Darwen aim for final spot on Sunday
Sunday 16 August
Furness Building Society Division One Cup
Semi-final
40 overs
1.30pm start)
Darwen v Netherfield
On Saturday while the Netherfield-St Annes game holds centre stage second placed Preston will be hoping to maintain their momentum when they entertain in-form Kendal at West Cliff.
Chorley have key bowlers Rex Purnell and Billy Smith available for the trip to Blackpool while skipper Jack Catterall returns after a broken thumb. Blackpool engage Jeeva Kulatunga, the Burnley CC professional as their sub-pro.
Blackpool sub-pro Jeeva Kulatunga |
Last Saturday's Barrow-Leyland match at Ernest Pass, won by Barrow by one run, was described my some experienced observers as one of the finest and most exciting games in recent memory and was played in a marvellous spirit. Barrow entertain Fleetwood having had three players in the Cumberland side for the game against Lincolnshire that was ruined by the weather- skipper Daryl Wearing, 'keeper Chris D'Leny and Jon Miles.
Brothers Luis and Tom Reece both made half centuries for Leyland and the former has been playing for Lancashire Seconds again this week, taking two wickets in the SET win over Glamorgan at Aigburth. Leyland entertain Darwen.
Carnforth opener Ryan Nelson goes back to his former club Lancaster on the back of his Cumberland debut this week.
St Annes' Dinuka Hettiarachchi and Duncan Whalley |
St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi leads the wicket-taking table with 65 victims, 20 ahead of Preston captain and pro Bilal Asad (45) and Morecambe pro Mandla Mashimbyi (41).
In the race for the Castle Award for top amateur Blackpool's Richard Gleeson and Carnforth's Warren Quinn are tied on 41 wickets.
St Annes' 'keeper Duncan Whalley has 31 victims behind the stumps, six ahead of D'Leny (25). Fleetwood's Adam Shharrocks and Preston's David Fisher each have 11 catches.
Glen Batticciotto, the Netherfield pro, has taken over at the top of the runs-scoring charts with 679, ahead of St Annes' Atiq Uz-Zaman (650), Lancaster skipper Tim Barry (615) and Fleetwood's Chesney Hughes (614). Bilal Asad has 600 and his Preston colleague Adam Parker 582.
In division two leaders Lancaster are at Carnforth with Blackpool travelling to third-placed Chorley. Leyland, in fourth, are at fifth-placed Darwen.
Lancaster have 178pts with six games to play whereas Blackpool (171pts) and Chorley (163pts) each have five games remaining. Leyland (157pts) and Darwen (153pts) each have six games left.
Preston all rounder Lukman Vahaluwala |
On Sunday Darwen are at home to Netherfield in the Cup semi-final with the winners hosting the final against Kendal on Sunday 30 August. The Division Two final is scheduled for Sunday 6 September when Leyland are at home to Chorley.
