St Annes 210-6

Fleetwood 122 all out

THE BAY 96.9 Northern Premier League game between St Annes and Fleetwood at Vernon Road, on Saturday, looked at one time as if it would be a close run affair. St Annes had made 210-6 in 59 overs and Fleetwood were well on course with 70-3 and plenty of overs remaining.

But then a clatter of wickets that saw Fleetwood collapse to 77-7 virtually ended the game as a contest.They eventually managed 122 all out to lose by 88 runs.

St Annes won the toss and batted and soon lost Gareth Evans for one when Stephen Hill bowled him. Adrian Darlington and Dave Callaghan then added 113 runs in 107 minutes as the Fleetwood bowling and fielding wilted under the onslaught.

Callaghan had hit nine fours from 106 balls when he edged Alex Laird through to Keith Riley to be dismissed for 54. Russ Bradley only made five before Jeremy Newman bowled him with the total on 138. Darlington went on to 88 from 146 balls with 11 fours before he too was bowled by Newman whose 12-over spell earned him an admirable 3-34.

Adam Cotton made a belligerent 23 before Newman had him caught in the deep by Craig Pryor, Sean Bickerdike had eight to his name when he was bowled by Laird and that left Joe Davies 13 not out and Neil Bradley two not out as St Annes closed at 210-6.

Fleetwood had three wickets down with only 33 runs on the board. Callaghan bowled Bobby Denning for seven, Michael Clinning was leg before to the South African for nought, and skipper John Wright, 22, edged through to young wicketkeeper James Ellis off Dave Taylor's second ball.

Professional Craig Pryor and Robin Bracewell started a recovery but the latter was leg-before-wicket to Dave Taylor for 12 with the total on 70.

The rest of the innings was somewhat of a procession as Dave Taylor and Callaghan whittled their way through the remaining batsmen. Only Pryor stood firm in face of the splendid bowling. Coultas went for nought, head in the air and bowled by Taylor, Dave Latus was leg-before-wicket to Callaghan before he had scored, and Laird was bowled by Callaghan, also scoreless. That was 77-7 and the game almost over.

Pryor did his best to keep the innings afloat but he lost Newman, caught at slip by Callaghan off Taylor for one and then Riley caught at mid on by Zac Taylor off Dave Taylor also for one. Pryor was last out for 62 from 97 balls with 10 fours when he could do nothing about a sharp rising ball from Taylor that took the shoulder of the bat and carried through to Callaghan at slip.

And that was Fleetwood 122 all out and victory for St Annes by 88 runs. Dave Taylor finished with 6-43, his first such return in senior cricket and Callaghan completed a fine all-round afternoon with 4-36.