Fylde coast cricket round-up: Two wins from two for Fleetwood CC

They followed a six-wicket win at Netherfield with Saturday’s 41-run success at Fulwood and Broughton.

Fulwood had defeated champions Kendal on the opening day but were dismissed for just 63 by Fleetwood as Matt Siddall took 4-25 from 11 overs and professional Vathsal Govind 4-15 from nine.

Put into bat, Fleetwood themselves looked on course for a miserable total at 33-8.

However, they went on to reach 107 from 39 overs after Jeremy Davies shared a ninth-wicket stand of 71 with Siddall.

Number five Davies hit four boundaries in his 48, while Siddall finished unbeaten on 27.

Opener Andy Drake (12) was the only other Fleetwood player to reach double figures as Joe Fenton and Chris Brookes shared identical figures of 4-19 from 13 overs for the Preston side.

The hosts’ target was reduced to 105 from 39 overs but Fulwood never threatened it and were all out in 32.

Opener Fenton made five boundaries in his 36 but wickets tumbled around him, his teammates only managing 25 between them with the bat.

St Annes were unable to follow up on their season-opening derby day victory against Blackpool as they were beaten at the weekend.

They went down by eight wickets as NPCL new boys Settle claimed maximum points on their league debut.

Having been asked to bat first, St Annes lost their last eight wickets for only 33 runs as they were all out for 116 inside 33 overs.

After losing Luke Jardine (9) and skipper Nathan Bolus (3) in reaching 39-2, Yohan De Silva and Lukman Vahaluwala pushed the score along to 83 without further loss.

That’s when the collapse began as Vahaluwala fell for 33, followed quickly by De Silva (27) to leave St Annes 90-4.

Once Nathan Armstrong (14) was out with the score on 101, the rest of the innings subsided as Amar Ullah (5-21) and Ashen Silva (3-16) took the last eight wickets between them.

Settle’s reply saw them set a revised target of 87 from 50 overs.

They required slightly fewer than half of those, reaching 88-2 midway through the 25th.

Vahaluwala (1-17) struck early, removing Lewis Smith (1), before Silva and Archie Phillipson broke the back of the run chase.

They added 48, taking the score to 56, before Silva (19) was out to De Silva (1-16).

John Davidson joined Phillipson and they took Settle to victory without any further loss.

Davidson finished 17 not out as Phillipson anchored the innings with an undefeated 47.

Blackpool were beaten by the weather as their match at Euxton was abandoned, meaning it was five points apiece.

In the Liverpool Competition, Lytham began their First Division season with a draw at Orrell Red Triangle.

Having opted to delay their campaign by a further week after the wet winter, Matt Taaffe’s players picked up three points on their start to 2024.

After being asked to bat first, Lytham were all out for 137 in 57.1 overs; a good recovery after they were reduced to 87-7.

Guy Roberts (0) fell second ball before Lancashire’s Steven Croft, batting at three, was out for 14.

Overseas signing Zak Foulkes (2), Taaffe (9) and Tom Jefferson (4) were all out cheaply before opener Edward Fiddler’s lengthy stay ended as he was dismissed for 44.

TJ Bailey (0) immediately followed but the tail contributed priceless runs.

Myles Child and William Bookless added 45 for the eighth wicket in moving Lytham to 132-7.

Bookless (8) was next to go, followed by Child whose 53-ball 42 included five sixes, before Richard Openshaw (3) was last man out.

The Orrell Red Triangle innings ended with them on 106-2 after 33 overs.

Openers Luke Prescott and Sam Heeley put on 41 before the latter was out to Openshaw (1-15) for 16.

Prescott then added 55 with Richard Everett, who fell to Croft (1-20) for a brisk 23.

The innings ended 10 runs later with Mark Waddington on five and Prescott having made a patient 54 not out.

As for the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield, Great Eccleston lost by one wicket at Barrow in the Premier Division.

After choosing to bat, Great Ecc were all out for 100 as Daryl Wearing took 5-37.

Set a reduced target of 83 from 45 overs, Barrow slumped to 64-9 before a last-wicket stand of 21 saw them home.

Dave Jack had taken 4-21 but Wearing’s 18 not out took the hosts to 12 points.

The weather continues to frustrate Thornton Cleveleys CC, whose first two games of the Premier Division season have been abandoned.

Saturday's home game with Preston went the way of the previous weekend’s against Torrisholme, the teams again having to settle for two points each.

Elsewhere, Fylde and Kirkham and Wesham were both beaten in division 1A.

Fylde went down by 19 runs at Garstang, Will Smith making 63 not out as they ended on 141-9 in chasing their hosts’ 160-6.

K&W lost by 23 runs against Netherfield as they were dismissed for 102 after their visitors had posted 125-8.