Fylde coast league and T20 cricket: Thomson triumph in Blackpool win

The visitors had won their first two Northern Premier League matches but were dismissed for 74 at Stanley Park chasing the hosts' 114-8.

Blackpool made light of their ongoing lack of a professional as Thomson came to the fore in a remarkable 7.1-over stint, which included the wicket of Garstang's Indian pro Punit Bisht for 13.

Thomson overshadowed Blackpool guest star Richard Gleeson, the Lancashire paceman taking 1-28 from his nine overs for his hometown club.

There was little indication of the carnage to come as Garstang reached 50-1, with opener Michael Wellings' 36 by some way the best score of the match.

However, that soon became 59-7 as the visitors crumbled, with seven players out for four runs or fewer.

Asked to bat, Blackpool had looked set for a modest target themselves at 46-5, three wickets going down on that total, including that of Gleeson who batted number four.

Wicketkeeper Ben Howarth got the hosts moving with their top score of 19, then Alex Ryder's 18 at number nine propelled them beyond three figures, Rizwan Patel taking 3-36 from 15 overs.

Neighbours St Annes dropped their first points of the season in a thrilling tie with Longridge at Vernon Road, both teams closing on 156-9.

Longridge chose to bat and recovered from 9-3 with a fourth-wicket stand of 108 between captain Luke Platt (59) and James Whitehead (62), who shared 10 fours. Harry Birkman removed both on his way to 6-36 off 13 overs.

This target looked beyond St Annes at 60-7 before a ninth-wicket partnership of 81 between Thomas Bradley (49 off 76 balls) and wicketkeeper James Bradley (34 not out) left them just 11 short of victory.

Longridge held on to a share of the spoils thanks to the efforts of Connor Rutland (5-33 from 15 overs) and William Vause (4-48 off 12). It leaves Chorley as the only club to have won all three games to date.

Other NPCL results: Chorley 66-5 beat Kendal 65 by five wickets, Leyland 126 lost to Netherfield 189-9 by 63 runs, Penrith 150-9 lost to Lancaster 151-3 by seven wickets, Vernon Carus 159-9 drew with Fulwood and Broughton 227-9.

Lytham maintained their 100 per cent start to the Liverpool Competition season with a 63-run win at Caldy.

Having been asked to bat, the visitors were grateful for an unbroken last-wicket stand of 61 between top scorer Jack Saunders, who made 28 from 22 balls batting number 10, and last man Daniel Yates (24 not out off 23).

They were among five Lytham players to finish in the 20s as Lytham declared after 55 overs at 194-9, Adam Brown taking 3-36 from 13.

Caldy looked to have a fighting chance at 88-3 but top scorer Corne Nel soon began to run out of partners.

Indeed, the last five men in could only add a combined 18 as Nel was left high and dry on 34 from 49 balls.

The hosts were all out for 131 from 34.4 overs as Joshua Holden took an excellent 5-18 from 9.4.

Lytham are one of three clubs to have won all their first three First Division games and are just a point behind leaders Colwyn Bay.

Fleetwood made it three out of three in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield with a thumping 173-run win over Preston at Broadwater, piling on 226-7 before skittling the visitors out for 53.

It didn't look too promising at 8-2 after the hosts had chosen to bat, then number four Declan Clerkin cut loose with 91 (nine boundaries), sharing a stand of 89 with opener Atiq-Uz-Zaman. Clerkin later shared 61 for the sixth wicket with James Gregson, who finished unbeaten on 25.

Fleetwood's Zac Corcoran (6-10) and Jeremy Davies (4-28) then bowled unchanged as Preston were removed in 21.1 overs

The extras total of 21 was double that of any batsman as only opener Imran Jethva reached 10, leaving Fleetwood just a point behind early pace-setters Morecambe.

Great Eccleston also crushed Croston in the premier division by the same 173-run margin.

Again the hosts chose to bat and piled on the runs after a poor start (1-2), number four Mohamed Nadeem firing 11 boundaries in his 75 from 101 balls and sharing in stands of 57 with Richard Booth (20) and 87 with wicketkeeper captain Joe McMillan (36), while Jake Parsons took 5-45 from nine overs.

