Local cricket league round-up

Reigning champions back on top of table
Mark Smith batting for Fulwood.Mark Smith batting for Fulwood.
Mark Smith batting for Fulwood.

Reigning champions Fulwood and Broughton are the new leaders of the Moore and Smalley Palace Shield Premier Division.

Mark Smith’s men were the only team to force a result on Saturday against Torrisholme at Highfield as the weather wreaked havoc with the rest of the fixtures.

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F&B took advantage of previous leaders Longridge’s inability to complete their match against bottom side Freckleton to go five points clear. A superb bowling performance by F&B set them on their way to victory as Torrisholme were routed for just 66 off 29.1 overs.

Chris Brookes led the way with 4-20 and Richard Turner returned figures of 3-13. Only two of the visitors’ batsmen managed to reach double figures.

With the dark clouds gathering above, F&B needed quick runs and that is exactly what they got as Mark Smith (32 not out) and Amin Patel (23) blasted the champions to victory off 9.4 overs.

Longridge were hoping to maintain their position at the top of the table especially as they were facing a Freckleton team, who are rooted at the bottom of the table having won just once all season.

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Kyle Helm’s men were asked to bat first and laboured somewhat to 136-9 off their 45 overs. Daniel Fisher produced an excellent spell of bowling, taking 6-18. Daniel Wilkinson Junior (25) and Joshua McDowell (24) were the top scorers.

In reply, Freckleton were 34-3 off 10 overs when rain forced a premature end to proceedings.

Garstang could have leapt above Longridge into second place if they had secured maximum points at home to Croston.

The Riversiders limited the visitors to 131-9 after they won the toss and elected to bat first. Sam Marsh hit 35 and Coen Oosthuysen was the pick of the bowlers with 5-44.

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The game ended with Garstang stranded on 40-2 off seven overs.

A brilliant 82 from skipper Jack Aspden helped Penwortham to a considerable 215-6 in their match against Great Eccleston. Martin Hewitt hit 34 and Ashley Billington struck 32

Great Ecc had reached 51 without loss – with Adam Green unbeaten on 35 – when the weather intervened.

Fourth-placed Vernon Carus’ huge score of 254-5 went to waste in their abandoned match against Rufford.

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Ian Dunn (76), Adam Parker (40) and Wes Royle (79) all made significant contributions. Rob Kenny took 3-60.

In reply, Rufford had reached 57-1 off 19.5 overs when the match was abandoned.

In the final match of the weekend, Eccleston had reached 31-3 as they chased Thornton Cleveleys’ total of 142-8.

Maenwhile, Leyland’s Northern League title push hit a bump in the road as they took only three points from a drawn game at Fleetwood.

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Their hosts had the better of the Broadwater clash, both with the bat and ball.

Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Fleetwood were 184 all out in 47.4 overs.

The bulk of their runs came from Dean Bell and Neels Bergh who struck 67 and 51 respectively.

Andrew Jacques took three wickets for Leyland, while there were two apiece for Henry Thompson and Will Jacques.

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Leyland were 67-6 in reply, skipper David Makinson the top scorer with 16 not out.

Joseph McCluskie took 4-38 for the hosts.

Netherfield lead the table by 17 points from Leyland.

The Cumbrian outfit beat Barrow by eight wickets at the Ernest Past Memorial.

They bowled Barrow out for just 60, then chased down their target in 10.5 overs.

Chorley’s visit to Lune Road to take on Lancaster was brought to an early finish by the weather.

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Batting first after being put in, Chorley were bowled out for 96.

Gayan Maneeshan struck 39, with Andy Flear adding 17 when batting at eight.

For Lancaster, there were figures of 4-36 from Liam Moffatt, while professional Kasun Madusanka took 3-35.

The rain came in the 19th over of the hosts’ reply with them 41-4 – Ben Simm on 14 not out.

Preston were beaten by 22 runs in their visit to Penrith.

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They asked Penrith to bat first and bowled them out for 170 in 50 overs.

Rizwan Ali was the pick of the bolwers with 4-46 from a 13-over spell, with Lukman Vahaluwala taking 2-48.

Preston made a decent fist of their reply but ran out of wickets in the final over, with them all out for 148.

Opener Geeth Malinda top-scored with 36, while Yasin Boda scored 30 further down the order.

St Annes won their derby clash with Blackpool.

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It was a rain-affected clash at Stanley Park, with St Annes chasing an adjusted target.

Blackpool were 147-9 in the first innings, Joshua Boyne’s unbeaten 49 coming off 63 balls and including six fours.

Dan Barling struck 30 and Tom Jefferson 20.

There were four wickets for Matthew Grindley, with Tom Higson taking 3-29.

Following an interruption for rain, St Annes were given 115 to chase.

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They did that for the loss of six wickets in 25 overs, Agha Mustafa Durrani hitting 37 and Atiq Uz-Zaman 30.

Morecambe’s home clash with Kendal was abandoned in the second innings.

Kendal were 134 all out, Jamie Cassidy taking 5-41 and Ashan Priyanjan 4-30.

Morecambe’s reply was only in the seventh over when play was abandoned, with them 21-1.

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