Fylde coast cricket preview: Fleetwood CC's role in title chase and relegation battle

Sharrocks’ Fleetwood players visit second-placed Kendal tomorrow before hosting third-bottom St Annes on Monday.

That influence extends into next month, when they welcome leaders Chorley on the penultimate weekend of the season before visiting second-bottom Penrith on the final day.

For their part, Fleetwood are looking for a good end to a first season back at NPCL level given they presently sit sixth, 11 points adrift of Blackpool.

Sharrocks told The Gazette: “We want to finish as strongly as possible and look to pick up as many points as possible.

“Obviously we’ve got four games left and we’ve got the two teams going for the league title, as well as St Annes and Penrith at the other end, so we’re influencing both ends.”

It’s been a contrasting season for the clubs promoted from the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division last season.

Fleetwood, the champions, are in with a shout of a top-five finish but the runners-up, Eccleston, are at the bottom and yet to win.

To outsiders then, it would seem Fleetwood – founder members of the league and five-time champions – have had a good first year back.

It’s a sentiment with which Sharrocks broadly agrees given his players have had to adjust to life in a new division this season.

The Broadwater skipper has seen plenty to be enthused by as they look to consolidate their league standing in the years to come.

“It’s gone OK: we’ve played some good cricket but we’ve played some cricket that we weren’t overly pleased with at times,” he said.

“I’ve said a few times though that they are a young group, they are ever-developing and they are gaining more experience.

“Last year, getting straight back up, was a learning curve for them as well as the disappointment of the year before in being relegated.

“This season was about getting back up, getting ourselves established back in the league and trying to achieve as much as we can.

“After a little bit of a slow start, we’ve found ourselves going on a run of wins – and a couple of defeats – before a bad month of weather which killed a lot of cricket.

“It’s not been a bad year and, if we can get on a winning run, then there’s no ruling out being in the mix for trophies is there?”

SATURDAY FIXTURES:

Northern Premier Cricket League (12.30pm): Blackpool v Netherfield, Kendal v Fleetwood, St Annes v Longridge.

Liverpool and District Competition (12pm): Birkenhead Park v Lytham.

Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division (1pm): Great Eccleston v Kirkham & Wesham, Thornton Cleveleys v Penwortham.

Division 1B (1pm): BAC/EE Preston v Thornton Cleveleys 2, Fylde v Wrea Green, Grimsargh v Blackpool 2.

Division 2 (1pm): Hoghton v St Annes 2, Walton-le-Dale v Norcross.

MONDAY FIXTURES:

Northern Premier Cricket League (12.30pm): Fleetwood v St Annes, Fulwood and Broughton v Blackpool.