St Annes CC 2025 preview: Looking to bounce straight back

St Annes CC captain Nathan Bolus Picture: Paul Heyesplaceholder image
St Annes CC captain Nathan Bolus Picture: Paul Heyes
Nathan Bolus has only one thing on his mind as St Annes CC begin their season on Saturday: promotion.

Garstang are the visitors to Vernon Road in match one of the Northern Premier Cricket League’s revamped 40 Over Cup (12.30pm).

Games five and six in the group stage come either side of the opening league match on May 24, when St Annes welcome Thornton Cleveleys in the new NPCL Division Two.

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The NPCL’s new structure for 2025 saw Bolus’ players drop out of division one after last year’s 12th-placed finish.

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It meant they, along with Mawdesley and Euxton, join Carlisle and last season’s Palace Shield Premier Division top six in the second 10-team league.

Returning to the top table is this year’s focus for St Annes, who haven’t won the NPCL since 2011 when they picked up a fourth title in seven seasons.

The skipper said: “Promotion is the target, we’re looking to bounce straight back and get back into the top flight.

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“That’s where we think we should be at and we think we have a point to prove going into this season.

“After the end of last season, everyone was ready for a break but it’s been good to see everyone back.

“We’ve had good turnouts over the winter, we’ve got outside for a couple of sessions and played a friendly against Fleetwood so it’s been really good preparation for the season.”

That season will see a number of new teams on the league fixture list as Barrow, TC, Vernon Carus, Carnforth, Great Eccleston – who host Settle on Saturday – and Penwortham move up from the Palace Shield.

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New teams means new surroundings with Bolus expecting the opposition to raise their games when they come to Vernon Road.

He said: “It’s a lovely ground to play at and, with five or six teams coming up who haven’t played in the Northern League, people will have the chance to show what they can do when getting out on the main ground.

“That often brings the best out of teams who play against us at our place so, by no means do I think it will be an easy prospect this season.

“I played at South Shore for four years, so I’ve played against most of the new teams – though that was five or six years ago.

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“We’re aware of what they’re capable of in a broad sense, so we’re hopeful we can use that to our advantage.”

St Annes’ squad will be bolstered by Indian professional Ankur Malik, who is due to arrive on Wednesday and make his debut against Garstang.

A spin-bowling all-rounder, the 21-year-old has played First-Class cricket in India for Sikkim and Bolus is keen to see how he fares on the Fylde coast this year.

“He’s very young, so we will have to support him, but it’s going to be a great learning curve,” he said.

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“I’ve been following his performances in India over the winter. There was one game where he took nine wickets, scored 50 in one innings and 40 in another, so we’re looking forward to seeing what he can do.”

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