Fylde coast cricket review: Croft leads Lytham response as Fylde fall short in title chase
Steven Croft again took centre stage as Lytham CC completed their Liverpool and District Cricket Competition First Division season on Saturday.
He made it back-to-back centuries as Lytham drew at Highfield to end the campaign in sixth position.
Having hit 131 not out against Bootle a week earlier, Croft struck 11 fours and eight sixes in making 130 from 109 balls at the weekend.
That helped Lytham to finish on 181-6, having earlier seen Highfield declare on 237-6.
Lytham had reduced them to 23-2 before Michael Farrell (33) and Hedley Molyneux (88) added 75 for the third wicket.
Madduma Lakmal (42 not out) and Mohit Jangra (39) then put on 65 in taking Highfield past 200 before Lytham began their run chase.
It was also the final day in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield, where Fylde fell narrowly short of lifting the division 1A title.
They beat Morecambe by one run, skipper Dan Smith making 87 not out and Will Smith 54 in their 195-3.
Morecambe’s reply ended with them on 194-9, Ben Anderson taking 5-39 as Fylde could only take 11 points instead of a full 12.
That meant they finished second, one point behind Morecambe, while third-placed Heysham were level on points with Fylde.
The Premier Division brought mixed fortunes for Thornton Cleveleys and Great Eccleston.
Great Ecc finished fifth, beating Preston by seven wickets after Mohamed Nadeem (6-24) helped dismiss them for 64.
TC ended second, 25 points behind Barrow after a one-wicket loss to the champions.
Cameron Chisholm’s 39 helped TC to 98 all out before Barrow skipper Jack Singleton’s 47 not out saw them reach 100-9.