Fylde coast cricket review: Blackpool take top spot and Fleetwood climb off bottom with derby win over St Annes

Dominant Blackpool defeated Longridge to replace them at the top of cricket’s Northern Premier League, while a derby victory over St Annes lifted Fleetwood off the bottom.
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Blackpool opener Sam Dutton stole the show with 94 from 50 balls as the visitors chased down 187 inside 23 overs.

Dutton scored 84 of those runs in boundaries and shared a second-wicket partnership of 145 with Ciaran Johnson.

Professional Dyllan Matthews had his best day yet for Fleetwood in their derby win over St AnnesProfessional Dyllan Matthews had his best day yet for Fleetwood in their derby win over St Annes
Professional Dyllan Matthews had his best day yet for Fleetwood in their derby win over St Annes
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Just 17 were needed when Dutton was dismissed but Johnson saw Blackpool home at 190-2, finishing 73 not out from 82 balls with 10 fours and three sixes. It was the best knock of the season for both batsmen and the fourth time Dutton has passed 50.

Matt Grindley had earlier continued his fine form with the ball, his 4-54 from 14.4 overs taking the seamer’s tally to 36 wickets from seven completed games as Longridge were dismissed with eight balls remaining after being asked to bat.

They had looked set for a more testing target at 125-4, having recovered well from 21-3 with a stand of 47 between top scorer Zac Christie (37) and Daniel Wilkinson (33).

Unbeaten since the opening day at Fulwood and Broughton, Blackpool are now 11 points clear at the top. Longridge had led the way all season but have now suffered back-to-back defeats.

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Fleetwood’s second win of their season came by a 65-run margin at the expense of visitors St Annes.

Home skipper Adam Sharrocks chose to bat and set a fine example with a 50 (six fours and a six), sharing a third-wicket stand of 82 with professional Dyllan Matthews, who also notched seven boundaries in his 35.

Curtis Fletcher took 3-27 from his 12 overs as the Fleetwood innings subsided from 161-4 to 178 all out with 10 deliveries remaining, though this proved ample for victory.

South African Matthews enjoyed his best day yet for the Broadwater club, taking 6-35 from 11.1 overs as St Annes were removed for 113 in 39.1 overs, Declan Clerkin taking 3-32 from 13.

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Andy Drake got the St Annes reply off to a solid start with 39 but Nathan Armstrong at number six was the only one of his teammates to reach double figures (35).

Other results: Kendal 129-7 drew with Garstang 179, Lancaster 163-8 beat Chorley 161-9 by two wickets, Leyland 132 beat Netherfield 47 by 85 runs, Morecambe 166-9 drew with Fulwood and Broughton 230-8.

Exciting spinner Zia Ur Rehman Akbar has taken four wickets in both his games for Lytham but the Afghan professional couldn’t spare his new club a fourth straight defeat in the Liverpool Competition.

It was Ainsdale’s pro Shubham Ranjane who made the decisive contribution with 121 as Lytham went down by 29 runs in Liverpool.

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Indian number four Ranjane held the innings together after Ainsdale chose to bat, firing 10 fours and seven sixes in his 114-ball knock and putting on the game’s best stand of 68 with Mark Lucas (22).

Akbar removed his fellow pro on his way to 4-66 from 20 overs as Ainsdale called a halt after 55 overs on 214-8.

Matthew Cartmell got the Lytham reply off to a solid with 39, then Richard Staines took over with his best innings for the club.

The wicketkeeper hit nine boundaries in his 41 from 58 balls and shared in a stand of 62 with skipper Matt Taaffe.

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The visitors lived in hope as those two took the score to 152-5 but when this became 154-8 the game was up.

Martyn Farrell finished with 5-41 from 16.3 overs as Lytham were all out for 185 in 49.3 overs and slip to ninth in the first division.

Kirkham and Wesham moved into fourth spot as the leading Fylde coast club in the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield after their 19-run win at Eccleston in the premier dvision. K&W trail leaders Vernon Carus by 23 points.

Palace Shield premier division results: Barrow 139 (J Bass 6-58) beat Thornton Cleveleys 73 (S Henderson 5-25, D Wearing 3-16) by 66 runs, Eccleston 146 (J Hogarth 6-39, A Wilson 3-41) lost to Kirkham and Wesham 165 (S Bovington 48, T Wilkinson 4-33, A Hewitt 3-41) by 19 runs, Fylde 201 (C Allison 84, M Iqbal 4-17, T Davis 3-42) beat South Shore 167 (A Perera 74, A Churchill 6-44) by 33 runs, Great Eccleston 134 (A Green 38, M Timms 5-49) lost to Vernon Carus 187-7 (D Sullivan 43no, W Procter 3-55) by 53 runs, Croston 146 lost to Preston 149-2 by eight wickets, Penwortham 148 lost to Penrith 152-2 by eight wickets.

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Division 1B: Fulwood and Broughton 2 189 (B Baines 4-48, W Clarke 3-29) lost to Fleetwood 2 191-6 (A Singleton 67no) by four wickets, Garstang 2 226-8 (A Cook 56, W Turnbull 3-41) beat Great Eccleston 2 205-8 (R Swale 73, C Saunders 41, P Khan 5-52)by 21 runs, St Annes 2 164 (N Bend 69, C Baines 4-21, N Dixon 3-41) lost to Blackpool 2 165-6 (A Lewin 57, J Todd 4-55)by four wickets.

Division 2: Gregson Lane 150 (M Stewart 3-26, R Thomas 3-48) lost to Norcross 153-3 (M Stewart 59no) by seven wickets, Thornton Cleveleys 2 155-4 (J Northrop 63no) beat Wrea Green 154-8 (B Hall 73no, C Hedges 5-37) by six wickets.

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