachchi and one ahead of Preston captain Lukman Vahaluwala. Opener Stevens stood firm and was sixth out for a defiant 34.
In Division One on Sunday Carnforth defeated the Colts at Lodge Quarry by seven wickets. Pro Gareth Pedder took 5/49 and Dickon Morris 4/40 as the Colts were bowled out for 133. Morecambe's Ryan Smith made 43 and Ameer Mirza 39. Morris then hit a superb 61 off 65 balls to speed Carnforth to victory, opener Ryan Nelson anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 38.
Kendal's hopes of glory in the Barbados Cockspur ECB National Twenty20 competition were ended when they lost by four wickets to Hyde CC at Shap Road. The Cheshire County League side qualified for finals day at Chelmsford live on SkyTV after surpassing Kendal's total of 110 after a well-fought and engrossing encounter played out before a large and appreciative crowd.
Carnforth's Adam Cowperthwaite is caught behind by Duncan Whalley off Ben Dowling |
FIRST DIVISION SCORES
Barrow v Leyland
Barrow (8pts) winning draw; Leyland 3pts
Barrow 141 - 8 (G Dawson 54)., Leyland 138 - 9 (B Pelser 71no, G Collins 5-52)
Darwen v Chorley
Match abandoned (4pts each)
Darwen 58 - 4, Chorley did not bat
Fleetwood v Blackpool
Blackpool (15pts) defeated Fleetwood (2pts) by 25 runs
Blackpool 108 - 8 (A Parker 4-53), Fleetwood 83 (R Gleeson 7-28)
Kendal v Netherfield
Netherfield (8pts) winning draw; Kendal 5pts (scores level)
Netherfield 141 (C Miller 6-43), Kendal 141 - 9 (J How 54)
Morecambe v Lancaster
Morecambe (6pts) winning draw; Lancaster 2pts
Morecambe 114 - 6, Lancaster 101/7 (Anwar Ali 5 - 31)
St Annes v Carnforth
St Annes (12pts) defeated Carnforth (0pts) by 8 wickets
Carnforth 115 (G Pedder 47, Q Abbas 7-37), St Annes 117 - 2 (Q Abbas 51no, Atiq Uz-Zaman 50no)
Preston free date
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATIN READERS CRICKET
BALLS )
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division One
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| St Annes |
23 |
5 |
10 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
2 |
20 |
231 |
| Leyland |
23 |
3 |
9 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
37 |
213 |
| Chorley |
23 |
7 |
3 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
30 |
201 |
| Netherfield |
24 |
5 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
30 |
193 |
| Blackpool |
23 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
1 |
37 |
186 |
| Morecambe |
23 |
7 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
28** |
184 |
| Darwen |
23 |
3 |
4 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
39 |
175 |
| Barrow |
23 |
1 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
9 |
0 |
54 |
160 |
| Kendal |
23 |
5 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
9 |
2 |
39 |
157 |
| Carnforth |
23 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
2 |
36 |
129 |
| Lancaster |
23 |
3 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
12 |
2 |
30 |
122 |
| Preston |
23 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
15 |
0 |
47 |
100 |
| Fleetwood |
23 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
15 |
1 |
48 |
98 |
| Lancashire Colts |
12 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
2 |
14 |
73 |
** 2 points deducted for slow over rate
Division Two (2nd XI)
In Division Two leaders and defending champions Leyland had to settle for a winning draw against Barrow at Fox Lane.
Leyland made 155/9 after 32 overs before declaring after rain interrupted play. Openers Chris Parkinson (69) and Ian Dickinson (62) posted 127 but Barrow fought back well, Patrick Allington taking 5/36 and Ryan Gilmour 4/22. Barrow had 32 overs to bat and closed on 83/4.
Chorley's Chris Harty broke the club's 46-year-old Division Two bowling record, taking 4/37 as Darwen made 106/7 after 34 overs at Windsor Park. The in-form opening bowler now has 54 wickets, surpassing Dave Sherrington's previous record of 52 set in 1965.
