Fylde coast cricket review: Blackpool's storming end to the season
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They were six-run winners against Fleetwood in Sunday’s reduced-over final at Stanley Park.
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Hide AdThat saw Blackpool bat first and complete their full allocation of overs on 224-9.
Daniel Dixon (12) and Dylan Henshall (0) were out cheaply, but Chris Benjamin (90) and Andrew Needham (78) put on 147 for the third wicket.
Josh Boyne added 23 but none of the remaining batters scored more than six as Fleetwood skipper Declan Clerkin took 4-47.
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Hide AdIn reply, Fleetwood were set an amended target of 138 from 20 overs but were 131 all out with one ball left.
Tomas King and Narod Paranavithana both hit 25 in an opening stand of 46 before Fleetwood slumped to 99-7.
Matt Grindley picked up 2-23 but Clerkin and Charlie Clark rallied, adding 27 before Clerkin was the eighth man out for 31, dismissed by Henshall (2-26).
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Hide AdThe end followed quickly with Will Reader (0) run out before Boyne dismissed Matt Siddall (0) first ball to wrap up Blackpool’s victory.
That meant he also finished with figures of 4-21 as Clark was left undefeated on 14.
The day before saw Blackpool climb into the NPCL’s top four with a one-wicket win over Longridge, also at Stanley Park.
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Hide AdLongridge batted first and compiled 185-6, led by Luke Platt (60) and Alex Mason (40 not out).
Boyne (2-43) and Jamie Thomson (2-44) took wickets for Blackpool, who reached 186-9 with 11 balls left.
With a number of batters falling cheaply, Boyne made 70 and Henshall 50 before skipper Paul Danson (14 not out) saw Blackpool home despite Jake Durnell’s 4-36.
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Hide AdVictory, Blackpool’s fourth in a row, sees them one of four teams separated by only three points in the chase for a top-four spot.
St Annes came within one wicket of their fourth win of the season as they had much the better of a draw at Leyland.
Batting first, they overcame the early loss of Yohan De Silva (2) to post 228-9 by the close.
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Hide AdDe Silva’s fellow opener, Nathan Armstrong, top-scored with 64 and put on 82 for the third wicket with skipper Nathan Bolus (33).
Luke Jardine added 52 before Leyland’s reply ended with them on 163-9.
James Sargeant took 4-52 as the hosts collapsed to 39-4 and then to 131-9.
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Hide AdHowever, their last pair of Jacob Wright (46 not out) and Andrew Jacques (21 not out) managed to frustrate the St Annes attack.
Fleetwood weren’t in action and saw nearest rivals Netherfield capitalise on their game in hand, beating Chorley by seven wickets.
They are only seven points adrift of Fleetwood with two matches of the season remaining.
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Hide AdThe first of those comes on Saturday when Fleetwood host bottom club Mawdesley, who have only won once all season, while Netherfield face an immediate rematch with Chorley.
It’s also derby day as St Annes conclude their home programme for 2024 against visiting Blackpool.
Lytham CC made it three consecutive victories in division one of the Liverpool and District Cricket Competition as they comfortably defeated second-placed Colwyn Bay.
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Hide AdThey were victorious by 112 runs, a victory set up by their batters as Lytham declared on 242-5.
Ed Fiddler (5) was run out early on but Matthew Wood and Steven Croft added 72 for the second wicket.
Croft fell for 41, leaving Lytham 79-2, before Wood and Zak Foulkes doubled that score.
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Hide AdWood (67) was the third man out, followed by Foulkes (59), as Lytham reached 183-4.
Guy Roberts (22) put on 53 with skipper Matt Taaffe, who was 42 not out at the close.
The Colwyn Bay innings saw them reduced to 52-5 before they were eventually all out for 130.
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Hide AdFoulkes dismissed Jack Parry, Will Evans and Will Higginson - all without scoring - before sending back Luke Russell to finish with 4-20.
Sion Morris (50) top-scored for Colwyn Bay before he was out to Wood, who also picked up the wickets of George Johansen (12) and Jamie Moorhouse (0) in taking 3-42.
Tom Hessey (1-29) and Henry Roberts (1-0) were also among the wickets for Lytham, who collected the maximum 25 points.
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Hide AdElsewhere, the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division promotion race brought mixed results on the Fylde coast.
Second-placed Thornton Cleveleys’ 93-run defeat of Penrith means they only require eight points from their final three games to clinch a spot in next year’s NPCL division two.
TC had chosen to bat first at Illawalla, where they were all out for 208 as Daniel Howard made 73 and Omar Tauqir 58.
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Hide AdPenrith’s response saw them dismissed for 115, Howard claiming 3-14 and Mohammed Tauqir 3-20.
Great Eccleston slipped to fourth following a three-wicket loss at Carnforth, who leapfrogged them into third.
Tight bowling from the hosts restricted Great Ecc to 134-8 in 45 overs, Mohammed Fazil hitting a 101-ball 38 before Phil Booth struck three sixes in making 27 not out from 19 deliveries.
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Hide AdCarnforth replied with 135-7 in 27.3 overs, Bradley Hoyle and Dylan Conroy both making 45.
Division 1A brought two wins from two with Fylde and Kirkham and Wesham both successful.
Fylde beat Netherfield’s seconds by 40 runs, Will Smith top-scoring with 94 in their 212-7 before Netherfield were all out for 172.
Jamie Hogarth hit 134 from only 118 balls in K&W’s 288-7 at Garstang’s second XI, who were skittled for 82 with Justin Banks taking 6-32.