Barrow pro Malan leads race to 1,000 runs
Barrow pro Pieter Malan has records in his sights
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Defending champions Leyland head for their traditional mid-summer break in Malta having caught up ground on leaders St Annes in the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League incorporating Readers Cricket Balls.
Andy Kellett's St Annes' side had the frustration of seeing their game at Morecambe called off after an early morning inspection last Saturday with the Woodhill Lane ground under water.
Improving conditions further South enabled Leyland to make a 2pm start in the local derby with Preston and David Makinson's side took full advantage, earning 12pts from their victory batting second.
While Leyland's players head off for a three-match tour on the island St Annes hope to take advantage, but they have a tough nut to crack in the shape of John Cordingley's talented Darwen side.
Last weekend was a disastrous one for Chorley. Andy Holdsworth's side had only four points to show for their endeavours. They lost by nine wickets at Blackpool on Saturday after Richard Gleeson took 7/24 to rout them for 63 and set up a nine wickets win for his side. On Sunday Chorley's game against Lancashire Colts was abandoned.
Chorley (15-132) are 20pts off the lead with Netherfield (16-131) in fourth place.
This Saturday Chorley host Morecambe with Netherfield the visitors to Fleetwood.
Barrow's South African pro Pieter Malan has hit four centuries in the league and is looking to win the race to 1,000 runs. So far he has made 869 league runs and is closing in on Pasan Wanasinghe's Barrow record of 930 runs set in 2007. The all-time league record of 1,381 runs established by Netherfield's Callum Ferguson is within Malan's sights.
Barrow are at home to Blackpool while Kendal are at home to Carnforth and Preston play Lancaster.
Leyland pro Brett Pelser has hit 663 runs with four amateur players also having surpassed 500 runs for the season: Luis Reece (Leyland) 642; St Annes' Atiq Uz-Zaman 608; Preston skipper Lukman Vahaluwala 559 and Lancaster captain Michael Stevens 524.
Vahaluwala has had a fine season, having also captured 46 league wickets, second only to St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi whose 62 wickets have come at an average of 11.23. Morecambe pro Anwar Ali has 45 wickets.
Morecambe pro Anwar Ali has 45 league wickets
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Darwen's scheduled league fixture against Lancashire Colts has been rearranged to Sunday 14 August due to the club's involvement in Finals Day.
In Division Two defending Champions Leyland (15-184) will be keen to find out about the progress of Chorley (14-143) and Blackpool (15-142) while they sun themselves in Malta.
Chorley are away at Morecambe while Blackpool entertain Barrow.
Veteran Blackpool batsman Adrian Darlington leads the D2 runs charts with 598 at an average of 46 and has David Bartholomew's club record of 729 runs (set in 1992) in his sights. Darlington has also turned his hand to wicketkeeping in recent weeks.
Adrian Darlington has turned his hand to wicketkeeping
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Blackpool captain Kev Reid has taken 35 wickets and team-mate Ross Parker 28. The Leyland spin twins Alex Williams and Stephen Cartwright have 33 and 27 wickets respectively.
Blackpool's skipper Kev Reid leads the D2 wicket-taking charts |
Duncan Whalley (St Annes) has a clear lead in the race for the TWP Amateur Awards with 33 dismissals, followed by Kendal's Gary Baker with 20 victims.
Barrow pro Malan leads the fielding with 15 catches with Atiq Uz-Zaman and Blackpool's Alex Smith each having taken 13 catches.
On Sunday Finals Day in the Jamie Heywood Twenty20 Cup sponsored by Latham Baxendale takes centre stage. Kendal play Morecambe at Woodhill Lane at 11am in the first semi-final hoping for better fortune after last Sunday's wash-out. In the second semi-final Darwen play Blackpool at 2pm with the final set for 5pm.
Cumberland meanwhile have several Northern League players in their side for their Minor Counties Championship fixture against Norfolk at Horsford. The three-day fixture commences at 11am on Sunday.
Barrow's Liam Livingstone, Netherfield's Alex Atkinson, Morecambe's Ikram Ullah and Chris Williams, Kendal's Jon Miles and Blackpool paceman Richard Gleeson are all in the Cumberland side.
Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (incorporating Readers Cricket Balls)
Fixtures
Round 17
Saturday 23rd July
1pm start
Division One
Barrow v Blackpool
Chorley v Morecambe
Fleetwood v Netherfield
Kendal v Carnforth
Preston v Lancaster
St Annes v Darwen
Leyland free date
Division Two
Blackpool v Barrow
Carnforth v Kendal
Darwen v St Annes
Lancaster v Preston
Morecambe v Chorley
Netherfield v Fleetwood
Leyland free date
Sunday 24th July
Jamie Heywood Twenty20 Cup sponsored by Latham Baxendale
Finals Day at Morecambe CC
First semi-final -11am
Morecambe v Kendal
Second semi-final - 2pm
Blackpool v Darwen
Final at 5pm
