Fylde coast cricket review: Fleetwood pegged back after rare defeat

The leaders were beaten by the 2022 champions when they met at the Riverside on Saturday.

After being asked to bat first by the home team, Fleetwood concluded their 50 overs on 195-9.

Tom King (4) and Andy Drake (8) fell cheaply to Ian Walling (2-25) before Tom Higson did most of the remaining damage.

He ended a 71-run stand between Vathsal Govind and Adam Sharrocks by dismissing the latter for 26.

That was followed by the wickets of Govind (56), Harry McAleer (24), Jeremy Davies (3), Declan Clerkin (14) and Charlie Clark (3) in taking 6-57.

Nathan Bend was the other wicket to fall, out to Garstang skipper Danny Gilbert (1-29) after a 16-ball innings of 34.

Garstang’s reply saw them reach 196-6 with one over remaining, thanks mainly to opener Imran Butt who made 89.

He was one of three wickets for Matt Siddall, who finished with 3-53 from 15 overs, before Gilbert (34 not out) led his team across the line.

Blackpool took 11 points from a draw after coming within two wickets of beating Chorley at Stanley Park.

Batting first, it was Blackpool’s top order who laid the foundation for their 259-7 as three of the top four passed 50.

The only one who failed to do so was opener Daniel Dixon (39), who had put on 103 for the first wicket with Dylan Henshall.

It was Henshall who top-scored with a 58-ball 67, featuring nine fours and a six, before Shivam Chaudhary added 54 and Andrew Needham 51.

All four were dismissed by Jurie Snyman, who also removed Josh Boyne (10) on his way to figures of 5-52.

The Chorley reply ended with them on 195-8 despite the best efforts of Matt Grindley, who picked up 5-57.

He started with the wickets of Miller Childs (15) and Will Moulton (18) before Boyne’s (2-33) dismissal of Harry Barclay (6) made it 61-3.

Snyman (48) and Edwin Moulton (34) added 49 before they fell to Grindley, who also sent back Kieran Yould (0).

With Chorley 146-6, Ben Simpkins (34) and Joseph Tiffin (27 not out) held up Blackpool, despite Stuart Ashford (1-13) seeing off Matthew Sedgman (2).

There was also frustration for Blackpool in Sunday’s Vitality Club T20 Group Two area final and semi-final, when they lost by one run to Northern in the final four.

Chasing their opponents’ 141-9 in 20 overs, the Blackpool response ended with them on 140-7.

St Annes look almost certain to figure in division two of the NPCL next year following a nine-wicket defeat to Settle.

The visitors occupy the final qualification spot for the top flight in 2025, sitting 53 points clear of St Annes with seven games left.

After opting to bat first at Vernon Road, St Annes saw openers Yohan De Silva and Nathan Armstrong put on 84.

Once De Silva (22) fell, that started a period of play which saw St Annes lose all 10 wickets for 49 runs in subsiding to 133 all out.

Armstrong comfortably top-scored with 60 as Joe Hayton (13) and James Bradley (10 not out) were the only other batters in double figures.

Amar Ullah claimed 4-21 for a Settle team which reached 136-1 inside 30 overs, Lewis Smith making 57 and Archie Phillipson 55 not out.

In the Liverpool and District Competition First Division, Lytham and Orrell Red Triangle drew in a match where every result had been possible late on.

Lytham saw their visitors bat first and declare on 214-4 from 55 overs, thanks mainly to a 110-run stand for the first wicket.

That ended when Matthew Wood dismissed Mark Waddington (39) before removing Richard Everett (4) and Andrew Baybutt (0) in taking 3-50.

The other wicket fell to Zak Foulkes (1-30), who sent back Waddington’s fellow opener Luke Prescott; though not before he had made 107 with 13 fours and a six.

Matthew Hayes (31 not out) and Dominic Hayes (14 not out) were there at the close before Lytham’s reply saw them finish on 201-9.

Wood (6), Myles Child (8) and Matt Taaffe (8) all fell as Lytham were reduced to 22-3 early on.

Foulkes led the rearguard, putting on stands of 43 with Alex Higham (25) and TJ Bailey (21), as well as 48 alongside Tom Jefferson (25).

The exits of Josh Holden (7), Charlie Nixon (3) and Jack Saunders (4) left Lytham 184-9 but last man Joe Ashton (one not out) supported Foulkes.

He finished 90 not out, an innings which contained nine fours and four sixes as Lytham claimed six points.

Elsewhere, Thornton Cleveleys and Great Eccleston both won as the chase for a top-six finish hots up in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division.

With Barrow 15 points clear at the top, only a dozen points separate TC in second and seventh-placed Vernon Carus as six clubs look to join division two of the NPCL next year.

TC beat Rufford by 89 runs at Illawalla, where Joshua Sackfield’s 58 helped them to 181-8 before the visitors were all out for 92 as Daniel Howard took 5-33.

Great Ecc are third, three points behind, after defeating Eccleston by seven wickets.

Jadeja Edwards (90) top-scored in Eccleston’s 226-6, Phil Booth with 5-41, only for Great Ecc to reach 227-3 thanks to Alexander Rhodes’ unbeaten 96.

A perfect day was completed in division 1A as Fylde and Kirkham and Wesham both won.

Third-placed Fylde won by five wickets at leaders Heysham, who batted first and were rolled over for 80.

Richard Thomas took 6-44 for Fylde, who registered victory in the 26th over by reaching 81-5.

K&W climbed above Longridge 2 into eighth spot after defeating them by one wicket at the Woodlands.

Tom Parkinson’s 5-26 helped dismiss the visitors for 122 before K&W replied with 125-9, Theo Cunliffe hitting 44.