Blackpool Cricket Club Ladies win top-of-table crunch clash
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Both teams were unbeaten and knew victory would leave them top of the Lancashire 40-over League with two matches left.
Blackpool were asked to bat and Phoebe Wragg got them off to a fast start with 30 before falling to a smart catch. After the first rain stoppage at 58 for two, it was agreed to shorten the match by five overs per side.
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Hide AdBlackpool pushed on to 205-4 from their 35 overs as skipper Caroline Blundell scored 43 and Gemma Kennedy 35.
A further hour was then lost to rain and Hightown's reply was cut to 20 overs, with a revised target of 118 set to match Blackpool's run-rate of 5.85 per over.
This soon began to look unlikely as tight bowling by Kennedy and 16-year-old Katie Galligan reduced the hosts to 10-3.
Milla Brotherwood (15) then shared the wickets with Hannah Jenkinson, Lucy Garlick and Bobbi Campbell, who was on a hat-trick at one point, as Hightown could only reach 41-8.
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Hide AdHead coach Roger Garlick added: “With the weather about, we had to bowl our 20 overs very quickly and did so in just an hour. The fielding was excellent.”
Blackpool are back in action on Wednesday at home to Longridge in the Twenty20 Cup (6.15pm).