The total was boosted by a late partnership of 51 between Phil Booth (35) and number 10 Will Metcalf (21 not out). Those extra runs proved unnecessary as Nadeem completed his fine day with 5-12 from 8.3 overs and Croston were dismissed for 89 in 30.3. Phil Booth dismissed the top three (3-18 off seven overs) as the reply soon disintegrated from 75-4.

There was a first defeat, though, for Thornton Cleveleys and another for Kirkham and Wesham.

Thornton went down by five wickets at home to Penwortham. Their target of 126-6 (Joshua Sackfield 23, Ryan Roberts 3-42) proved insufficient as Penwortham required just 21.1 overs to reach 127-5. Kriston Yearwood smashed 71 from 35 balls (12 boundaries) and put on 87 for the fourth wicket with Sam Ryding (30).

Kirkham went down by 32 runs at Torrisholme, where Anthony Harrison's 4-13 from 10 overs restricted the hosts to 105 from 41.4 overs (Joseph Wills 35).

But K&W could reach only reach 73 from 35.5 overs, Jack Heap taking 6-28 from 13. Like Fleetwood, Morecambe and Barrow have won three out of three after victories at Eccleston and Euxton respectively.

Fylde lost by four wickets at Hutton in division one A, where Dan Smith scored 35 in their total of 124. The hosts then got there in 26.4 overs, opener Joe Lyth making 32.

Wrea Green lead the way with a 100 per cent record in division two, sealing an eight-wicket home win over Norcross.

Sam Laycock took 4-7 from 10 overs and Dan Hetherington 3-10 from 11 to dismiss Norcross for 66 and ease the path to a third straight win.

In second XI matches, Blackpool (171-8) won by two wickets at Penwortham, Fleetwood lost by 10 wickets at Netherfield after succumbing for 39, Thornton Cleveleys scored 158-6 for a 75-run win at Morecame, Great Eccleston's 156-9 wasn't quite enough as hosts Fulwood and Broughton won by three wickets and St Annes (106-2) won by eight wickets at Preston.

In second XI matches, Blackpool (171-8) won by two wickets at Penwortham, Fleetwood lost by 10 wickets at Netherfield after succumbing for 39, Thornton Cleveleys scored 158-6 for a 75-run win at Morecame, Great Eccleston's 156-9 wasn't quite enough as hosts Fulwood and Broughton won by three wickets and St Annes (106-2) won by eight wickets at Preston.

St Annes Cricket Club hosted a Readers T20 double-header on Sunday, beating Penrith but losing to Longridge.

They elected to bat against Penrith and set a total of 155-5 after professional Yohan De Silva (six boundaries) and Luke Jarkine (eight) both scored 57, sharing a second-wicket stand of 83. Jardine then added a further 50 with Nathan Bend (17).

The hosts then wrapped up a 68-run win as Penrith were dismissed for 83 with two deliveries remaining. There was no way back from 6-4 and Lukman Vahaluwala took 3-17 from four overs as wicketkeeper captain Alister Craig top-scored with 23.

A closer contest saw Longridge get the better of St Annes by 11 runs, having been asked to bat and setting a target of 134-9. Mullin and Turner both scored 31, while De Silva was the pick of the bowlers with 3-17 from four overs.

St Annes then fell short at 123-7 despite the solid platform provided by the second-wicket stand of 75 between Jardine (47, seven boundaries) and De Silva (46 with six). The other seven who batted could add only 21 and Greenall took 3-30.

It's one win from three in group two for St Annes, who find themselves behind Garstang and Longridge with two wins.

There was defeat for Blackpool by 75 runs at Kendal in group one.

Opener Darren Nightingale scored 80 from 54 balls, with six fours and three sixes, as the hosts chose to bat and reached 135-2.

The hard-hitting Nightingale shared an opening stand of 50 with Rongsen Jonathan, then added 72 for the second wicket with Harry Lee (17 not out).

The Blackpool reply was soon in big trouble at 26-5 and only number five Jake Muncaster reached double figures (21).

The visitors were dismissed for 60 in 17.2 overs as Johnathan took 4-11 from four overs and Matthew Park 3-12.

Kendal went on to enjoy a nine-wicket victory over Vernon Carus and share top spot in group one with Fulwood and Broughton after two wins out of three. Blackpool have won one from three.