ARSENAL 1 Southampton 0, Blackpool 3 Netherfield 2. The FA Cup result and one other football result perhaps?

No, the FA Cup score and the score in the Northern Premier League Thwaites Smooth Bitter Cup tie between Blackpool and Netherfield at Stanley Park!

It may sound an odd score, even if the game was to have been played in the new innovative coloured clothing, but it was the result of a bowl-out at the stumps when heavy rain prevented any proper play writes Gerry Wolstenholme.

In order to prevent the farcical situation of last year when first round matches were still being played in July, it was decided that every Cup tie this season would have a result on the day.

And thus, with play out of the question, Blackpool and Netherfield had to settle for a bowl-out on Stanley Park's artificial track.

Netherfield won the toss and took first strike, or rather 'Striker' Strydom, Netherfield's professional, missed with the first ball.

His Blackpool counterpart, Deon Kruis, did not miss and it was 1-0 to Blackpool.

After three more misses, Steve Mercer knocked back the leg stump to put Blackpool two in front. And then with Blackpool's fifth ball Chris Simcock made it 3-0.

A series of misses followed until Ryan Wilson, ninth ball, and Rishi Girdhari, 10th ball, struck back to make it 3-2. But no-one else managed to break the stumps and when Grahame Clarke missed with Netherfield's final ball, Blackpool were home and dry - well home and wet at least!

All other games in the Cup ended in bowl-outs and St Annes lost 1-0 to Leyland while Fleetwood lost 4-2 to Lancaster.