Fylde coast cricket preview: Cheerleading role for Great Eccleston stalwart on club's proud day

The Ecc stalwart’s 72 in their final group game against Lancaster last weekend helped his side to finish runners-up and secure a spot in the last four of the silver competition – but Thistlethwaite later dislocated a shoulder taking a catch, ending his season.

Even so, after close to two decades at Great Eccleston, it’s highly satisfying for the opener to see his team join Blackpool as the only Fylde coast sides to qualify for the semis of the elite ‘level one’ competitions in this most unusual season.

Blackpool play in the gold semi-finals at Morecambe tomorrow but Lytham and St Annes have missed out, as have Fleetwood who Ecc pipped to second spot in silver group A.

It was a close-run thing but Great Eccleston won through among three teams with four points courtesy of having the best runs-per-wicket rating. And that was in part down to Thistlethwaite’s best knock of the season as his side managed 217-7 in that two-wicket defeat by group winners Lancaster.

Teacher Will, 31, told The Gazette: “I’ll have to settle for cheerleading at Longridge but it’s a real achievement for our club as we continue to rebuild.

“We won the Palace Shield in 2015 with a team made up mostly of young, homegrown players and quite a few of them have since moved away, including my brother James.

“Mohammad Nedeem, who scored loads of runs for us, moved on to St Annes but he remained a great friend of the club and still comes back regularly to help the younger lads.

“This summer’s competition has been really well organised and, like a lot of teams, we’ve given opportunities to younger lads who have done well.”

“Longridge are a Northern League team and beat us in the first group stage, so we know we’re the underdogs and we will be missing (wicketkeeper) Adam Green as well as myself, but we’ll treat it like a cup-tie and it will be good for some of our young lads to have a go.”

The level one bronze competition continues as a round-robin and Kirkham and Wesham play their final game at home to Penwortham tomorrow. A first win for the Fylde side would boost Thornton Cleveleys’ hopes of taking this title.

Other Fylde coast clubs with home semi-finals in the level two and three competitions tomorrow are St Annes 2, Blackpool 3, Thornton Cleveleys 2 and Wrea Green.

TOMORROW'S FIXTURES

Level 1 gold semi-finals: Morercambe v Blackpool, Garstang v Chorley

Silver semi-finals: Longridge v Great Eccleston, Lancaster v Kendal

Bronze: Kirkham and Wesham v Penwortham, Vernon Carus v Preston

Level 2 Gold semi-finals: Mawdesley v New Longton, Leyland 2 v Longridge 2

Silver semi-finals: St Annes 2 v Kendal 2, Rufford v Fulwood and Broughton 2

Bronze semi-finals: Tarleton v Garstang 2, Withnell Fold v BAC/EE Preston

Level 3 Gold semi-finals: Blackpool 3 v Longridge 3, Whittingham & Goosnargh v Euxton 2

Silver semi-finals: Thornton Cleveleys 2 v Lancaster, Torrisholme 2 v Lancaster 2

Bronze semi-finals: Wrea Green v Vernon Carus 2, Ingol v Preston 2

Level 4 Gold: South Shore 2 v Wyre, Wlaton-le-Dale 2 v Withnell Fold 2

Silver: Fylde 2 v Norcross, Whittle & Clayton-le-Woods 2 v Wyre 2