Cricket review: Northern League, Lytham, Palace Shield

Fleetwood failed to take advantage of leaders Blackpool's weekend off in the Northern Premier League title race, managing just a single point from their two matches.
St Annes celebrate a wicket at Morecambe on SaturdaySt Annes celebrate a wicket at Morecambe on Saturday
St Annes celebrate a wicket at Morecambe on Saturday

Having hoped to overhaul Blackpool’s 18-point advantage at the start of the weekend, Fleetwood now find themselves down in third place.

Leyland have moved within three points of the leaders after claiming maximum points over the weekend, their two-wicket win at Broadwater following Saturday’s six-wicket success at Barrow.

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In Sunday’s crunch clash, Fleetwood chose to bat and made 177-8 as number six Pat Ashton led the way with 48 from 58 balls.

The all-rounder was bowled by Will Jacques, who took 4-50 off 17 overs.

Leyland then sealed victory at 178-8 with 2.5 overs left.

Fleetwood had hope as three of the visitors’ top four fell for a combined score of eight but Andrew Makinson came in at six to steer Leyland to victory with an unbeaten 74 from 75 balls.

Ashton completed his fine day with 3-56 off 12 overs but Leyland were not to be denied.

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Twenty four hours earlier, Fleetwood had closed five runs short of their victory target in a Cumbrian thriller at Penrith.

The visitors were left to chase 186-7 thanks largely to a solid second-wicket stand between number three Michael Hay (95) and wicketkeeper Chris Marron (52).

Professional Travis Dean, who now heads home to Australia, got the Fleetwood reply off to a positive start with 64, his sixth half-century of the season, but the increasingly frantic run chase closed just short at 182-8.

St Annes made two trips north over the weekend with mixed success, beating bottom club Morecambe by five wickets before suffering a 100-run defeat at Netherfield yesterday.

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On Saturday, hosts Morecambe were put in and reached 156-7 thanks largely to a fifth-wicket partnership between Edward Read (52) and Adam Derham (42).

Both were removed by Mitchell Bolus, though bowling honours again went to professional Shadley van Schalkwyk, who took 3-46 from his 16 overs.

An unbeaten 50 by wicketkeeper Tom Higson, batting number five and hitting five fours and two sixes, then steered St Annes to a winning 158-5 with 11.1 overs to spare.

St Annes again told their hosts to take strike first in Cumbria yesterday, when Netherfield totalled 201 with two balls to spare, captain Matt Grindley taking 5-46 from 15.4 overs. Netherfield’s captain and opener Ben Barrow led the from the front with 51 from 67 balls.

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Despite a solid 39 from opener Gurman Bains, St Annes were never in the hunt and were dismissed for 101 in 38.5 overs.

The visitors’ second-best scorer was last-man Grindley with an unbeaten 18 and Netherfield had a five-wicket man of their own in Marc Hadwin (for 14 runs from 10.5 overs).

Even so, their weekend’s exertions saw St Annes rise a place to seventh, while a 30-point haul leaves Netherfield fifth.

Lytham were beaten by 39 runs away to bottom club Birkenhead Park inthe Liverpool Competition. The hosts got off the hook from 38-6 having been put in and recovered to 176 all out from 57 overs.

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Having lost both openers for ducks, three of the next four batsmen fell for four or fewer. All these wickets were cliamedby Luke Williams on his way to a season’s best 6-36 from 16 overs, nine of them maidens.

Harry Meehan led the fightback with 55, sharing a ninth-wicket stand of 67 with number 10 Chris Foran, who finished unbeaten on 50.

Lytham were then all out for 147 in 39.2 despite battling 50 from 58 balls (five fours, two sixes) by number six Ben Saunders.

He was dismissed by Ravinda Palliyaguruge, who finished with 6-55 from 14 overs. Most of batsmen got in but could not make big score.

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It was only a third victory of the season for the Wirral side, while Lytham remain eighth in the ECB premier league.

MOORE AND SMALLEY PALACE SHIELD RESULTS:

Premier Division: Freckleton (104, J Procter 4-13, M Nadeem 3-27)) lost to Great Eccleston (182-7, A Green 49, M Mohammed 45, J Millward 3-18) by 78 runs, Fylde (46, B Llewellin 5-21) lost to Vernon Carus (221-9, W Royle 74, B Anderson 3-45) by 175 runs, Garstang (126-9) beat Croston (119) by seven runs, Longridge (221-4) beat Whittingham and Goosnargh (157) by 64 runs, Torrisholmes (135-8) lost to Fulwood and Broughton (136-7) by three wickets.

Division One: BAC/EE Preston (117) lost to Hoghton (131) by 14 runs, Fulwood andBroughton 2 (111, R Worthington 6-67, I Davies 4-9) lost to Norcross (219, J Relph 116) by 108 runs, Kirkham & Wesham (96-8) lost to Longridge 2 (97-2) by eight wickets, Vernon Carus 2 (167-8) lost to Eccleston (173-6) by four wickets, White Coppice (157-4) beat Rufford (153) by six wickets, Withnell Fold (113, O Lomax 44, B Snape 4-20, A Whiteside 3-33) lost to Garstang 2 (173-9, R Wakefield 35, G Cooper 4-48) by 60 runs.

Division Two: Blackpool 3 (76, S Kazmi 47no, J Brown 6-25) lost to South Shore (77-0, D Jardine 55no) by 10 wickets, Great Eccleston 2 (143) lost to Mawdesley (149-5) by five wickets, New Longton (213-9) beat Walton-le-Dale (152-8) by 61 runs, Penwortham 2 (237-8, A Billington 104no) beat Thornton Cleveleys 2 (234-4, T Poxon 123no, M Owers 51no) by two wickets, Tarleton (100, R Mangineni 5-18) beat Wrea Green (30, S Wilkinson 7-12, T Baybutt 3-17) by 70 runs, Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods (123-8) beat Gregson Lane (106-9) by 17 runs.