St Annes take 11-point lead into final weekend
St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi celebrates another wicket |
St Annes take an 11-points lead into the final round of games in the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (incorporating 3D Sports).
Andy Kellett's side play their final game at Birch Hall against Darwen while second placed Preston entertain Morecambe at West Cliff.
With 15 points available for a side winning batting first compared to 12 for a win batting second, news of the toss at West Cliff could prove vital.
If Preston bat second St Annes will need only one point to lift the title as if they finish level on points the title will be decided on most wins- currently St Annes have 12 wins to Preston's 10.
St Annes add Gareth Evans to their squad from the XI that earned a thrilling 15 runs win over Fleetwood while Darwen, who have Crompton CC professional Mohammed Zaman Khan as sub-pro, are at full strength apart from the unavailable Chris Lowe.
St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi is way out in front as leading wicket-taker with 83 at a cost of only 10.53. He has also been assisting CLL title aspirants Monton & Weaste effectively as sub-pro on Sundays in recent weeks.
Atiq Uz-Zaman will finish the season as leading runs-scorer and currently has 792 to his name. Atiq will lift the Castle Award for top amateur batting performer for a second successive year. Chesney Hughes of Fleetwood, whose season has finished has 709 runs is followed by Preston's Adam Parker (645) and Lancaster skipper Tim Barry (620).
Hughes made his Derbyshire first team debut in the Pro40 game at Edgbaston against Warwickshire last Sunday.
Preston's Adam Parker- 645 runs |
In the Castle bowling awards Carnforth spinner Warren Quinn and Richard Gleeson of Blackpool go head to head at Stanley Park. Quinn currently leads Gleeson by two wickets with 51 to the Blackpool opening bowler's 49. Barrow skipper Daryl Wearing has 40 wickets.
Blackpool's Richard Gleeson is a Castle Award contender |
In the fielding stakes, St Annes wicket-keeper Duncan Whalley and Preston's David Fisher leads the way going into the final game. Whalley has 34 victims behind the timbers to Chris D'Leny's 30 for Barrow while Fisher has taken 14 catches with Chorley vice captain second with 12.
Morecambe are vying with Chorley for third place. Currently the table reads: St Annes (211pts), Preston (200), Chorley (175), Morecambe (174) with Netherfield fifth on 165 and Barrow sixth on 160.
Leyland pro Ameer Khan makes his final appearance for the club against Chorley on Saturday.
Ameer Khan plays his final game for Leyland on Saturday |
Cup Final staged on Sunday
On Sunday Netherfield host Kendal in the final of the Furness Building Society Cup. After two postponements the derby rivals will be hoping to stage the game at the third attempt. The 40 overs-per-side contest has a revised starting time of 12.30pm.
In the Second Division champions Lancaster finish their successful season at home to Kendal.
Cup winners Leyland are at home to Chorley in a repeat of last Sunday's Second Division Cup Final. Leyland are currently second on 197 points behind Lancaster's unassailable tally of 225 but Blackpool (193) and Chorley (185) are also in contention for runners-up spot.
Chorley's David Catterall is the leading runs-maker in the Second Division with 485 followed by Lancaster's Danny Welbourne (480) and St Annes' Adam Taylor (458). Stephen Cartwright has taken 56 wickets for Leyland followed by St Annes' Richard Thomas (49), Morecambe's Nick Milner (43) and Lancaster's Tim Lambert (43).
Finally, the respected cricinfo website recently carried an excellent article on the former Netherfield pro Callum Ferguson, currently starring for Australia. The link is below:
http://www.cricinfo.com/engvaus2009/content/story/423942.html
THE REMAINING DIVISION ONE FIXTURES ARE AS FOLLOWS
Saturday 12th September
12.30pm start
Barrow v Netherfield
Blackpool v Carnforth
Chorley v Leyland
Darwen v St Annes
Kendal v Lancaster
Preston v Morecambe
Fleetwood no game
Sunday 13th September
12.30pm start
Netherfield CC
Furness Building Society Division One Cup Final ( 40 overs)
Netherfield v Kendal
THE REMAINING DIVISION TWO FIXTURES ARE AS FOLLOWS
Saturday 12th September
12.30pm start
Carnforth v Blackpool<
Lancaster v Kendal
Leyland v Chorley
Morecambe v Preston
Netherfield v Barrow
St Annes v Darwen
Fleetwood no game
