Leaders St Annes face Darwen
Netherfield pro Glen Batticciotto is in form |
The Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (in association with 3D Sports) reaches its halfway point this Saturday.
St Annes (105 points) currently lead the table by one point from Chorley with Preston third on 88 points.
Leyland lead the chasing pack on 80 points.
At the same stage last season Netherfield trailed in tenth, 38 points behind leaders Leyland but enjoyed a superb second half of the season and clinched the title on the final day.
Netherfield are currently 27 points behind St Annes.
St Annes are at home to Darwen on Saturday while Leyland face Chorley in the derby match at Fox Lane. Preston visit Morecambe.
Netherfield's professional, the Queensland all rounder Glen Batticciotto is in top form and has hit two successive hundreds. He leads the run charts with 435 runs with St Annes' Atiq Uz-Zaman second on 413. Carnforth's Ryan Nelson (411 runs) and Netherfield's Craig Walmsley (389) are also in top form.
Bilal Asad, the Preston professional and captain leads the bowling charts with 33 wickets. St Annes' Sri Lankan professional Dinuka Hettiarachchi has taken 31 in his first season at Vernon Road.
St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi |
Among the amateurs Carnforth's left arm spinner Warren Quinn has taken 26 wickets and Blackpool opening bowler Richard Gleeson has 24.
St Annes' Duncan Whalley leads the wicket-keeping charts with 20 victims while Barrow's Chris D'Leny has 17. Preston's David Fisher is top fielder with eight catches.
Each season the top amateurs vie for the Castle Amateur Awards which last season were won by Atiq Uz-Zaman (1,005 runs), Kendal's Ben Simm (46 wickets), Morecambe's Mark Lomas (18 catches) and 'keepers Duncan Whalley and Blackpool's James Smith (both 34 victims).
Blackpool's Richard Gleeson goes close to bowling Craig Walmsley before his hundred |
In the second division leaders Lancaster (114 points) are 23 points clear of Leyland (91). Blackpool (84), Morecambe (83) and Chorley (81) complete the top five. Defending champions St Annes are currently ninth with 67 points.
St Annes' captain Neil Bradley leads the division two run charts with 251 ahead of Barrow's Adam Cartmell (243) and Luke Phillips (Lancaster) who has 241.
Morecambe skipper Nick Milner has 32 wickets and leads Stephen Cartwright (Leyland) who has 27 and Lancaster's Tim Lambert with 25.
Local derby at Fox Lane
DIVISION ONE FIXTURES
SATURDAY 27th JUNE 2009 (1-00pm)
Carnforth v Blackpool
Lancaster v Kendal
Leyland v Chorley
Morecambe v Preston
Netherfield v Barrow
St Annes v Darwen
Fleetwood no game
Division Two (2nd XI) - Fixtures reversed
Darwen's Gareth Cordingley |
Cup Competitions
On Sunday 28 June Leyland are at home to Lytham in the ECB National Knock-Out Group 3 Final.The winners enter the last 16 of the competition.
Carnforth are in Cumbria Cup action at home to Cleator Moor.
Last Sunday Netherfield continued their progress in the Barclays Wealth LCB Knock-Out (Lancashire Cup) with a home win over New Brighton. Netherfield batted first and posted 230 for 7, Ben Haddrick top-scoring with 65. Scott Clement took four for 32 as New Brighton were bowled out for 173 in reply.
Netherfield are now in the last eight of the competition and will be away to New Longton or Glossop on 26 July.
On Sunday 5 July St Annes are away at Egerton in the last 16 of the competition with a home tie against Norden awaiting the winners.
