SOGGY "summer" weather claimed another victim on Saturday (August 12) when St Annes' Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League clash with Darwen at Vernon Road was abandoned due to rain with an exciting finish in prospect.

The Darwen reply to St Annes' 172-9 was called off at 50-3 after 19 overs when the persistent rain became too heavy for the game to continue.

St Annes won the toss, batted first and found themselves in trouble at 56-3 with Darlington, 19, Callaghan, 10, and vans, 26 back in the pavilion. Stephen Twist and Russ Bradley effected a recovery with a partnership of 35 before Bradley was caught at slip by Semple off Nicol for 16.

Whalley, Adam Cotton and Neil Bradley failed to make any impact but Twist, who had made a slow start to his innings, and Joe Davies then put on 63 in 60 minutes for the eighth wicket. Twist was out in the final over for a well made 60 made with eight fours and one six and Davies also perished on 23 as the St Annes total reached 172-9.

Darwen's short reply did at least contain one significant event as professional Dave Callaghan completed the first hat-trick of his career.

With the fifth and sixth balls of his second over he accounted for Hadfield and Semple and then with the first ball of his third over he had Painter leg before wicket and Darwen were visibly sagging at 10-3.

There was just time for Gareth Cordingley to play three exquisite cover drives on his way to 30 not out before, for the third time on the Fylde Coast this season, visitor's Darwen had a game abandoned due to rain.

One interesting after-match revelation was that Dave Callaghan had not realised that he had taken a hat-trick and when asked if it was his first he replied, to the merriment of his team-mates, "I didn't take a hat-trick"! When it was pointed out that he had indeed done so, he delightedly revealed that it was the first of his illustrious career.