Duo going hell for leather!

The St Annes pair of Charles Boucher and professional Jimmy Adams were in supreme form over the weekend and on successive days they won games for St Annes with relative ease. Between them they scored 316 runs as the Vernon Road opposition found themselves chasing leather all afternoon.

On Saturday in the Northern Premier League they made a Leyland total of 211-6 from 57 overs look totally inadequate as they put on 196 runs in just 91 minutes to take St Annes to a nine-wicket victory at 212-1 in just 27.3 overs. It was a most awesome display of batting, albeit against a bowling attack that lacked not only penetration but idea as well. And on Sunday they came together to see off gallant Denton West in the Lancashire Cup by adding 80 runs in 15 overs to give their side an eight-wicket passage into the next round.

On Saturday Leyland lost an early wicket when Richard Thomas, who gives very little away, trapped Alex Mercer leg before wicket for 13 when the total was 19. But thereafter professional Moin-ul-Atiq and Zub Patel resisted the St Annes bowling to such an extent that they put on 143 runs for the second wicket. Atiq, particularly strong on the leg-side, was the main contributor but Patel made a more than adequate partner.

It was the drinks break that brought about Patel's downfall for shortly afterwards he advanced down the track to Adam Cotton and Duncan Whalley effected a smart stumping. He was gone for 58 made from 116 balls with eight fours. Thereafter Atiq monopolised the innings but he should perhaps have made more than the 122 on which he finished for he was content to take singles and leave the batting to others.

He lost Steve Pallett who drove a catch back to Adams before he had scored at 155-3, and then Twist bowled Charlie Williams, seven, and Andy Jolley, one, and with Shaun Dunk four not out the Leyland innings closed on 211-6. Atiq was dismissed from the final ball when he tried to run a shot down to third man for a single and he played on to Adams. His innings had lasted 156 balls and contained 14 fours. The wickets were shared between Twist, 2-21, Adams, 2-90, Cotton 1-15, and Thomas 1-32.

St Annes lost an early wicket in reply when Danny Hagen, having already been dropped in the gully by Atiq, gave the fielder a second chance that he accepted and he was gone for three at 16-1. But if Leyland thought that was the start of something good they were sadly mistaken as Boucher and Adams simply massacred the bowling. The ball flew all over the field in stylish manner as the pair looked in no danger whatsoever, despite repeated Leyland bowling changes. And the end, mercifully for Leyland, came quickly as Boucher, 112 not out from 96 balls with 16 fours, and Adams, a calm and assured 85 not out from 58 balls with 12 fours, took St Annes to their nine-wicket victory at 212-1.

On Sunday the same pair were the thorns in Denton West's side when they put on 80 runs in15 overs after Hagen had once again gone cheaply when he flicked Zaffa Zaman to Andy O'Brien at square leg when he had made 15 and the total was 55. Once again Boucher and Adams then took centre stage and although Steve Hague stumped the former when he just lifted his foot to Sri Lankan professional Niroshan Bandaratilleke, he had made 64 excellent runs from 98 balls with 11 fours. Adams went on to make 55 not out, including two superb sixes, one struck single-handedly onto the roof of an adjacent house, and six delightfully placed fours from 45 balls. And that was all she wrote for St Annes had then reached their target at 140-2 to take their place in the next round.

This followed Denton West's brave effort to reach 138, due almost entirely to a fine innings by skipper Gareth Senior who made a sparkling and in the circumstances fighting 63 from 112 balls with seven fours. O'Brien, 34, assisted him in a stand of 82 for the sixth wicket after the first five wickets had fallen for just 26. Mike Batty ended with a note of defiance with one well struck six in his 10 at the end as Denton West finished on 138 with Twist the most successful bowled with 3-23.

On Saturday in the NPL both the other Fylde teams lost, Blackpool at Morecambe and Fleetwood at Leyland Motors. Blackpool had Steven Croft to thank for