Blackpool Cricket Club fly Fylde coast flag in 40-over cup semi-finals

Sunday’s first Fylde coast derby of the season saw Blackpool win by 90 runs at Fleetwood in the quarter-finals to earn a clash with Longridge, who knocked St Annes out by exactly the same margin.

Blackpool chose to bat and piled on 240-5 at Broadwater, where top-scorer Sam Dutton made 69 and put on 100 for the opening wicket with Tomas King (31).

That stand was topped by the visitors’ fourth-wicket pair of Ciaran Johnson (59 not out) and Josh Boyne (63 off 54 balls), who shared 123. Jack Wilkinson removed three of Blackpool’s top four (3-48 off eight overs).

The Fleetwood reply reached 150 in 35.3 overs thanks largely to 66 from 67 balls from Sri Lankan Kongala Vimukthi, who served as guest professional while Dyllan Matthews completes his period in quarantine.

But when he was sixth out at 126 it was game up for Fleetwood. Wicketkeeper Harry McAleer was their next-best with 17 and Blackpool will visit Longridge in the semi-finals on May 30.

Longridge were put in by St Annes and totalled 192-9 at Vernon Road, opener Luke Platt leading the way with 44 as Thomas Bradley took 3-37 from his eight overs for the hosts.

However, St Annes then succumbed for just 102 with 10.1 overs remaining as Caleb Bradford took 4-16 from eight overs and Ian Simpson 3-13 from 4.5.

Captain Tom Higgins gave St Annes a promising start with 28 from 24 balls but it was downhill all the way from there – the last seven men who took to the crease scored just two between them.

Longridge are the early pace-setters in the NPL and third-placed Blackpool are nine points behind them after yesterday’s match at Leyland was rained off.

Blackpool’s visit had been brought forward from this Saturday, when the hosts’ Stanning Memorial Ground would not have been available.

All three Fylde coast clubs entered the 40-over cup at Sunday’s last-eight stage after receiving first-round byes. Chorley will face Garstang in the other semi.

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