Fylde coast cricket round-up: Blackpool, St Annes and Fleetwood are all victorious

Forty-eight hours after arriving in the country, having finally gained his visa, the Indian all-rounder made contributions with bat and ball as Blackpool won for the first time in four matches.

Blackpool skipper Paul Danson asked Leyland to bat first and saw them finish their 50 overs on 167-9.

They had started promisingly, reaching 52-1, only for Blackpool to hit back with the ball and leave them 98-6.

The lower order rallied, Andrew Makinson top-scoring with 41, while Iain Critchley added 22 and Andrew Jacques 21.

Both fell to Shaikh, who finished with 3-43, while Matt Grindley (3-18), Dylan Henshall (1-17), Jamie Thomson (1-24) and Alex Ryder (1-35) also took wickets.

Blackpool’s reply saw them reach 170-2 inside 31 overs.

Openers Tomas King (63) and Kasim Munir (43) led the run chase, putting on 107 for the first wicket.

Once both were out, leaving Blackpool 117-2, Josh Boyne and Shaikh added an undefeated 53 in securing victory.

Boyne finished 34 not out and Shaikh capped a good first day’s work with 22 not out to wrap up 15 points ahead of next Saturday’s home match with Netherfield.

Victory saw Blackpool move into fifth place, eight points behind St Annes who stayed third thanks to victory over Penrith.

They won by 54 runs at Vernon Road, where they batted first and were all out for 200.

Tom Higson and Ashton Charles had put on 81 for the first wicket before the former was out for 50.

Charles’ innings ended on 42 but, having reached 184-4, St Annes’ last six wickets fell for only 16 runs.

Alex Bradley hit 39 and skipper Nathan Armstrong finished 31 not out as Asher Hart took 3-39.

Penrith’s response ended with them all out for 146, Hart making 40 and Greg Cameron 31.

Lukman Vahaluwala led the way with the ball, taking 4-30, as Higson chipped in with 4-53.

Next up for St Annes is a trip to Kendal.

Fleetwood CC’s promotion charge continues in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield top flight as they made it 12 wins from 12.

Eccleston were their latest victims as Fleetwood wrapped up a six-wicket win on home soil.

The visitors had opted to bat first, recovering from 57-7 to finish on 150-9.

Yet again, it was the opening bowlers of Zac Corcoran and Jeremy Davies who set up Fleetwood for victory.

Davies claimed 4-38 and Corcoran 3-43, though the Eccleston lower order did fight back.

Alex Brooks hit 23 and Iain Bradley 19 but it was Stewart White who top-scored with 45 not out from number 10.

However, Fleetwood’s reply saw them secure victory in reaching 153-4 midway through the 25th over.

Harry McAleer made 38 and Atiq Uz-Zaman 28 but it was Declan Clerkin who led the chase.

He hit nine fours and two sixes in finishing 60 not out from only 44 balls to continue Fleetwood’s perfect start.

They head to the Woodlands on Saturday, where they face Kirkham and Wesham.

Great Eccleston remain three points ahead of Morecambe in second after they saw off Thornton Cleveleys by three wickets.

A low-scoring game saw Thornton Cleveleys bat first, only to be dismissed for 110.

Great Ecc then reached their target, taking a dozen points by posting 111-7 as they visit Morecambe next weekend.

There was also victory for Kirkham and Wesham as they won by 15 runs at second-bottom Barrow.

A low-scoring game saw K&W bat first, only to be skittled for 88 as the hosts saw Daryl Wearing take 7-39.

Justin Banks top-scored with 23 for K&W, who ensured victory by bowling out their hosts for only 73.

Banks followed up his batting display with 4-14 as Jamie Hogarth chipped in with 3-18.

Division 1A saw Fylde beaten by 90 runs when they hosted Carnforth.

Chris Parry’s 116 not out helped Carnforth to 204-6 with Fylde all out for 114 in reply, Darren Nelson with 4-46 and Alex Benson 3-3.

In division two, St Annes’ seconds were victorious when they travelled to Norcross.

The St Annes’ last pair of Rory Urquhart (31 not out) and Paul Williams (18 not out) added 50 in taking them to 129-9 before Norcross were all out for 90.

Tom Small’s 95 helped Wrea Green to 179-9 against Preston, who responded with 180-8.

As for the Liverpool Competition First Division, Lytham had to settle for a draw at Sefton Park after coming within one wicket of victory.

Lytham’s Indian professional, Akash Vashist, made it back-to-back centuries in helping them to 260-4 after they were asked to bat first.

Myles Child had made 32 and Tom Hessey 10 as Lytham reached 43-2 before Vashist and Guy Roberts added 127 for the third wicket.

Roberts was out for 51, followed by Matt Taaffe (9), but Vashist and Tom Jefferson enjoyed an unbroken stand worth 80.

Jefferson ended 40 not out with Vashist 105 not out from as many balls, setting the hosts a stiff target.

It was one they barely looked like chasing before relying on their last pair to reach 179-9.

Chris Bellis had made 81 and Paul Horton 43 but Vashist took 5-38 and Toby Lester 3-42 as Lytham had to settle for nine points.

Next up for Taaffe’s players will be the trip to Rainford on Saturday.