Fylde coast cricket preview: St Annes face top two in league and cup

They host Northern Premier Cricket League leaders Chorley tomorrow before welcoming second-placed Garstang in the last four of the league’s 40 Over Cup on Sunday.

Their initial focus is on the game with Chorley, given Armstrong’s players are one place and 33 points above the drop zone with five games left.

It would seem a comfortable gap given second-bottom Penrith have only won twice all season but Armstrong isn’t taking anything for granted.

The captain said: “Every league game is going to be big for us as we get to the business end of the season.

“We want to get as far away from the relegation zone as possible and we’re playing a good team on Saturday – but we know we can beat anyone on our day.

“We know things can change quite quickly. There’s a Bank Holiday coming up, which is a double-header, so we want to be well away from the bottom two.

“We certainly believe we’ve got the team to beat anyone heading into the last four or five games.”

Twenty-four hours after that comes a cup tie with Garstang, eight days on from a league defeat against the reigning NPCL champions.

A cup final is incentive enough for victory but the chance of a Fylde coast derby with Blackpool on September 3 provides further motivation.

Armstrong said: “A derby against Blackpool coming into September? That’s where you want to be.

“Garstang are a tough side but I feel we can beat anyone, regardless of form or quality, but it’s a case of us playing better cricket.

“We believe we have got the players to play better cricket than we have done this season.”

SATURDAY FIXTURES:

Northern Premier Cricket League (12.30pm): Blackpool v Penrith, Fleetwood v Eccleston, St Annes v Chorley.

Liverpool and District Competition (12pm): Liverpool v Lytham.

Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division (1pm): Great Eccleston v Morecambe, Kirkham & Wesham v Preston, Torrisholme v Thornton Cleveleys.

Division 1B (1pm): Fylde v Grimsargh, Preston 2 v Fleetwood 2, Thornton Cleveleys 2 v Blackpool 2.

Division 2 (1pm): Norcross v Torrisholme 2, Penwortham 3 v St Annes 2.

SUNDAY

Northern Premier Cricket League 40 Over Cup (2pm): St Annes v Garstang.