FLEETWOOD'S interest in the Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League Nuffield Cup ended in the second round at Broadwater on Sunday (May 28) and the architect of their defeat was Leyland batsman Mark Swann whose unbeaten 49 helped his side to 167-9, in reply to Fleetwood 166 all out, and victory by one wicket.

Fleetwood, batting first, lost skipper John Wright for two, in the fourth over when he edged a ball from Paul Haydock through to wicketkeeper Charlie Williams.

Michael Clinning and professional Abbas Ali then added 50 in 12 overs before the latter was caught at deep mid-off by Brian Tennant off Haydock for 27.

Clinning went on to a somewhat laboured 50 from 104 balls with six fours before he was bowled by Nasar Asfar.

Of the remaining Fleetwood batsman, only Michael Dewhurst with 27 made double figures.

Wickets fell steadily and instead of accelerating towards the end of their 45 overs Fleetwood slowed down.

Stephen Pallett took full toll and stepped in with a late spell that brought him 5-33 from his nine overs.

He bowled Clark, one, Singleton, nine and Laid, seven, had Cooper, four, caught behind the wicket and trapped last man Karl Wilkinson leg before wicket for nought to end the Fleetwood innings on the last ball at 166.

Leyland's usually reliable opening partnership of Ian McDonnell and professional Neil Rimmer did not let them down and the pair started with 52 in 16 overs.

Rimmer, 23, was then caught behind off Ali and at 63 McDonnell, 29, was well held in the gully also off Ali whose first eight overs brought him figures of two wickets for one run. Alex Laird stepped in with the third and fourth wickets, Williams bowled for two and Asfar caught by Wright for 16, including one huge six.

At 105-4 from 30 overs, Leyland were on target for a win.

Then came some tight Fleetwood bowling which swung the game back to the home side; the dangerous pair of Mark Pallett and Brian Tennant perished in the chase for runs but the persistent Swann kept the scoreboard ticking over from the other end.

Ali's final over brought him a third wicket, that of Tennant, but not before the batsmen has plundered ten runs from the first five balls.

With six over remaining Leyland required 42 runs and they edged towards their target despite the fall of three further wickets, two to John Whalley and one to Neil Gregson.

The final over arrived with five runs needed; Swann took a single from the first ball to take his total to a 49 made from 84 balls with four fours and then after two hesitant attempts at cuts, Stephen Pallett swung the fourth ball to the backward square leg boundary to condemn Fleetwood to defeat and book Leyland's place in the semi-final.