By Michael Latham
David Fisher assisted Adam Parker in Preston's victory chase |
Preston closed the gap at the top of the Furness Building Society Northern Premier League (in association with 3D Sports) to just ten points after a five wickets win at leaders St Annes.
Adam Parker (71 not out) and David Fisher (43 not out) shared an unbroken sixth wicket stand of 101 to steer their side to victory after Preston had laboured to 56 for 5 in reply to St Annes 154.
Parker survived three chances in the field to hit four fours and one six in his match-winning innings that came off 101 balls. Fisher, who scored 788 runs for Vernon Carus in the Palace Shield last year, played a superb supporting role in his highest innings for Preston so far.
Preston's Lukman Vahaluwala is bowled by St Annes' Nick Jones |
St Annes pro Dinuka Hettiarachchi celebrated signing a new deal for 2010 by taking four wickets to take his season's league tally to 55, but the Sri Lankan Test player could not dislodge the Preston pair and finished with four for 74. Nick Jones bowled Lukman Vahaluwala as he took one for 20 in ten overs, but St Annes were again handicapped by Stephen Twist's groin injury that prevented him from bowling.
St Annes captain Andy Kellett held his side's innings together with a battling 44 off 95 balls after they lost their first two wickets for just one run to successive balls from Darren Nelson. The former Carnforth bowler accounted for Atiq Uz-Zaman and Michael Baer and later added the wicket of Twist to take three for 40.
Vahaluwala weighed in with three for 35 as Neil Bradley (26) and Jones (21) provided invaluable support for Kellett as St Annes, inserted by Preston captain Bilal Asad, experienced the worst of the batting conditions.
Chorley failed to make up ground after collecting only two points from a losing draw at home to Barrow at Windsor Park.
The Barrow pro Pasan Wanasinghe shone with bat and ball after a rain-delayed 26 overs-per-side began just after four o'clock. The experienced Sri Lankan hit an unbeaten 69 off 59 balls in his side's 148 for 5 against a depleted Chorley attack and then took four for 21. Chorley struggled to 75 for 7 at the close. Ian Oakes making an invaluable undefeated 41 off 48 balls to stave off defeat.
In-form Morecambe moved up to third, leapfrogging Chorley, after earning maximum points from a 34 runs victory over Leyland at Woodhill Lane.
Ikram Ullah's 75 off 118 balls provided the backbone of the home side's 189 for 7, Andy Armstrong contributing a valuable 45 off 57 balls. David Makinson, the Leyland captain, took three wickets.
Leyland looked well placed after professional Ameer Khan hit an imposing 81 before he was caught behind by Lewis Edge off Mandla Mashimbyi.
Mashimbyi, the popular South African pro, went on to collect four wickets and with Graeme Cassidy and skipper Tommy Clough each taking three the visitors collapsed to 155 all out.
There were two outstanding centuries and the day's best bowling performance as Blackpool had to settle for a winning draw against Darwen at Stanley Park.
Blackpool's deputy pro, Jeeva Kulatunga hit 115 off 95 balls including 12 fours and two sixes in a superb display of batsmanship. Burnley CC's Sri Lankan professional left a lasting impression on the Stanley Park faithful.
Lancashire's Steven Croft hit 55 off 88 balls as Blackpool amassed 246 for 4 in their 50 overs. The game was delayed after Darwen bowler Yakub Bhamji was injured fielding a fierce Croft drive off his own bowling and the Lancashire junior player was taken to hospital as a precaution for treatment after taking a blow to the head.
Darwen's off-spinner Chris Clarke took all four wickets to fall at a cost of 69 runs to confirm his emergence as a front-line bowler this season.
Darwen's South African professional David Wiese hit a magnificent 129 the highest score in the league so far this season before becoming the last of Richard Gleeson's seven victims.
Wiese hit 13 fours and four sixes in a towering display and faced just 122 balls, receiving good support from youngsters Nathan Jackson (24) and Kamran Anwar (39).
Darwen's David Wiese hits out at Stanley Park |
Gleeson bowled superbly, with sustained pace and hostility to take four early wickets and three more in his second spell and finished with his best Blackpool figures of seven for 68.
With Bhamji unable to bat the last pair of Stuart Hampson and captain Andrew Cook held out for a total of 30 balls between them to salvage a draw for the visitors who closed on 224 for 8 when the game finished at ten past eight.
Richard Gleeson laeves the field after taking seven wickets for Blackpool |
Gleeson has now taken 40 wickets and is one ahead of Carnforth's Warren Quinn in the race to win the Castle Award for the leading amateur wicket-taker.
Quinn's game with Carnforth was the only one to be abandoned after heavy overnight and morning rain left the Lodge Quarry ground unplayable. Their game against Netherfield was finally called off at four o'clock.
Kendal continued their fine recent form as they edged home by three wickets in a low-scoring game against Fleetwood at Shap Road. In a match reduced to 35 overs-per-side Ross McMillan, the Kendal professional and captain, took five for 39 to help reduce the visitors to 115 for 9. Adam Sharrocks top-scored with 26 as Kendal's fine out-cricket featured fine catches by Terry Hunte and Nick Lewthwaite.
In reply Kendal looked in trouble when Hunte, the mainstay of their innings, was dismissed by Tom Wilson for 38. Adam Breakell took three for 29 for Fleetwood, but a seventh wicket stand of 35 between Lewthwaite and Nick Phillips took Kendal to the verge of victory, Phillips making an invaluable unbeaten 14.
