Fylde coast cricket review: Northern League, Lytham, Palace Shield

Blackpool stand second in cricket's Northern Premier League after a Saturday which brought victories for all three of the Fylde coast's first division sides.
Richard GleesonRichard Gleeson
Richard Gleeson

While Blackpool were beating Netherfield by 83 runs at Stanley Park, Fleetwood and St Annes both returned to winning ways.

Fresh from taking four Essex wickets in a drawn County Championship match for Northants, Richard Gleeson was back in the Blackpool line-up and was in fine form with bat and ball.

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Batting at five, Gleeson hit an unbeaten 42 from 66 balls after Netherfield put the hosts in and saw them reach 192-6.

Gleeson was outscored by opener Ciaran Johnson, who followed his 87 for the Sunday XI by hitting 47 from 93 balls, including eight fours. Tom Bruce took 3-50 from his 13 overs.

Gleeson then took charge with the ball, taking 4-14 from 10 overs as Netherfield were dismissed for 109 in 36.5.

The Cumbrians had no hope after losing three of their top five for ducks but number eight Daniel Ingham at least extended the innings in entertaining style with 42 from 28 balls, including six fours and two sixes.

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He fell to Daniel Pile, who finished with 4-33 from 7.3 overs.

This fourth straight win leaves Blackpool seven points behind leaders Leyland, who won by 32 runs at Chorley.

Fleetwood bounced back from their bank holiday defeat by Blackpool but were given a scare by struggling Preston at Broadwater.

Professional Travis Dean laid the foundations for the home side’s 208-7 after Preston had put them in.

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The Australian made 87 from 113 balls, including 14 fours, and shared a vital second-wicket partnership with wicketkeeper Dean Bell, whose 49 included nine boundaries.

This stand was key to Fleetwood’s 18-run victory as none of their team-mates scored more than 10 and the former St Annes all-rounder Lukman Vahaluwala took 3-14 from seven overs.

Captain Sajid Patel then got Preston’s reply off to a fine start with 64 from 45 balls (11 fours),then number five Irshad Desai dug in to give Preston hope of victory.

But when the four batsmen who came in after him managed just four between them, the momentum switched back to Fleetwood only for the tables to turn once again when wicketkeeper Nizamudin Patel embarked on a profitable ninth-wicket stand with Desai.

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Patel hit six fours in his 29 but was dismissed by Pat Ashton on his way to career-best figures of 7-60 from 17 overs.

Desai was left unbeaten on 50 from 76 balls as Penrith were all out for 190 in 41.2 overs.

Fleetwood remain in fourth place, 11 points behind Blackpool but just one behind former leaders Barrow, who had the better of a draw at Morecambe.

St Annes moved above Preston and second-bottom Penrith, who they defeated by 42 runs in Cumbria.

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Professional Shadley van Schalkwyk was the star of the Tynefield Park show, scoring 83 in St Annes’ 166 and then claiming 4-39 from 15 overs.

After the visitors had been put in, their South African pro came in at 24-2 and hit four fours and six sixes in a 79-ball knock before he was eighth out with the total at 156.

Van Schalkwyk’s second half-century for the club was a vital contribution as nobody who came to the crease after him scored more than seven, most of them falling to Paul Hindmarch, who took 7-37 from 15.5 overs. Zakhele Qwabe claimed 3-61 from 15 as St Annes were all out with seven deliveries to spare.

Penrith could survive only 41.3 overs in reply and wouldn’t have reached 124 without a valiant 49 from wicketkeeping opener Chris Marrow.

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Van Schalkwyk dismissed him and Penrith never looked like recovering from 66-5 as Mitchell Bolus took 4-25 from 12.3 overs.

Lytham have climbed into the top half of the Liverpool Competition after a third successive win.

Lytham are finding their form in style in the ECB premier division and cruised to an eight-wicket home win over bottom club Birkenhead Park, who were dismissed for just 73 at Church Road.

Anthony Mulligan celebrated his best figures of the season, 7-31 from 19 overs, 11 of them maidens, as the visitors soon regretted their decision to bat first.

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Having been 24-5, they were rescued from a more embarrassing total by number seven Jonathon Crofton. He put up lonely resistance with 26 but none of his team-mates managed more than 10.

Lytham reached their target in 20.3 overs despite losing Thomas Hussey without a run on the board.

Victory was assured after captain Dom O’Brien hit six fours in his 37 and shared a second-wicket stand of 59 with Taylor Cornall.

The opener finished unbeaten on 22 as Lytham reached 76-2 and climbed to sixth in the table. Birkenhead Park find themselves 15 points adrift, having won just one of their first seven games.

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Former Palace Shield leaders Garstang suffered a second successive defeat but remain third, though they now trail the top two by 10 points.

Freckleton, who stay in fifth spot, were the only one of the Fylde coast’s five premier division clubs to win.

A century by Mohammed Nadeem could not save Great Eccleston from defeat at Longridge.

Moore & Smalley SE+ Palace Shield Premier Divison: Freckleton (96-3) beat Croston (93) by seven wickets, Fylde (88, M Smith 4-17) lost to Fulwood & Broughton (212-9, D Smith 4-50, A Ellison 3-46) ) by 124 runs, Garstang (163-9) lost to Whittingham & Goosnargh (164-9) by one wicket, Longridge (234-5, T Howarth 70, J Whitehead 53) beat Great Eccleston (231-7, M Nadeem 107, A Green 43) by five wickets, Thornton Cleveleys (236, J McMillan 57, J Booth 49, J Apperley 40, M Timms 7-89) lost to Vernon Carus (258-8, J McDonagh 67, J Fiddler 48, J Bell 3-63, J Beech 4-73) by 22 runs, Torrisholme (168-9) beat Penwortham (136-8) by 32 runs

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Division One: BAC/EE Preston (160, S Raju 50, J Davies 33-35, S Perkins 3-37) lost to Norcross (161-4, C Alan 39, T Wilcock 3-55) by six wickets, Fulwood & Broughton 2 (141) lost to Eccleston (144-7) by three wickets, Kirkham & Wesham (140-9, M Brooks 41, R Kenny 4-18, D Hodge 4-41) lost to Rufford (144-1, G Ashcroft 98no) by nine wickets, Vernon Carus 2 (143-5) beat Hoghton (139) by five wickets, White Coppice (170-8) lost to Garstang 2 (171-3) by seven wickets, Withnell Fold (120) lost to Longridge 2 (169-8) by 49 runs.

Division Two: Blackpool 3 (112, R Mangineni 4-38, J Marshall 3-16) lost to Wrea Green (144, R Mangineni 42, M Middlehurst 5-34, K Ahmed 3-22) by 32 runs, Penwortham 2 (251-6, A Dark 70, G Parkinson 58, M Walmsley 40, D Knight 5-84) lost to South Shore (254-9, L Jardine 64, D Jardine 63, M Cowell-Makin 41, I Dagger 6-39) by one wicket, Great Eccleston 2 (120) lost to Gregson Lane (121-5) by five wickets, Tarleton (169) beat Thornton Cleveleys 2 (166) by three runs