Fleetwood keep their hopes alive
Bilal Asad is bowled by JJ Smuts for 51 |
Baxendale Cup Twenty20 experts Preston began their 2010 campaign with a resounding victory over Chorley in the Latham.
The cup holders earned a 49 runs win over Andy Holdsworth's side at a sun kissed West Cliff with professional Bilal Asad playing a leading role.
Bilal Asad was one of the few batsmen to play with any fluency on a slow paced West Cliff wicket, racing to 51 off 41 balls before he was bowled by Chorley professional JJ Smuts.
His opening partnership with David Fisher (25) realised 61 in 7 overs and got the home side off to a flyer. Pip McDonald then played superbly to hit 37 off 26 balls to help Preston to 154 for 6.
Pip McDonald made a valuable 37 for Preston |
Chorley struggled in their reply, Smuts struggling to impose himself on an accurate attack with spinners Atul Sachdeva and Fisher combining to bowl eight overs for only 31 runs.
Smuts was involved in three run outs with James Raynard, Will Moulton and Kieran McCullagh the victims of fine fielding by Sachdeva, Jonty McDonald and Bilal Asad respectively.
Smuts reached a hollow 50 in the 19th over and was caught behind in the last over for 52 off 58 balls as Chorley closed well short on 105 for 5.
A large sunshine crowd saw Netherfield triumph in the Kendal derby at Shap Road
(courtesy Dave Sykes) |
At Shap Road Kendal fielded sub-pro Scott Clement, the former Netherfield stalwart against his old club but the visitors, last season's runners-up opened their campaign with a five wickets win.
Clement was deputising for Ross McMillan who has briefly returned home to South Africa. He was run out for 8 in Kendal's 120 and then took two for 14 in his 4 overs, taking the wickets of Craig Walmsley and Ben Haddrick.
Kevin Howarth top scored for Kendal with 38 as Alex Atkinson and Chris Parry each took two wickets for Netherfield.
Alex Atkinson then led Netherfield's reply with a match-winning unbeaten 51 off 44 balls (including four fours and three sixes) as the visitors got home with 17 balls to spare.
Netherfield skipper Marc Hadwin bowls to Terry Hunte at Shap Road
(courtesy Dave Sykes) |
In the third game of the evening Fleetwood, beaten by Blackpool in their opening match, kept their Finals Day hopes alive with a tense 15 runs win over St Annes in a low-scoring derby at Broadwater.
Mark Emsley hit 35 off 51 balls in Fleetwood's 109 for 7 as St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi took four for 13 and Aiden Cotton three for 28.
St Annes looked well placed at 66 for 1 until Atiq Uz-Zaman was caught by Emsley off Mike Clinning for 37 off 35 balls.
Atiq's dismissal sparked a collapse as the visitors lost their last nine wickets for only 28 runs.
Fleetwood professional and captain Matt Frith took four for 16 and Sam Bell weighed in with three for 13 as St Annes subsided to 94 all out.
Scorecard:
Fleetwood v St Annes
Fleetwood won by 15 runs
Fleetwood 109 for 7 (D Hettiarachchi 4 for 13), St Annes 94 (M Frith 4 for 16)
Kendal v Netherfield
Netherfield won by 5 wickets
Kendal 120, Netherfield 123 for 5 (A Atkinson 51no)
Preston v Chorley
Preston won by 49 runs
Preston 154 for 6 (Bilal Asad 51), Chorley 105 for 5 (JJ Smuts 52)
