PRESTON 105 FLEETWOOD 107-8

PRESTON put up a tremendous performance against in-form team Fleetwood at West Cliff and were only beaten by two wickets.

Fleetwood captain Tony Hesketh won the toss and put Preston in to bat. Preston started disastrously, reeling at three for two.

Opening batsmen Antony Mann and Greg Bamber were both dismissed in identical fashion without troubling the scorers.

They were caught behind by Keith Riley off opening pace bowler Colin Sherlock.

Paul Mann and Preston captain Manoj Parekh dug in with a 23 run partnership for the third wicket before the latter became Riley's third victim, but this time off pace bowler Neil Gregson.The professional made seven.

Paul Mann and Asif Bukhari took the score onto 52 before Bukhari was well stumped by Riley off Gregson for 21.

Twenty runs later Paul Mann was caught by Michael Clinning at deep mid-on off third change bowler Pat King for 19.

Glen Johnstone departed with the score on 73, caught in the covers by Fleetwood's South African professional Shawn Nicolson off King for a duck.

Paul Paynter was stumped by Riley off Nicolson for one, leaving Preston 80 for 7.

Paul Greenwood and Paul Richardson stopped the rot by adding 22 runs for the 8th wicket before Richardson was caught and bowled by Nicolson for nine.

The last two Preston wickets only realised three runs as Preston were dismissed in the 49th over for a meagre 105. Paul Greenwood who was last out top scored with 30, a very solid innings.

In reply, Fleetwood's openers John Wright and Shawn Nicolson put on 19 for the first wicket before the latter was caught at first slip by Parekh off Preston's opening pace bowler Iqbal Lilley for 8.

One run later Wright was caught at mid-on by Paul Richardson off Lilley for 11.

Michael Clinning and Nic Coultas added 18 runs for the third wicket before Coultas was trapped lbw by Lilley for 8. Six runs later David Latus was bowled by Paul Richardson for two.

A 29 run fifth wicket partnership between Clinning and Hesketh put Fleetwood back into contention. Clinning was caughton 28 and the visitors loist their sixth wicket at 77

Hesketh and Tony Poxon added 22 runs for the seventh wicket and Hesketh with an undefeated 24 and Neil Gregson saw Fleetwood home to victory in the 39th over.

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