Match Report
A LOW-KEY AFFAIR
Blackpool 161-9
St Annes 162-5
Gerry Wolstenholme
The Thwaites Smooth Beer Cup tie at Stanley Park on Sunday was a low-key affair and excitement was at a premium. Blackpool batted first and, thanks to one good innings, made 161-9 from their 40 overs. St Annes replied with 162-5 to win by five wickets in 36.4 overs.
Blackpool batted first and lost Steve Mercer in the fifth over for six when Gareth Evans on the cover point boundary held on to a catch off Joe Davies and that was 18-1. It was 24-2 in the eighth over when Steven Croft, also six, edged Richard Thomas to Duncan Whalley. And then Justin Kreusch and Tim Barry put on 49 runs in 12 overs before the former drove Stephen Twist to mid-on where Russ Bradley took a good catch diving forward as the ball died on him. Kreusch had gone for 24 and it was 73-3.
Thereafter wickets fell regularly and it was only the adventurous Barry who kept Blackpool in with even a modicum of a chance. Prash Aga was caught by Boucher off Dave Taylor for a duck at 76-4 before Steve Metcalf helped Barry add 39 runs in nine overs for the fifth wicket. Metcalf fell leg before wicket to Adams for nine and when Twist bowled Danson for seven it was 128-6 in the 35th over.
After some lusty blows that saw him strike two sixes and 10 fours, Barry, who had been dropped on 60 by Adam Taylor at long-on, finally fell for 79 made from 105 balls in the penultimate over when Adams caught him off Twist. Matthew Horton, two, was run out by a fine throw from Dave Taylor at long-off and Chris Taylor, one, lofted a catch to Adams at extra cover off Twist at 156-9. Richard Cragg, nought not out, and Ross Parker, two not out, plus the generous helping of 25 extras took Blackpool to their final 161-9. All the bowlers took wickets with Twist 4-32 the pick of them. Thomas had 2-24, Dave Taylor 1-30, Adams 1-31 and Davies 1-35.
St Annes were soon in trouble in their reply and were 14-2 in the third over. After a first over in which 12 runs came, Kreusch trapped Whalley leg before wicket in the second and in the third Chris Taylor made up for his unfortunate first over by having Charles Boucher, four, caught at mid-on by Metcalf without addition to the total.
The cultured Adams, who never looked in any trouble, and Twist then put on 43 runs in 11 overs before the latter edged Croft to Cragg and was gone for 16 at 57-3. And it was 75-4 in the 20th over when Croft bowled Joe Davies for 12. But Adams kept going at his steady pace and with Russ Bradley as his partner there was only going to be one winner. Adams was dismissed for 54 made from 96 balls with three fours in the 33rd over when he followed a ball down the leg side, got an edge and Cragg took the catch. That was 146-5.
There was time only for Gareth Evans to make one because Bradley brought about the end in a hurry with a flurry of shots that left him 45 not out from 51 balls with seven fours and St Annes, at 162-5, were home for their second win in the competition by five wickets.
