A RAIN break when Fleetwood had reached 25-0 changed the course of this Thwaites Smooth Bitter Cup tie at Broadwater last Sunday.

After the short break the St Annes bowlers were refreshed, the Fleetwood batsmen deflated as 10 wickets went down for the addition of only 63 runs.

Even on a track that was not conducive to quick scoring, St Annes were able to knock off the runs to win by seven wickets.

Michael Clinning and John Wright both opened well and took the enforced short break on ten and nine respectively. Neither added to their total as Joe Davies made the initial breakthrough by having Wright caught behind by Duncan Whalley. Clinning was bowled by Stephen Twist and once again the all-too-familiar collapse was on. Paul Hague had not scored when he was leg-before-wicket to Davies, Mark Wilkinson made three before he swatted Sean Bickerdike into the safe hands of James Ellis in the outfield, rather than behind the stumps, and Mark Emsley went next ball as he was leg-before-wicket. Alex Laird survived a leg-before appeal to avoid the hat-trick but he had not scored when he was caught by Geoff Love off Adrian Darlington.

Professional Gulam Bodi, with a top score of 23, then played a most unprofessional shot as he advanced down the track to Michael Baer and slogged only to miss and present Whalley with one of the easiest stumpings he is likely to have. Wayne Clarke made 12 before Love bowled him and the South African repeated the process as Steve Hill went for seven. Dave Fish also made seven before Whalley completed his sixth stumping of the weekend, off Baer, and that left Lee Jones two not out and Fleetwood all out for 88. All the St Annes bowlers performed well -- Bickerdike 2-7, Baer 2-8, Love 2-14, Davies 2-27, Twist 1-9 and Darlington 1-13.

Eighty-eight was not a large total to chase but when St Annes were 1-2 it seemed like they had a mountain to climb. The two wickets lost were Jack Kelliher -- his bails trimmed by Hill's first ball of the innings -- and Bickerdike -- caught low down by Wright in the gully off Fish. But Love, 36 not out, and Twist, 37, then added 67 runs in 21 overs and the game was virtually over. Twist did lose his wicket when he was caught by Bodi off Clinning, but Darlington gathered in a quick 10 and it was all over.

The win puts St Annes in the semi-final at Netherfield on August 25.

Fleetwood 88 all out St Annes 89-3

Meanwhile Blackpool capitulated at Netherfield where Stephen Croft once again made the top score. This time he had 20 to his name -- one of only four batsmen to reach double figures -- as Blackpool were all out for 84.

Marcus Sharp, David Brookes and Croft shared four wickets as Netherfield cruised to victory by six wickets at 85-4.