Kendal 191-9 Blackpool 127

Kendal 213-6 Fleetwood 213-5

BLACKPOOL lost their fifth game of the season at Stanley Park on Saturday as Kendal were victorious by 64 runs having made 191-9 and then bowled Blackpool out for just 127.

But on Sunday it was a different story as the Cumbrians suffered Smooth Bitter Cup defeat at the hands of Fleetwood at Broadwater as the scores were level at 213 with Fleetwood victorious by dint of having lost fewer wickets, five to Kendal's six writes Gerry Wolstenholme.

At Stanley Park on a good batting track Kendal won the toss and batted and quickly lost two wickets to the combination of wicketkeeper Richard Cragg and professional Justin Kreusch. They accounted for Gareth Ashburner for one with the total on three and Ikram Ullah for five when the total had advanced to 12. The dangerous Terry Hunte and Simon Little started to rebuild the innings and Hunte was in imperious form and struck six sweetly timed boundaries before, in attempting to pull Karl Marsland, he got a bottom edge and the ball cannoned into his stumps and that was 62-3.

And it was 76-4 when Little, 24, was leg before wicket to Steven Croft. Kabir Khan made a somewhat laboured 17 before he got a bottom edge for Cragg to take his third catch off Kreusch and Kendal were 108-5. They lost their sixth wicket, that of skipper Dave Fallows, who, by intelligent captaincy on the part of Paul Danson, was caught at cow corner for seven off Steve Mercer when the total had reached 128.

Thereafter most of the runs came from the bat of the impressive Kevin Howarth as he monopolised the strike to protect his lesser partners. He lost Stuart Parkin for a duck when Tim Barry trapped him leg before wicket but then he found a more than capable ally in youngster Daniel George who defended stoutly for 44 balls and made five runs as he and Howarth added 46 runs in 41 minutes for the eighth wicket. Croft superbly ran out George when following through from his own bowling at 180-8 and Barry bowled James Rafferty for five at 188-9. Chris Miller made two not out and Howarth was undefeated on a fine 76 made from 109 balls with 10 fours when Kendal had received their 57 overs and ended on 191-9.

When Blackpool batted the Kendal fielding and catching early on was of a poor standard and both opening batsmen had lives, Kreusch two in three balls. But at 22 the dependable Howarth held onto a diverted ball from wicketkeeper Ullah's gloves and Mercer was gone for six. Khan then trimmed Kreusch's bails at 39-2 and the professional was gone for 21.

Thereafter wickets fell at regular intervals as Khan bowled Barry for nine at 76-3 and the trapped Croft, 28, leg before wicket at 80-4. Then in stepped Howarth the bowler as he accounted for the next five wickets as Ullah caught Prash Aga for five, Danson was bowled for four and Caunce bowled for nought, Marsland was caught by Hunte for three and finally the fighting Robin Bracewell lofted a catch to Miller at short mid-on when he had made 27 and that was 123-9.

Khan finished off the game when he had Cragg leg before wicket for two and with Ross Parker not out two Blackpool were vanquished for 127 and condemned to defeat by 64 runs.

Kendal batted first at Broadwater on Sunday and, after an opening partnership of 52 in 13 overs by Ullah, 30, and Gareth Ashburner, 16, it was scores of 69 from Kabir Khan and Kevin Howarth that helped them to their final total of 213-6 from their 40 overs. Howarth struck one six and nine fours from his 56 balls and Khan two sixes and six fours from his 83 balls while Michael Clinning produced a fine spell of off-spin bowling to return 3-22 from his eight overs.

All the Fleetwood batsmen made runs, John Wright 35, Clinning 24, Adam Sharrocks 34 and Doug Marillier 43. But it was a partnership of 59 in nine overs for the sixth wicket by Rob Clark, 29 not out, and Andrew Clough 32 to add to his economical bowling of 0-25 that earned him the man-of-the-match award, that took Fleetwood to the verge of victory.

Needing six runs from the final over, singles were taken from the first two balls but going for a second run from the third ball, Clough was run out. Clark took a couple from the fourth ball to level the scores and then realised that providing he did not lose his wicket, his side had won. He safely negotiated the final two balls to give Fleetwood the victory by having lost fewer wickets.

St Annes openers Jimmy Adams, 142 not out, and Danny Hagen 106 not out, set a new League record for the first wicket on Saturday at Netherfield when they put on 259 unbroken. But their efforts were in vain as Netherfield batted superbly and made 260-3 to win by seven wickets with Craig Walmsley leading the way with a fine 86 and Gareth White making a chanceless 58. Big-hitting Grahame Clarke finished the game with a six and the 12 points kept Netherfield at the top of the table, four points clear of Morecambe and Fleetwood, the latter who have a game in hand on the other two.