Cricket victory for Blackpool as Kirkham and Wesham become first team to beat Fleetwood in league

Having chosen to bat, Blackpool were all out for 166 in 49.2 overs and would have hoped for more after reaching 97-1 .

Opener Tomas King led the way with 59 from 56 balls (11 fours) and Josh Boyne made 23.

But then the wickets began to fall and Blackpool were soon in a far less comfortable position at 111-6 as Thomas Kaber took 4-17 from 11.2 overs.

Blackpool were all out with four deliveries remaining, professional Naushad Shaikh their third-best scorer with 16 on his second appearance.

The Netherfield reply also started brightly, with 50 for the first wicket as Ben Barrow made 34.

The Cumbrians were still living in hope at 133-6 but when top-scorer Kaber (41) was eighth out at 141 those dreams were dashed. He was among the victims of Matt Grindley, who tore through the middle order for 4-47 from his 12 overs.

Like Blackpool, Netherfield were dismissed two balls into their 50th over for a total for 156.

Blackpool climb two places to third but are still 45 points behind leaders Garstang, who host them next Saturday.

The Stanley Park club leapfrogged St Annes, who now find themselves fifth after losing by two wickets at Kendal, where they set a target of 156 from 49.1 overs.

The visitors were put in and were struggling at 27-4 until captain Nathan Bolus (53) and Nathan Armstrong (41) put on 89 for the fifth wicket.

The pair held the innings together as none of their teammates scored more than 10, Chris Miller taking four late wickets (for 26 from 12.1 overs) and Toby Tyson claiming 3-55 off 15.

St Annes' total looked like being enough as a reply of 18-3 became 62-5, Lukman Vahaluwala claiming 5-37 from his 15 overs.

However, a sixth-wicket stand worth 62 between wicketkeeper Sam Fletcher (34) and captain Chris Miller (32) got the hosts back on track, though both fell to Vahaluwala, and victory was sealed at 158-8 from 46.1 overs. Kuldeep Singh saw Kendal home with three boundaries in his 17.

Lytham won by 87 runs after an early scare at Rainford in the Liverpool Competition.

The visitors chose to bat but lost their top three for ducks, all caught by wicketkeeper William Threlkeld, though this brought together Akash Vashist and Matt Taaffe for a fourth-wicket stand of 72.

After centuries in five of his previous six innings, Indian professional Akash had to settle for 55 from 57 balls (10 boundaries), though skipper Taaffe went on to make an unbeaten 72, also with 10 boundaries from 131 deliveries faced.

Taaffe found useful late allies in number nine Richard Openshaw (32, six boundaries) and wicketkeeper Richard Staines (27) as Lytham were all out for 224 in exactly 55 overs, John Dotters taking 3-66 from his 22.

Akash then starred with the ball, bowling unchanged and taking 5-44 from his 21.5 overs as the St Helens side were dismissed for 137 from 43.5.

Rainford had reasonable hopes at 68-1, opener Jason Login making 44, but these had faded at 80-5.

The win takes Lytham back to the top of the Liverpool Competition first division, moving 10 points clear of Liverpool, who lost by seven wickets at third-placed Colwyn Bay.

Fleetwood suffered their first defeat of the Palace Shield season by four wickets at Kirkham and Wesham.

The visitors chose to bat and were looking strong at 100-1 after an opening stand of 70 between Charlie Clark (70) and coach Atiq Uz-Zaman (44), both hitting nine fours.

But both fell victim to Justin Banks, who went on to claim 5-54 from his 11.1 overs as Fleetwood were all out for 180 in 42.1 overs, nobody else scoring more than 13.

The hosts then lost three of their top four cheaply but Jamie Hogarth came in at 52-4 and smashed Kirkham to victory with an unbeaten 78.

Having put on 53 for the fifth wicket with Sean Bovington (20), Hogarth went on to strike 10 fours and four sixes from 58 balls faced, sealing victory at 181-6 from 34.5 overs.

The league's top scorer Zac Corcoran was wicketless, though Jeremy Davies and Declan Clerkin claimed three apiece.

That defeat followed 12 straight premier division victories and saw Fleetwood's lead cut to 29 points by Morecambe, who overcame Great Eccleston by 106 runs.

Captain Alex Briggs (56) was the mainstay of the home side's 206-9 (Phil Booth 3-55 from 10 overs) before Ecc succumbed for 100 in reply, despite 57 from wicketkeeper Will Thistlethwaite. Lloyd Smith, with 4-24 from 11 overs, and Stefan Dixon (4-41 off 9.4) did the damage.

Thornton Cleveleys had a comfortable seven-wicket home win over Croston, who chose to bat but managed only 117 as Josh Rolinson took 4-17 from 11 overs and captain Daniel Howard 3-22 from 10.

Joshua Sackfield then scored an unbeaten 53 from 50 balls with 11 boundaries as Thornton wrapped up victory in just 27 overs at 119-3.

Fylde crashed to a 114-run defeat away to division 1A leaders Mawdesley, where six of their final seven were out without scoring in a total of 119.

Fylde were always up against it chasing Mawlesley's 233-7 (Christopher Andrews 100, Jon Stone 83), despite Finley Tupman taking 4-37 from nine overs.

There were division two defeats for former leaders Wrea Green (by seven wickets at Vernon Carus 2) and Norcross (by 121 runs at Preston 2), while St Annes 2 went top with a seven-wicket win after removing Gregson Lane for 94 (Ryan Birman 4-10, Curtis Fletcher 3-15, Gurman Bains 51).