Match Report
ALMOST INCREDIBLE!
Blackpool 228-7
St Annes 180-7
Gerry Wolstenholme
As a game of cricket the game against Blackpool at Stanley Park on Sunday was nothing exceptional but it did produce an almost incredible result. Having done a good job in restricting Blackpool to 228-7 on an almost perfect batting track, when once they were racing along at 150-2 with plenty of overs in hand, St Annes then failed to take advantage of the situation and ended up playing out for a draw. They did at one time reach a high point of 121-1 but it had taken too long and a late chase for runs cost wickets so that at the end of their 53 overs they had only 180-7.
Stephen Twist won the toss and put Blackpool in to bat and it looked a good decision when he bowled makeshift opener Paul Danson for nought in the third over by which time there was still not a run on the board. Enter Steven Croft and he had struck five boundaries with a series of pulls, cover drives and on-drives, to reach 22 of the 23 runs scored when the second wicket fell. Jimmy Adams at mid-wicket swooped and threw down the stumps as Steve Mercer slipped as he tried to return to his ground.
Croft and Tim Barry then proceeded to take runs at will and scored freely as St Annes rotated the five bowlers used. They were together 105 minutes in which time they put on 127 runs for the third wicket with Croft hitting with power all round the ground. He was most annoyed when he was dismissed as he mistimed a shot to Twist at mid-on off the bowling of Jimmy Adams and he was gone for 94 made from 112 balls with 12 fours and one six. And that was 150-3.
As often happens following a large partnership the other batsman involved was dismissed shortly afterwards as Duncan Whalley behind the stumps snapped up an edge off Barry from the bowling of Richard Thomas. Barry made 54 from 83 balls with six fours and his dismissal left Blackpool on 154-4. The two new batsmen at the crease, Justin Kreusch and Prash Aga had to start again and the momentum that Blackpool had developed was lost as the St Annes bowlers brought their side back into a game that had seemed to be slipping away form them.
Whalley caught Kreusch for 13 off Adams at 176-5 and when Thomas trapped Metcalf leg before wicket for one, Blackpool were 179-6 and sliding. But Aga then swung the game back Blackpool's way with some fine shots as he went to 43 and, with Matthew Horton put on 48 runs in 26 minutes. Adams then trapped Aga attempting to sweep and his 52-ball innings, which contained one six and three fours, was over at 227-7. There was just time for Michael Taylor to come in and take a single off the one ball he received and with Horton 13 not out, Blackpool closed at 228-7, probably 50 runs fewer than at one time they had expected. Adams had 3-65 from 20 overs, Thomas 2-59 and Twist 1-47.
The St Annes reply began slowly with Danny Hagen and Charles Boucher, who was caught behind the wicket off a Kreusch no-ball. He did not survive too long after that for Barry knocked back his off stump when he had made 18 and that left St Annes at 44-1. Adams joined Hagen and the two left handers went somewhat sedately about their business so that overs were slipping away without the required run rate being met. So much so that they arrived at the last 20 overs at 101-1 with over six an over required for victory. But with the two established batsmen at the crease, it was still possible.
Perhaps surprisingly they did not seem to increase the tempo and when Kreusch bowled Adams, who had given a chance to the wicketkeeper when he was six, St Annes were looking at more like eight an over to win the game. Adams made 35 with four fours in 76 minutes from 51 balls before attempting a head-in-the-air drive against Kreusch and was bowled and that was 121-2. Adam Cotton came in with the difficult task of hitting St Annes back into contention. He did his best and had made 15 when he tried one big hit too many and was caught by Michael Taylor at deep mid-wicket at 146-3. Joe Davies then had the same task as Cotton but he had made only one when Danson threw down the wicket from backward point and he was run out at 148-4.
It was now a question of whether St Annes could gain maximum batting bonus points rather than trying to win the game but that cause was not helped when the man who had occupied the crease for the whole innings went at 150-5. Hagen cut Barry to Croft at backward point and he was gone for 69 made from 147 balls with seven fours.
Duncan Whalley, eight, also tried to boost the score quickly but he fell when he edged Kreusch to Cragg at 160-6. Any remote hope of a St Annes victory then went when Russ Bradley, six, went in similar fashion to Whalley and that was 171-7. And with the game drifting aimlessly away, Blackpool not particularly setting attacking fields and St Annes having lost their way, the third batting bonus point was won in the final over. Twist ended seven not out and Darlington four not out as the innings closed at a disappointing 180-7 and it was very much a case of what might have been!
