Fylde coast cricket review: First win for Blackpool, thrilling start for Lytham

Blackpool have recorded the first victory of the season by a Fylde coast team in the Northern Premier Cricket League, while the first two games have both ended in draws for St Annes and in heavy defeats for Fleetwood.
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Fylde coast cricket preview: Lytham CC have a spring in their step going into th...

Blackpool chose to bat at Garstang where their 194-7 sufficed for a 33-run win.

Despite losing a wicket without a run on the board, Blackpool’s 97 runs for the second-wicket topped their total at Fulwood and Broughton a week earlier.

Luke Jardine scored 75 on his home debut for St Annes against LancasterLuke Jardine scored 75 on his home debut for St Annes against Lancaster
Luke Jardine scored 75 on his home debut for St Annes against Lancaster
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Opener Sam Dutton was the mainstay, reaching 54 from 58 balls with seven fours and a six in partnership with Ciaran Johnson (37).

Blackpool then stuttered to 114-5 before number six Jake Muncaster scored 52, sharing a stand worth 53 with Ben Howarth (24).

The Garstang reply was soon in trouble at 11-2 but pro Brett Pelser then led the recovery with 55 from 58 balls (five fours and a six), sharing a stand of 76 with captain Mark Walling (27).

Garstang had won their opener and Ben Woodruff (27 not out) gave Blackpool some late jitters as the eighth-wicket pair put on 40.

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However, the hosts were dismissed for 161 with 8.3 overs remaining as Matt Grindley, Matt Siddall and guest pro Sagar Trivedi all took three wickets.

St Annes’ Vernon Road staged its first senior game of the season as the hosts played out an exciting draw with Lancaster.

New recruit from South Shore Luke Jardine made himself at home with 75 and Alex Bradley struck 58 to steer St Annes to 150-1 before being all out for 247 with an over remaining, visiting skipper Ben Simm taking 6-68.

Lancaster recovered from 1-2 to make a match of it thanks largely to Laurie Atkinson’s unbeaten century.

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However, they couldn’t quite keep with the pace and closed on 222-8, Harry Birkman taking three wickets stepping up from the seconds.

Fleetwood had no answer to Netherfield professional Shrikant Mundhe and fell to defeat by 180 runs in Cumbria.

Batting at three after his side chose to bat, the Indian made 102, sharing in stands of 75 for the second wicket and 89 for the third, the latter in tandem with Bradley Earl (47).

Wicketkeeper Finlay Richardson continued the assault with an unbeaten 59 and an unbroken sixth-wicket pairing of 61 with James Bowman (29 not out) as the hosts reached 287-4 from 48 overs.

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Dismissed for 43 by Longridge on the opening day, an even lower total looked on the cards as Fleetwood then slumped to 18-5.

However, opener Charlie Clark top-scored with 23 and last man Will Reader took Fleetwood into three figures with an unbeaten 16.

They were all out for 107 in 36 overs as Matt Jackson and Mundhe both finished with 3-26. Fleetwood’s guest pro Emilio Gay from Northamptonshire could not match the Indian’s impact.

It leaves Netherfield and Longridge setting the early pace with maximum points from two games.

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Other results: Chorley 222-6 beat Morecambe 187 by 35 runs, Fulwood and Broughton 216-5 lost to Kendal 217-4 by six wickets, Longridge 207-6 beat Leyland 205 by four wickets.

Lytham started their season with a one-wicket win over St Helens Town in the Liverpool’s Competition first division.

Both are newcomers to the division, Lytham following relegation from the premier league in 2019, when St Helens were promoted from the second diviison.

The visitors were put in at Church Road, where Ryan Norris made the brightest of starts for Lytham with 5-28 from 8.1 overs.

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James Davies was Town’s top scorer with 46 and shared 50 with David Gaskell (28) in a fifth-wicket stand which was the mainstay of their 139 from 45.1 overs.

Josh Holden looked in a hurry to lead Lytham to victory with eight fours and two sixes in his 59 from 92 balls.

He put on 53 for the third wicket with Tom Jefferson (26) and at 128-4 Lytham were on course for a comfortable win. But when the ninth wicket went down with five still required for victory, Lytham were living on their nerves.

Tom Myerscough held his nerve to stick around with last man Peter Burn as victory was sealed at 142-9 from 45.2 overs despite James Davies’ 4-24 and Alex Antoine’s 4-57.

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Kirkham and Wesham are among three teams to have won their first two games in the top flight of the Palace Shield.

MOORE AND SMALLEY PALACE SHIELD PREMIER DIVISION: Kirkham and Wesham 180 (S Bovington 71, S Butt 3-14, J McMillan 3-16) beat Great Eccleston 76 (A Hogarth 6-13, A Harrison 4-16) by 104 runs, Penrith 142-9 beat Eccleston 139 by one wicket, Preston 224 lost to Penwortham 271-6 by 47 runs, South Shore 137-8 (R Adderley 48), lost to Barrow 187-4 (J McQuillan 50, J Singleton 48 no) by 50 runs, Thornton Cleveleys 174 (R Jenkinson 30, J Driver 3-30, J Parson 3-35) beat Croston 74 (D Howard 3-15, A Ellison 3-22, G Tirrell 3-36) by 100 runs, Vernon Carus 248-5 (J Rigby 61, I Dunn 55, M Stevenson 40, U Abrar 3-66) beat Fylde 212 (B Anderson 64, M Livesey 3-34, J Holland 3-38, J Allen 3-45) by 36 runs.

Division 1B: Blackpool 2 119-8 beat Chorley 2 118 by two wickets, Fleetwood 2 117 lost to Garstang 2 268 by 151 runs, Great Eccleston 2 94 lost to Longridge 2 97-0 by 10 wickets, Kendal 2 208-9 beat St Annes 2 111 by 97 runs, Leyland 2 205-4 lost to Fulwood and Broughton 2 208-4 by six wickets, Morecambe 2 50 lost to Netherfield 2 53-1 by nine wickets.

Division 2: Eccleston 2 110-8 lost to Thornton Cleveleys 2 113-3 by seven wickets, Norcross 89 lost to Vernon Carus 2 150-8 by 61 runs, Wrea Green 213-6 beat Preston 2 97 by 116 runs.

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