Fylde coast cricket review: Fleetwood continue their journey towards NPCL promotion

Fleetwood defied Saturday’s showers and their opponents to make it 12 wins from 13 in division two of the Northern Premier Cricket League.

After a largely sun-kissed season so far, wet weather affected the weekend matches - but it couldn’t prevent Fleetwood from continuing their promotion charge.

The division two leaders won by two wickets at Preston, where they put the hosts in and dismissed them for 153.

All 10 wickets fell for 48 runs after openers Sajid Patel (43) and Navazish Ali (42) had put on 105.

Matt Siddall again starred, following up eight wickets against Barrow the weekend before with figures of 6-17.

Set a revised target of 155 from 30 overs, Fleetwood reached 156-8 with three balls left.

Muhammad Hurraira had made 43 before they fell from 77-2 to 132-8, only for Nathan Bend (10 not out) and Hassan Mughal (15 not out) to see them home.

They were the Fylde coast’s only winners in the division, as the rain came to Thornton Cleveleys’s rescue at Whalley.

Sam Jackson hit 56 as Whalley reached 148-4 in 28 overs against TC, who were 67-8 after 17 when play ended after Ewan McDonald took 4-11 and Joshua Dentith 4-43.

Lytham lost by seven wickets at Fulwood and Broughton, where they were put in and reached 208-3 from 30 overs.

Myles Child (50), Archie Banks-Smith (51) and Sahaan Sahaan (52 not out) hit half-centuries before F&B were set a revised target of 124 from 30 overs.

They managed that comfortably, posting 126-3 in 20.1 as Ben Rosbottom finished 58 not out.

Tyler McGladdery (64) top-scored in Great Eccleston’s 228-6 in 37 overs at Morecambe.

However, the hosts breezed to a revised target as they responded with 139-3 inside 21 overs.

St Annes were unable to make it consecutive wins in division one as they lost by 107 runs at title-chasing Carlisle.

Zain Abbas took 4-23 as the home team was bowled out for 211 in 44 overs, Calum Rowe their top scorer with 42.

Set a target of 215 from 44 overs for victory, St Annes were dismissed for 107 midway through the 35th over.

Abbas (28) and Evan Dobson (26) were the only batters scoring more than 20 as St Annes lost their last seven wickets for 25 runs.

Ben Davidson and Nico Watt did the damage for the Cumbrians, finishing with figures of 4-12 and 4-24 respectively.

There was no result at Blackpool, where play ended with the hosts 10-1 chasing Longridge’s 188-7 from 31 overs.

Alex Ryder took 4-53 for Blackpool, with Alex Mason (47 not out) top-scoring for the visitors.

Rain also had the final word in the Palace Shield Championship match between Fylde and Heysham.

Craig Allison (66) and Dan Smith (56) had put on 114 for the fourth wicket in Fylde’s 171-6 from 30 overs.

Needing a revised 143 in 24 overs, the Heysham reply ended with them 71-1 from 11.5 overs.

Division one saw Kirkham and Wesham beaten by 81 runs at Burscough.

Ryan Galligan took 3-40 and Tom Parkinson 3-43 as Burscough made 183-6 from a reduced 24 overs.

Chasing an amended target of 186, K&W were dismissed for 104 with Jay Davies claiming 6-21.