Weekend cricket round-up: Chorley top Gold B with eight points, Garstang through but agony for Leyland

Ian Oakes took three wickets and scored 23 for Chorley

Andrew Holdsworth’s men are top of Group Gold B after they made it two wins from two on Saturday with victory over Netherfield at Parkside Road.

They are on eight points now with both Fulwood and Broughton and Blackpool, who Chorley play this weekend, four points behind.

An excellent bowling display was the catalyst behind their win in Cumbria as the home side were bowled out for 103 inside 38 overs.

Ian Oakes took 3-21 and there were two wickets apiece for Chris Harty, James Lee and Will Moulton. Bradley Earl top scored with 28.

In reply, Chorley comfortably reached their victory target with five wickets and nine overs in hand.

Joseph Tiffin finished unbeaten on 36 and Oakes scored 23. Samuel Medhurst returned figures of 3-10.

Fulwood and Broughton gave their hopes of qualification for the last four a big boost when they got the better of Blackpool by eight-wicket.

The Preston-based side, restricted Blackpool to 80-9 and then required just 22.3 overs to reach their goal.

Blackpool, who chose to bat, were soon in trouble as they stumbled from 25-1 to 27-4 and at 51-6 all hope of a decent total was lost.

The former Lancashire and England spinner Simon Kerrigan took 4-12 and Jon Fenton 3-6, both off eight overs, as Josh Boyne top-scored for Blackpool with 16.

The dismissal of Dom Jackson with just two on the board gave the visitors early hope but Fulwood lost only one more wicket as Mark Smith carried his bat for 34 off 63 balls and Matthew Smith was also unbeaten on 30 from 32.

The qualifiers from Group Silver B are already known  after Longridge and Kendal advanced to a maximum eight points with victories over  Euxton and Lytham respectively.

Longridge were comfortable seven-wicket victors over Euxton at Chipping Road.

Joshua Holden took 4-15, while Jonathan Millward and Daniel Wilson each took three wickets to dismiss the visitors for 70. Daniel Barber was unbeaten on 21. In reply John Simpso struck a solid unbeaten 32 to guide the homes side to their victory target.

Lytham returned from Cumbria with a 77-run defeat after Kendal racked up 171-5.

Garstang moved through to the last-four stage of the shortened cricket season thanks to a fine win over St Annes.

They now top the Group Gold A after winning their opening two matches.

Garstang won by seven wickets over St Annes at the Riverside after setting a target of 91.

Leyland’s hopes of joining Garstang in the semi-finals are over after a thrilling encounter against Morecambe at Fox Lane.

Needing to beat Graeme Cassidy’s men to have any chance of finishing in the top two of Gold A, Leyland were agonisingly beaten by one wicket.

After being asked to bat first, the hosts could only muster 91 all out from 35.4 overs.

Charlie Swarbrick was the pick of Morecambe’s bowlers, taking 3-15 and there was two each for Jamie Cassidy and Liam Moffat.

Only three batsmen managed to reach three figures, Karl Cross top scoring with 14.

The total looked well  below par, but the home side battled hard with the ball, taking nine of the visitors’ wickets. But  they were unable to take that all important final wicket and Morecambe’s last  pair of Reuben Orr (12 not out) and Liam Moffat (8 not out) guided their side home on the final ball of the  match.

Ryan Pearson top scored with 19 and veteran skipper David Makinso showed his class, taking 3-11.

Morecambe, who defeated St Annes in their opening match, will  progress alongside  Garstang from Gold A to face the Gold B qualifiers in the semi-finals.

In Silver Group A, Lancaster top the group after winning their opening two games.

On Saturday, they got the better of Eccleston, easing to a comfortable six-wicket win at Doctors Lane.

The hosts were asked to bat first and were soon in trouble as the visitors reduced them to 37-4 early on in the contest.

Some big hitting from Sam Bromley (48 not out) gave the home side something to bowl at as they were eventually dismissed for 118. Uzair Shah was the pick of the bowlers with 3-18.

In reply, an unbeaten 41 from Andrew Chubb steadied the ship for Lancaster after they had lost some early wickets.

In the other game in the group, Fleetwood defeated Great Eccleston by one wicket.

Thornton Cleveleys top the Bronze Group with six points after two rounds, even though Saturday’s game against Penwortham was among the day’s numerous abandonments.

Preston picked up their first win in the group, beating Kirkham and Wesham by 10 wickets.