Cricket: St Annes let it slip

Netherfield batted first and made a mammoth 242-5 in the 60 overs and St Annes in reply -- looking at one time as though they would pull off an improbable victory -- had to settle for a draw at 218-7.

Netherfield openers Craig Walmsley and Tommy Prime gave the innings a modest start before both were dismissed by the time the total had reached 28. Joe Davie captured both wickets, bowling Walmsley for 14 and having Prime snapped up at slip by Dave Callaghan for 11.

South African Pieter Strydom and Simon Dutton then took the total to 65 before the latter was caught in the gully by Neil Bradley off Roger Banks for 12. Skipper Jimmy Moyes then hit one six in his 17 before he succumbed when playing all round a ball from Adam Cotton and that was 65-3. But that was the limit of St Annes' success for some time as Strydom and Graham Clarke gradually increased the tempo.

It was not easy for the batsmen, particularly when David Booth was bowling. He restricted the batsmen to such a degree that the shot of the day came when Clarke was obliged to make room for himself outside the leg stump and thump the ball one bounce over extra cover for four. Clarke added two sixes and two further fours before Cotton caught him off the deserving Booth for 47.

Strydom continued unabated and his only mistakes came to naught as Dave Taylor was dilatory in running in for a catch at long off, and a leaping Banks let one through his hands at mid wicket. At the close Strydom was undefeated with a magnificent 128 made from 153 balls with nine fours and two sixes.

St Annes' reply got off to a good start as Gareth Evans and Adrian Darlington defied all the Netherfield bowling changes. Darlington then drove Horne straight for six, but next ball he was dragged forward and Moyes effected a very smart stumping. That was 103-1 with Darlington gone for 50 made from 80 balls with seven fours and one six.

Evans and Callaghan added 73 for the second wicket before Evans edged Hadwin to Moyes for a fine 77 made from 137 balls with eight fours. Callaghan and Davies then continued to take the attack to Netherfield and at 200-2 with 43 wanted from 42 balls, a St Annes win was very much on the cards. But it was not to be as four wickets fell for 15 runs with the return of leg spinner Hadwin being the catalyst for Netherfield.

Callaghan survived a confident appeal for a catch behind before being bowled by Strydom for 42, and Davies was run out for 13 in a mix-up with Cotton. Cotton perished, caught at mid-wicket by Scott Clement off Strydom for 10, Russ Bradley was stumped off Hadwin for nought, as was Banks off Strydom.

That left Duncan Whalley and Neil Bradley with little else to do but play out time to secure St Annes the draw.

For the second week in succession St Annes had seemingly got the game won, only to miss out at the death.

St Annes Fourths were the architects of their own downfall in a six-wicket defeat by Wyre CC. They lost wickets at key times to poor shot selection and calling.

After Mick Auty (19) had given them a sound start, Roger Hughes (11) and Nigel Connolly (20) departed to successive balls. A second batting point was won thanks to a spiky knock from Peter Jackson (25 not out). He showed great composure and a fine range of shots as he and veteran Tom Heap (7 not out) added 35 for the last wicket. But the innings closed at 113.

Opening the bowling, Nigel Connolly put in an excellent performance as he plugged away tirelessly for ten overs and gained 3-23. Sadly the support from the other bowlers was poor and the fielding was wretched, so his big-hearted efforts were wasted. Wyre reached 115 for 4 in 20.5 overs.

Skipper Tim Rawstron realises that his blend of youth and the not-so-young must very quickly sharpen up this crucial aspect of the game if they are to recover their tremendous start to the season. Effort is not in question, but it will have to be better directed in the future.

Wyre took 17 points and St Annes three.