Cricket round-up: Northern Premier League, Lytham and Palace Shield

The Stanley Park side hammered second-bottom Penrith by 175 runs, while second-placed Fleetwood remain 18 points behind after a three-wicket win over Kendal.

New Zealand professional Daryl Mitchell’s second Blackpool century helped the hosts to 272-4 after choosing to bat. Mitchell’s unbeaten 106 came from 90 deliveries and was his top score for the club, including 12 fours and two sixes.

He came in after an opening partnership of 85 between Matthew Houston (43) and Ciaran Johnson (45), then shared an unbroken fourth-wicket stand of 139 with Andy Furniss, whose 57 not out from 56 balls was also a season’s-best knock.

The visitors were then despatched for 97 in 27.4 overs as Northamptonshire’s Richard Gleeson and Josh Boyne both took four wickets.

The match looked like being over even sooner at 53-7 but Jonathon Osborne (23) delayed the inevitable.

Kendal were all out for 161 in 42.4 overs, having been put in at Broadwater, despite Wes Fernando’s battling 71. The number five finally fell to Fleetwood’s Mike Clinning, who bowled just 10 deliveries but claimed three wickets to polish off the innings, conceding just a single.

The hosts then sealed victory at 162-7 in 43.3 overs as opener Adam Parker led the way with 36, all but four of those runs in boundaries.

Chris Miller and Syed Ali both took three wickets but could not prevent Fleetwood pulling 15 points clear of third-placed Leyland, who were without a game.

St Annes were four-wicket winners over Darwen, professional Shadley van Schalkwyk taking 6-30 from 9.4 overs as the visitors were blasted out for 102 in 34.5 overs after losing the toss.

Captain Mark Friend held Darwen together at Vernon Road with 43, after their top three managed just a single between them as Namibian van Schalkwyk claimed five wickets or more for a fourth time.

St Annes’ victory was sealed just 31.4 overs into their reply, Tom Higson top-scoring with 26 out of 106-6. Matt Grindley’s side remain eighth but are just one point behind Kendal and Netherfield.

Lytham slipped up at home in the Liverpool Competition, losing by five wickets to struggling Colwyn Bay.

The hosts had little hope after strike duo SS RJ Holtby (6-32) and SS Munhe (4-26) dismissed them for 76 in 35.4 overs bowling unchanged. Lancashire’s Toby Lester offered most resistance with 17.

Lytham scented an unlikely ECB premier league victory as the reply stumbled to 22-5 only for an unbroken stand of 55 between AN Campion (21) and wicketkeeper ML Littler (26) to see the Welshmen home at 77-5 from 29.3 overs. Anthony Mulligan took 4-25 for the eighth-placed Church Road side.

Moore and Smalley Palace Shield

Premier division: Croston (174-8, D Morris 56, P Booth 4-33) lost to Great Eccleston (176-7, A Patel 32, L Childs 3-46) by three wickets, Fylde (47, J Beech 4-12, G Tirrell 4-21) lost to Thornton Cleveleys (49-0, J Eade 33no) by 10 wickets, Longridge (158-7) beat Garstang 157-7) by three wickets, Penwortham (116) lost to Fulwood and Broughton (220-7) by 104 runs, Vernon Carus (181-4) beat Torrisholme (177-5) by six wickets, Whittingham and Goosnargh (72, M Rigby 4-20, J Holland 3-4) lost to Freckleton (74-5, I Patel 3-27) by five wickets.

Division One: Fulwood and Broughton 2 (101) beat BAC/EE Preston (88) by 13 runs, Hoghton (102) lost to Eccleston (137-8) by 35 runs, Norcross (120, J Relph 51, P Burns 4-13) lost to Vernon Carus 2 (156, B Bridges 78, J Davies 5-31) by 36 runs, Rufford (143-4) beat Withnell Fold (140) by six wickets, White Coppice (208-5, R Javeed 50, D Reddy 3-26, A Harrison 3-66) beat Kirkham and Wesham (146, R Tucker 57, R Javeed 3-23, T Hassan 3-30) by 59 runs.

Division Two: Blackpool 3 (154-8, M Penney 37) beat Penwortham 2 (150-9, I Stopford 41, A Diver 3-55) by two wickets, Great Eccleston 2 (99, T Haydock 4-30) lost to New Longton (103-2, P Fairhurst 41) by eight wickets, Mawdesley (128) lost to Whittle and Clayton-le-Woods (131-0) by 10 wickets, South Shore (241-9, D Tracey 49, R Adderley 48, C Buck 3-43, G Gray 3-58) beat Tarleton (100, P Higham 43, N Ashford 3-24, D Knight 3-45) by 141 runs, Thornton Cleveleys 2 (216-9, R Williams 47, J Marshall 4-89) beat Wrea Green (164-9, J Ward 52no, T Phillips 44, J Sackfield 3-38) by 52 runs, Walton-le-Dale (151) beat Gregson Lane (103) by 48 runs.