Preston ... 110 St Annes ... 111-3

PRESTON'S poor league form continued on Monday when they lost their second league match within 48 hours.

Tony Hesketh won the toss and elected to bat, but it appeared unwise when Preston lost opener Asif Bukhari with only seven on the board.

The second wicket fell at 18 when Antony Mann was caught by Russell Bradley off Steven Twist and only four runs later Preston professional Scott Henderson was trapped lbw by Twist without troubling the scorers.

Munas Bavla and Manoj Parekh added 19 runs for the fourth wicket before the former was caught and bowled by first-change bowler Adam Cotton for 22.

Half the Preston side were dismissed for 51 when Parekh was caught behind by Sean Bickerdike off St Annes professional Dave Callaghan.

Wickets then fell at regular intervals, but Hesketh and 16-year-old James Anyon shared a 24 runs partnership for the ninth wicket before Anyon went.

Paul Shaw and Hesketh made the tail wag with a 17 runs partnership for the last wicket before Shaw was run out.

Hesketh played a real captain's innings and top scored with an unbeaten 35. He batted 53 minutes and hit two sixes and two fours off 52 balls.

In reply, St Annes openers Adrian Darlington and Andy Kellett gave them a firm foundation with a 38-run partnership and the game was virtually over.

After the match, Preston's captain, Tony Hesketh said: "There is plenty of ability in the club, but we are not scoring enough runs, although it will come right in time."