Readers Cup action on Sunday
JJ Smuts will soon be leaving Chorley for Australia |
Leyland go into another important weekend with both their first and second teams leading their respective divisions.
Leyland First XI will be without skipper David Makinson as they entertain Morecambe at Fox Lane. They lead the league with 162 points from 14 games with Barrow second with 131 points but with a game in hand. Barrow visit Lancaster who last Saturday inflicted reigning champions St Annes' first defeat of the season. Last season's wooden spoonists, Lancaster have risen to sixth just after the halfway stage of a resurgent season.
Lancaster captain Michael Stevens |
St Annes (played 13-130 points) visit Chorley whose professional JJ Smuts will soon be leaving the club early to join the South Africa Emerging Players tour of Australia. St Annes have recently lost the services of their influential all rounder Stephen Twist who has decided to take a break from the game.
But an old boy may reappear in the next few weeks as Andy Wilson explained in the Guardian with help from League and St Annes President Brian Standing:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2010/jul/07/andrew-flintoff-comeback-st-annes
St Annes captain Andy Kellett featured in the Guardian this week |
Fourth placed Blackpool (14-128) are at Netherfield, Preston host Kendal and Darwen are at home to Carnforth.
In Division Two eight points separate the top four sides with Leyland (12-127) leading the way from Chorley (13-126), Darwen (13-123) and Blackpool (12-119).
On Sunday the Readers Cup takes centre stage with three Division One ties at Blackpool, Kendal and Lancaster.
The Fleetwood-Leyland tie has been put back one week until 18 July.
Four Division Two ties also take place at Barrow, Darwen, Leyland and Morecambe.
Meanwhile Northern League players featured prominently as Cumberland recorded their first victory of the season in the Minor Counties Championship, defeating Lincolnshire at Cleethorpes by 115 runs. Barrow's Jonathan Miles hit his first county hundred, making 107 in the second innings while Netherfield's Alex Atkinson made 75. Kendal off-spinner Chris Miller was among the wickets with Barrow's Graham Dawson and Morecambe's Ikram Ullah also featuring prominently:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/8754876.stm
The scorecard is here:
http://lincolnshireccc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10914457
Jon Miles hit his first hundred for Cumberland |
Fixtures
Saturday
10th July 2010
(Round 15)
Division One
1pm Start
Chorley v St Annes
Darwen v Carnforth
Lancaster v Barrow
Leyland v Morecambe
Netherfield v Blackpool
Preston v Kendal
Fleetwood no game
Division Two
1pm Start
Barrow v Lancaster
Blackpool v Netherfield
Carnforth v Darwen
Kendal v Preston
Morecambe v Leyland
St Annes v Chorley
Fleetwood no game
Readers Cup
Sunday 11th July 2010
Readers Cup Quarter Finals:
Division One
40 overs
2pm Start
Blackpool v Barrow
Kendal v Darwen
Lancaster v Morecambe
(Note: Fleetwood v Leyland scheduled for Sunday 18 July)
Division Two
40 overs
2pm Start
Barrow v Blackpool
Darwen v Chorley
Leyland v St Annes
Morecambe v Lancaster
Semi-Finals scheduled for Sunday 8 August,
Finals for Sunday 22 August (Division One)
and
Sunday 5 September (Division Two).
