Several records look set to be broken
Lancaster's Ben Simm leads the amateur bowling charts so far |
Division One leaders Leyland travel to Stanley Park, Blackpool on Saturday in the match of the day in the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (incorporating Readers Cricket Balls).
Leyland (played 15-174pts) lead St Annes (14-142) by 32 points with Barrow third (14-135) and Blackpool fourth (15-132).
David Makinson's side have won 12 and lost only one of their 15 games so far but will be hoping to maintain their healthy lead ahead of their blank weekend on 24 July.
Luis Reece hit a match-winning 75 not out against Morecambe last Saturday and will be hoping to do well against his former club.
Blackpool were frustrated by the weather last Saturday when their game at Netherfield was abandoned but they beat Barrow to reach the Readers Cup semi-finals on Sunday.
Barrow entertain Darwen at Ernest Pass with the visitors' pro Mohammad Zaman Khan leading the league run charts with 688 at 57.33. He has Scott Hookey's club record of 1,078 runs (set in 1988) in his sights.
Barrow's opening batting pair of Jon Miles and Greg Platten are engaged in a private battle to beat the club's amateur batting record in the league, held by Miles who hit 545 runs in 2009. Currently Miles has 459 and Paltten 449. Kamran Anwar has taken 30 wickets for Darwen this season while Chris Wade, who took a match-winning 5 for 24 against Carnforth has proved an excellent acquisition.
Chris Wade has proved a fine acquisition for Darwen |
Chorley pro JJ Smuts has hit 687 runs at 62.45 and has two more innings to break the club's professional record of 719 set by Kiwi Stuart Duff in 1987 before he leaves to take part in a South African Emerging Players tour of Australia.
Meanwhile Preston's Adam Parker (601 runs at 46.23) has Doug Green's amateur club record of 754 runs (established in 1986) to aim for.
Preston have won their last two games with maximum points as they recover from a poor start. They aim to continue their progress up the table when they visit Carnforth.
St Annes entertain Netherfield in what could be a high-scoring affair, pitching Atiq Uz-Zaman (672 runs at 96) in opposition to Australian pro Nick Kruger (635 runs at 57.73). St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi became the first bowler to pass the 50-wickets mark in the league this season as he collected his eighth five wicket haul in the ten wickets win over Chorley. With 51 wickets at 11.61 he leads fellow countryman Pasan Wanasinghe, the Barrow pro who has 49 wickets at 11.82.
After two successive ten wickets defeats Chorley entertain Fleetwood whose captain/pro Matt Frith is regaining full fitness after a shoulder injury. Fleetwood fast bowler Ryan Smith has continued trials with Derbyshire Second XI.
Meanwhile off-spinner Ben Simm, the league's leading amateur wicket-taker with 33 visits his old club Kendal as resurgent Lancaster aim to continue their good form. Kendal's Cumberland county off-spinner Chris Miller has 32 wickets and Leyland's Luis Reece 31.
Leyland's Matthew Watkinson leads the wicketkeeping table in the race for the Malcolm Beaty Trophy with 21 dismissals ahead of Barrow's Chris D'Leny (20) and Netherfield's John Huck (19).
Leyland's Matthew Watkinson leads the D1 wicketkeeping chart |
Fleetwood's Ryan Smith is top fielder with 12 catches ahead of Luis Reece (11) and Blackpool pro Nimesh Perera (10).
There is no doubt at all about the Match of the Day in Division Two with Blackpool (13-131) visiting Leyland (13-131) with both clubs just behind leaders Chorley (14-133). Chorley are at Fleetwood while fourth placed Darwen (14-127) entertain Barrow.
Chorley's Stu Naden has hit 576 runs in Division Two and leads Leyland's Daniel Hall (481) and St Annes' Russell Bradley (477) in the runs chart. Bob Dickinson (721 runs in 1993) holds the Chorley club record and John Pallett (793 in 1991) the Leyland one.
Chorley's Stu Naden has hit 576 Division Two runs |
Barrow's Gary Collins (31 wickets) leads fellow spinner Nick Milner (Morecambe) by one at the top of the Division Two wickets chart with Darwen's Christian Davies third on 29.
Leyland wicketkeeper Stu Parker leads the way with 17 dismissals. Collins has David Parker's club record of 40 wickets (set in 2005) to aim for in the second half of the season.
On Sunday Morecambe entertain Lancashire Colts while Leyland visit Fleetwood for their delayed Readers Cup quarter-final.
Cumberland begin a three-day Minor Counties Championship game against Cambridgeshire at Barrow's Ernest Pass ground on Sunday with several Northern League players likely to be included in their side. Start time each day is at 11am.
Next Wednesday (21 July) Lancashire Second XI play MCC Young Professionals in a Second Eleven Championship game at St Annes (11am start). This game has been switched from Westhoughton CC.
Looking ahead the Latham Baxendale Twenty20 Finals Day is scheduled for Preston CC on Sunday 25 July with the first semi-final commencing at 11am. Holders Preston defend their cup against Blackpool with Lancaster taking on Netherfield in the second semi-final at 2pm. The final is scheduled for 5pm.
All competing players have been invited to nominate their own tunes as they come out to bat.
Each captain has one Joker and can over-ride one selection from an opposing player.
Blackpool captain Paul Danson is reported to be torn between nominating Adam Parker or Tim Barry for his choice of music.
Fixtures
Saturday
17th July 2010
(Round 16)
Division One
1pm Start Except *
Barrow v Darwen
Blackpool v Leyland
Carnforth v Preston
Chorley v Fleetwood 12-30pm start
Kendal v Lancaster
St Annes v Netherfield
Division Two
1pm Start Except *
Darwen v Barrow
Fleetwood v Chorley 12-30pm start
Lancaster v Kendal
Leyland v Blackpool
Netherfield v St Annes
Preston v Carnforth
Morecambe no game
Sunday 18th July 2010
League
Division One
1pm start
Morecambe v Lancashire Colts
Readers Cup
Division One
Quarter-final
2pm start
Fleetwood v Leyland
Looking ahead:
Saturday 24th July
Division One
(Round 17 of 26)
1-00pm start
Carnforth v Blackpool
Darwen v St Annes
Fleetwood v Kendal
Lancaster v Chorley
Netherfield v Barrow
Preston v Morecambe
Leyland no game
Division Two
(Round 17 of 26)
start 1-00pm
Barrow v Netherfield
Blackpool v Carnforth
Chorley v Lancaster
Kendal v Fleetwood
Morecambe v Preston
St Annes v Darwen
Leyland no game
Sunday 25 July
Latham Baxendale Twenty20 Cup Finals Day
at Preston CC
First Semi-Final
11am
Preston v Blackpool
Second Semi-Final
2pm
Netherfield v Lancaster
Final
5pm
Readers Cup Semi-Finals
Division One
Sunday 8th August
1.30pm
Semi-Final 1
Darwen v Blackpool
Semi-Final 2
Morecambe v Fleetwood or Leyland
Final on Sunday 22nd August at winners of Semi-Final 2
start 1pm
Division Two
Sunday 8th August
start 1.30pm
Semi-Final 1
Barrow v Chorley
Semi-Final 2
St Annes v Lancaster
Final on Sunday 5 September at winners of Semi-Final 1
start 1pm