FIRST DIVISION SCORES:
BLACKPOOL v DARWEN
Blackpool (9pts) winning draw; Darwen (4pts)
Blackpool 246 for 4 (J Kulatunga 115, S Croft 55, C Clarke 4 for 69), Darwen 224 for 8 (D Wiese 129, R Gleeson 7 for 68)
CARNFORTH v NETHERFIELD
Match abandoned (4pts each)
CHORLEY v BARROW
Barrow (7pts) winning draw; Chorley (2pts)
Barrow 148 for 5 (P Wanasinghe 69no), Chorley 75 for 7 (I Oakes 41no, P Wanasinghe 4 for 21)
KENDAL v FLEETWOOD
Kendal (12pts) defeated Fleetwood (2pts) by 3 wickets
Fleetwood 115 for 9 (R McMillan 5 for 39), Kendal 116 for 7
MORECAMBE v LEYLAND
Morecambe (15pts) defeated Leyland (3pts) by 34 runs
Morecambe 189 for 7 (Ikram Ullah 75, A Armstrong 45), Leyland 155 (Ameer Khan 81, M Mashimbyi 4 for 45)
ST ANNES v PRESTON
Preston (12pts) defeated St Annes (2pts) by 5 wickets
St Annes 154 (A Kellett 44), Preston 157 for 5 (A Parker 71no, D Fisher 43no, D Hettiarachchi 4 for 74)
Lancaster no game
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATING 3D SPORTS )
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division One
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| St Annes |
17 |
3 |
6 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
18 |
156 |
| Preston |
17 |
5 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
18* |
146 |
| Morecambe |
17 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
4 |
24 |
138 |
| Chorley |
17 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
29 |
128 |
| Kendal |
17 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
30 |
118 |
| Blackpool |
17 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
4 |
33 |
118 |
| Netherfield |
16 |
1 |
2 |
4 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
41 |
110 |
| Fleetwood |
17 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
4 |
6 |
1 |
29 |
96 |
| Leyland |
16 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
31 |
96 |
| Barrow |
16 |
1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
6 |
3 |
21 |
93 |
| Darwen |
16 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
29* |
93 |
| Carnforth |
17 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
8 |
4 |
33 |
77 |
| Lancaster |
16 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
3 |
6 |
3 |
18 |
76 |
* 2 points deducted for slow over rate
Divison Two
Chasing two miss out in Division Two
With leaders Lancaster inactive Blackpool and Leyland lost the opportunity to make up ground in division two.
Leyland went down to a two wickets defeat at home to Morecambe as Michael Fisher's 49 proved invaluable for the visitors. Blackpool lost on the last ball at Birch Hall as Joe Anderson's unbeaten 46 steered Darwen home by one wicket after Greg Lawrenson had taken five wickets for the home side.
Chorley boosted their title hopes after a convincing win at Barrow as Chris Harty took four for nine to help bowl out the home side for just 44. Earlier Rowan Mitcham held firm with 49 in Chorley's 181 as Guy Heffernan took seven for 64.
Kendal stalwart Alan Dugdale took eight wickets as Fleetwood fell eleven runs short at Broadwater in a low-scoring game, the visitors Mark Phillips making 42, the highest score of the contest.
Despite half-centuries from Ben Barrow and Shane Hyland Netherfield had to settle for a winning draw in another rain-reduced game at Parkside Road against Carnforth.
Last season's champions St Annes won a tight game at Preston by just eleven runs, the home side bowled out for 108 despite Rehman Shah's 50. Richard Thomas and Ashley Ward each took three wickets for the visitors who successfully defended their modest total of 119.
SECOND DIVISION SCORES:
BARROW v CHORLEY
Chorley (15pts) defeated Barrow (3pts) by 137 runs
Chorley 181 (R Mitchem 49, G Heffernan 7 for 64), Barrow 44 (C Harty 4 for 9)
DARWEN v BLACKPOOL
Darwen (12pts) defeated Blackpool (3pts) by one wicket
Blackpool 126 for 8 (G Lawrenson 5 for 14), Darwen 127 for 9 (J Anderson 46no)
FLEETWOOD v KENDAL
Kendal (15pts) defeated Fleetwood (3pts) by 11 runs
Kendal 121 (M Phillips 42), Fleetwood 110 (A Dugdale 8 for 41)
LEYLAND v MORECAMBE
Morecambe (12pts) defeated Leyland (3pts) by 2 wickets
Leyland 143 (C Parkinson 41), Morecambe 145 for 8 (M Fisher 49)
NETHERFIELD v CARNFORTH
Netherfield (7pts) winning draw; Carnforth (1pt)
Netherfield 174 for 4 (B Barrow 63, S Hyland 53), Carnforth 78 for 6
PRESTON v ST ANNES
St Annes (15pts) defeated Preston (3pts) by 11 runs
St Annes 119, Preston 108 (R Shah 50)
Lancaster no game
FURNESS BUILDING SOCIETY
( INCORPORATING 3D SPORTS)
NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE TABLE
Division Two
| Club |
P |
W15 |
W12 |
D4 |
D1 |
L |
NR4 |
BP |
Pts |
| Lancaster |
16 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
0 |
3 |
1 |
24 |
154 |
| Blackpool |
17 |
3 |
6 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
1 |
16 |
141 |
| Leyland |
16 |
3 |
5 |
2 |
0 |
5 |
1 |
22 |
139 |
| Chorley |
17 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
17 |
133 |
| Morecambe |
17 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
26 |
127 |
| St Annes |
17 |
2 |
5 |
1 |
2 |
5 |
2 |
19 |
123 |
| Darwen |
16 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
24 |
123 |
| Netherfield |
16 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
31 |
118 |
| Kendal |
17 |
3 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
10 |
1 |
16 |
90 |
| Preston |
17 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
7 |
2 |
17 |
89 |
| Fleetwood |
17 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
2 |
21 |
82 |
| Carnforth |
17 |
1 |
2 |
0 |
4 |
7 |
3 |
23 |
78 |
| Barrow |
16 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
3 |
27 |
68 |
