Preston ... 95 Fleetwood ... 98-2

SKIPPER John Wright led Fleetwood from the front in their Bay 96.9 Northern Premier League clash with Preston at Broadwater on Saturday.

He won the toss, asked Preston to bat, orchestrated his bowling so that the visitors were dismissed for a meagre 95 and then scored a speedy 42 not out to take his side to 98-2 and victory by eight wickets.

Preston started badly and never recovered.

Paul Mann was the first to go when he steered Neil Gregson to slip for Michael Dewhurst to snap up the catch with the total on 10, and then at 17 Glen Johnstone edged Pat King through to wicketkeeper Karl Wilkinson.

Meanwhile, Asif Bukhari boldly went for his shots and by the time he was third out at 43, lofting an intended drive to Michael Clinning, he had made 29 from only 38 balls, with six fours.

Three wickets then went down in the space of only one run; professional Scott Henderson was leg before to King, Manoj Parekh was caught behind off Gregson and Paul Painter held back on his shot to be caught by Mark Wilkinson off King as 45-3 became 46-6.

Skipper Tony Hesketh then showed the only real resistance in the Preston innings and with Paul Greenwood he added 38 runs for the seventh wicket.

The writing was on the wall and the Preston innings was over in only 39.2 overs. Hesketh was a top-scoring 30.

John Wright took Michael Dewhurst to the wicket with him but after two scoring cover drives the youngster was bowled by Anyon with the total on 19.

Clinning joined Wright and the pair added 55 in 39 minutes before the former was leg before wicket to Greenwood for 31.

Ali came to the crease, faced only six balls but despatched three of them to the boundary for four, four and six but it was skipper Wright who drove the winning runs, hitting his seventh four from 64 balls in making 42 not out.

It had taken only 19.3 overs and by a quarter to five a sunny Broadwater was deserted.