Christian Davies took 4/41 as Darwen fought hard in the field but Dave Catterall's unbeaten 38 off 51 balls steered Chorley to victory with ten balls to spare.
With two games left Leyland have 253pts with Chorley on 237 and Blackpool 235.
Blackpool defeated Fleetwood at Stanley Park, Adrian Darlington making 47 as his side passed Fleetwood's 159/8 with five wickets in hand. Andy Singleton hit 64 for Fleetwood, Ross Parker taking 5/63.
Matthew Goodall hit 81 off 115 balls as Netherfield defeated Kendal by six wickets at Parkside Road. The Kendal captain Donovan Du Plessis had earlier made an unbeaten 95 off 150 balls with 13 fours and one six in his side's 163/6. Du Plessis went past his own club record for runs in a division two season and has now hit 635 for the season, surpassing the 603 he made last year.
The local derby at Lune Road was ruined by the weather. Lancaster made 127/6 off 43.5 overs; Morecambe replied with 84/7 off 26 overs
Mark Emsley hit an unbeaten 77 off only 55 balls to speed St Annes to victory at Lodge Quarry. Emsley and captain Dave Bartholomew (38 not out) rescued their side after they had lost three early wickets, Alex Benson taking two wickets in as many balls. Carnforth had made 134, Jake Sunderland taking 5/25 and Greg Whitehead 3/20, Lee Potter making 40.
SECOND DIVISION SCORES
Blackpool v Fleetwood
Blackpool (12pts) defeated Fleetwood (2pts) by 5 wickets
Fleetwood 159 - 8 (A Singleton 64, R Parker 5-63), Blackpool 160 - 5 (A Darlington 47)
Carnforth v St Annes
St Annes (12pts) defeated Carnforth (0pts) by 7 wickets
Carnforth 134 (L Potter 40, J Sunderland 5/25), St Annes 136 - 3 (M Emsley 77no)
Chorley v Darwen
Chorley (12pts) defeated Darwen (2pts) by 3 wickets
Darwen 106/7 (C Harty 4/37), Chorley 107/7 (C Davies 4/41)
Lancaster v Morecambe
Lancaster (6pts) winning draw; Morecambe 2pts
Lancaster 127 - 6, Morecambe 81 - 7
Leyland v Barrow
Leyland (5pts) winning draw; Barrow 4pts
Leyland 155 - 9dec (C Parkinson 69, I Dickinson 62, P Allington 5-36, R Gilmour 4-22), Barrow 83 - 4
Netherfield v Kendal
Netherfield (12pts) defeated Kendal (2pts) by 6 wickets
Kendal 163 - 6 (D Du Plessis 95no), Netherfield 164 - 4 (M Goodall 81)
Preston free date
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATING READERS
CRICKET BALLS )
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Leyland |
22 |
10 |
5 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
19 |
253 |
| Chorley |
22 |
7 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
11 |
237 |
| Blackpool |
22 |
7 |
8 |
3 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
21 |
235 |
| Darwen |
22 |
7 |
4 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
20 |
188 |
| Netherfield |
23 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
2 |
12++ |
170 |
| Fleetwood |
22 |
3 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
27 |
144 |
| Barrow |
22 |
2 |
4 |
1 |
5 |
8 |
2 |
40 |
135 |
| St Annes |
22 |
0 |
7 |
2*** |
3 |
6 |
4 |
18++ |
130 |
| Kendal |
22 |
4 |
1 |
3*** |
0 |
10 |
4 |
29 |
130 |
| Preston |
22 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
15 |
2 |
39 |
111 |
| Morecambe |
22 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
4 |
12 |
1 |
36 |
102 |
| Lancaster |
23 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
13 |
2 |
33 |
97 |
| Carnforth |
22 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
3 |
13 |
3 |
39 |
93 |
++ 15points deducted
*** Tied match 5 points
