ST ANNES and Blackpool had mixed fortunes in the Northern Premier League this last weekend as they both won on Saturday but then the two teams played out a sterile draw at Stanley Park on Sunday writes Gerry Wolstenholme.

On Saturday at Vernon Road it was a close run affair as the League's leading runscorer, Atif Ashraf, led visitors Leyland Motors to a comfortable 199-5 from a reduced 51 overs. St Annes lost early wickets in reply but a middle order revival eventually led them to victory by three wickets in the final over at 203-7.

Ashraf opened strongly with a series of pulls, cuts and drives that gave him the majority of the runs in an opening partnership of 34 at which point Faz Patel was caught by David Taylor at point off Richard Thomas for just five.

James Aspinwall made 15 in a second wicket partnership of 74 in 56 minutes before Taylor took his second catch, this time at mid-off off Jimmy Adams and that was 108-2, to which Ashraf had contributed 85, having been missed off a difficult return catch to Thomas on 58.

Peter Cummings was caught by a tumbling Adrian Darlington at point off Adams for five at 133-3 and then Andrew Makinson made the other most significant contribution to the Motors' total as he made 22 in a partnership of 47 in 22 minutes.

He was out at 180-4 when Stephen Twist took a return catch. Ashraf was eventually dismissed, having escaped a sharp chance at slip on 98 and in the outfield on 106, when he pulled Twist to Adams at deep extra cover and he was gone for a magnificent 135 made from 153 balls and with five sixes and 15 fours. David Makinson made eight not out and Richard Rounding six not out as Motors closed on 199-5.

St Annes were quickly in trouble in reply as the first three wickets were lost for 14. Charles Boucher and Darlington both failed to score as wicketkeeper Matt Watkinson caught them both, off Iqbal Lilley and Sifton Prince respectively. And then he made it a hat-trick of catches as he took Twist, four, off Prince. Joe Davies made a breezy 23 before he carved David Makinson to Rounding at extra cover at 40-4.

A subdued Adams, 28, was the next to go after being at the crease for 94 minutes when he popped a catch to Colin Sibley at forward short leg and that was 84-5. Adam Cotton made a quick 13 before Ashraf bowled him at 103-6 and St Annes were looking in some trouble. But the dependable Russ Bradley soon calmed the nerves as he scored freely all round the wicket and with Duncan Whalley as his partner83 runs were added in 50 minutes. Bradley eventually went when Watkinson held his fourth catch from the bowling of David Makinson and it was 186-7.

Adam Taylor struck one sweetly timed boundary and then, with five needed from the final over, Whalley, 45 not out from 49 balls with one six and five fours, struck two boundaries from the first two balls thus taking St Annes to their three-wicket victory at 203-7.

If Saturday was exciting, Sunday was more a day of rest. Blackpool batted first and made 228-7 when at one time they looked like exceeding 250 and St Annes replied with a laboured 180-7 and had to settle for a draw.

Blackpool's innings revolved around three significant contributions, a fine 94 from Steven Croft made from 112 balls with one six and 12 powerfully struck fours from a succession of cuts, pulls, on and off drives, 54 from Tim Barry from 83 balls with six fours, and 43 from Prash Aga made from 52 balls with one six and three fours. Matthew Horton made 13 not out in a rapid partnership with Aga for the seventh wicket and Adams was the most successful bowler with 3-65.

The St Annes reply was far from speedy from the very start and once the tone had been set, it was continued, apart from those who were sacrificed in the chase for quick runs. But all that came too late for St Annes reached the final 20 overs with only 101-1 on the board thus needing six runs an over for victory. Danny Hagen made 69 from 147 balls with four fours and Adams made 35 from 51 balls but that was almost all she wrote as St Annes limped lamely to 180-7 as the game drifted aimlessly to its conclusion.