Fylde coast cricket review: Rain ruins final round of group stage games

Bank Holiday Monday’s wet weather meant seven of the 10 scheduled fixtures were abandoned, with Blackpool, Fleetwood and Great Eccleston among the early finishers.

Blackpool managed 40 overs against Mawdesley at Stanley Park, where Fyffe Dennis (72) and Aneeq Hassan (97 not out) put on 119 for the second wicket in the visitors’ 207-3.

Fleetwood were back at Fulwood and Broughton, 48 hours after the clubs’ league meeting.

The hosts chose to bat first and were 97-5 after 24.3 overs when play ended, Michael Rippon having claimed 4-17.

It was the same score in one fewer over at Penwortham, where Great Eccleston had asked the home team to bat.

St Annes and Thornton Cleveleys ended their difficult group stage campaigns with defeats.

James Bone took 4-26 as St Annes were all out for 134 at Euxton, who reached an amended target in posting 96-3 after 13 overs.

There was a similar story as TC made it six defeats from six, losing by nine wickets at Carnforth.

TC were all out for 97 before Carnforth’s reply ended on 60-1 from 10.4 overs.

It meant Blackpool finished fourth and Fleetwood fifth, while Great Ecc were 17th with St Annes and TC the bottom two.

Blackpool had gone into Monday’s game after their run of seven consecutive victories ended with defeat on Sunday.

They lost by 25 runs in their ECB National Club Championship match at Roe Green, who top the Greater Manchester Cricket League’s Premier League.

Having opted to bowl first, Blackpool saw the home team complete their 40 overs on 189-9.

The foundation for that score was laid by a second-wicket stand of 60 between Joe Ball (42) and Sri Lankan professional Tilaksha Malshan (55).

Ali Usman posted figures of 4-18 before Blackpool’s reply saw them all out for 164 with three overs left.

Openers Kasim Munir (23) and Ben Howarth (31) put on 63 but, from 140-4, the Blackpool innings fell away.

Andrew Needham (43) top-scored as Roe Green saw Luke Williams finish with 3-20.