Fylde coast cricket round-up: St Annes hold their nerve while Blackpool's batting collapses

Tom Higson and his St Annes teammates hung on for victory

Having been asked to bat first by their hosts, St Annes were all out for 154 with more than six-and-a-half of their 40 overs remaining.

However, they managed to hold on for victory after restricting Lytham to 151-6 in reply.

After a steady start, St Annes lost three wickets for nine runs in falling from 22-0 to 31-3.

First to go was Tom Higson (17), followed by Nathan Armstrong (0), both dismissed by Thomas Hessey, before Richard Openshaw accounted for Nathan Bolus (11).

Mohammed Nadeem (27) and Ryan Ayres (26) steadied the ship, adding 65 for the fourth wicket before both were out with the score on 96.

That pattern continued as, after a stand of 17 took them to 113-5, St Annes lost two further wickets without scoring as Chris Cartmell sent back Ben Reader (11) and Matt Yeadon (0).

Richard Staines (18) fell to Openshaw, who also accounted for Mitch Bolus (0), while Hessey ended the innings by dismissing Thomas Bradley (21).

Hessey led the Lytham attack with figures of 4-31, while Openshaw took 3-38 and Chris Cartmell 3-30.

Lytham’s reply began at a scoring rate that was steady rather than spectacular.

Matthew Cartmell (23) and Myles Child (24) added 45 for the first wicket but faced 44 and 64 deliveries respectively.

Toby Lester (16) and Guy Roberts (9) were next to go before Tom Jefferson (2) and Ben Saunders (14) were dismissed to leave Lytham 98-6.

Skipper Matt Taaffe and Hessey added an unbroken 53 at a brisk pace but they were unable to get their side over the line.

Curtis Fletcher (2-19), Yeadon (2-25) and Nadeem (1-23) took the wickets.

Thornton Cleveleys were also victorious as their bowlers routed Blackpool.

Thornton had only made 95-9 in their 40 overs but their attack decimated the Blackpool batting and saw them all out for 34 in reply.

After asking Thornton to bat first, Blackpool saw Josh Boyne take 3-21 and Tomas King 2-21 in restricting their batsmen.

Richard Jenkinson (15) and Rick Blampied (13) were the only players into double figures, though 25 wides helped ‘extras’ to top score in the innings with 30.

The Blackpool reply, however, was one long story of woe as six batsmen were out without scoring and Boyne top-scored with 16.

Jake Apperley was the chief destroyer, finishing with figures of 7-14 while Daniel Howard (2-19) and Greg Tirrell (1-0) took the other wickets to fall.