St Annes join Blackpool in Northern League 40-Over Cup quarter-finals

St Annes CC made it a perfect weekend by clinching their place in the last eight of the Northern Premier Cricket League’s 40-Over Cup.
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Twenty-four hours after derby day success against Blackpool, they tasted cup success in winning by five wickets at Chorley.

Having won the toss, St Annes asked Chorley to bat first and bowled them out for 151 with two balls of their innings remaining.

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Chorley’s opening pair of Joseph Tiffin and Will Moulton began steadily, adding 35 for the opening wicket.

Tom Higson helped St Annes to cup victory on SundayTom Higson helped St Annes to cup victory on Sunday
Tom Higson helped St Annes to cup victory on Sunday
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They were eventually separated when Tiffin (20) was dismissed by Lukman Vahaluwala.

Moulton had reached 25 when he was the second man out, falling to Tom Bradley, who also got the better of Roshen Silva (7) to make the score 77-3.

Tom Higson was the next bowler to take a wicket, getting the better of Harry Barclay (15).

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That left Chorley 93-4 as they began to lose wickets consistently in the second part of their innings.

Having made it to 115-4, five wickets fell for 23 runs to leave St Annes in the driving seat.

Curtis Fletcher started the ball rolling with the wicket of Alexander Howarth (8), followed by Nathan Bolus dismissing Ben Simpkins (3) and Vahaluwala sending back Alfie Dobson (20).

Fletcher trapped Gaurav Dhar (3) before Harry Birkman ended the innings by dismissing Sam Steeple (7) and James Dunn (4).

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St Annes then compiled 152-5 in reply, reaching their target with 37 balls in hand.

The top four all played their part in the run chase as Higson and Yohan De Silva put on 40 for the first wicket.

Higson (20) was out to Dunn before De Silva fell to Dhar for 30, leaving the score 64-2.

Vahaluwala and Bolus added 36 before the latter was also out to Dhar, having made 21.

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Nevertheless, St Annes had reached 120-3 before losing two wickets for no runs as Matthew Parkinson dismissed Vahaluwala (40) and skipper Nathan Armstrong (0).

There were no further scares, however, as Nathan Bend (26 not out) and Gurman Bains (nine not out) added an unbroken 32.

Victory means St Annes will travel to Leyland in the quarter-final, the stage at which their Blackpool counterparts enter this season’s competition.

In contrast to St Annes, Paul Danson’s players are at home as they entertain Fulwood and Broughton.