Saturday stroll

Batting first, Leyland, after a series of recent batting disasters, made a moderate 151-7 but it should have been far more as at one time they were 137-2 with overs in hand.

Blackpool took advantage of some ordinary Leyland bowling and indifferent fielding and romped to 154-1 and a nine-wicket victory with 17 of the final 20 overs used.

Put in to bat, Leyland could have lost early wickets but catches went down at slip and behind the wicket with McDonnell being the beneficiary on both occasions.

Marcus Sharp, who earlier had a vehement appeal for caught behind turned down, then got the wicket he deserved when he had opener Mustafa caught by wicketkeeper Cragg for two.

That was seven for one but, in the highlight of the Leyland innings, professional Neil Rimmer and ex-Blackpool player Ian McDonnell then proceeded to add 115 in 112 minutes.

Rimmer was the main run-getter and played one or two attractive strokes, while not being totally convincing in between.

McDonnell kept him passive company and interspersed his defence with the occasional shot to the boundary.

Sharp missed a difficult caught and bowled but then, with the total on 122, he had Rimmer edging one through to the wicketkeeper to be caught behind for 71 made from 116 balls with 11 fours.

His dismissal was the turning point of the Leyland innings as the batsmen became moribund with only 31 runs being gathered from the final 14 overs.

McDonnell, his eye seemingly on his personal half-century rather than the team total, managed only two more singles before Sharp induced him into the drive for Bracewell to take a smart catch at slip and McDonnell had gone for 46.

And then only Kenyon, with 17, reached double figures as the later Leyland batsmen were totally unable to cope with some fine Blackpool bowling.

Captain Mark Pallett was run out without scoring when he found himself at the same end as Kenyon and Bracewell had the simple task of running in and removing the bails, Swann was leg before wicket to Singh for nought and Steven Pallett became Cragg's third victim when he was caught off Singh for two.

In between, Sharp bowled Kenyon for 17 to finish with 4-54 from a marathon 25 overs and Leyland had limped to their 151-7 total.

In reply Blackpool lost an early wicket when Bracewell, stretching well forward, was adjudged leg before wicket to Steven Pallett for 10 and it was 18-1.

But that was to be Leyland's final success as Chris Cornall and Gavin Armstrong made hay in the sunshine with a succession of attacking strokes.

There was a slight element of luck as well as Cornall, who once again batted splendidly, was missed in the gully on eight then behind the wicket and at square leg when 62.

With a mixture of zip cricket and caution both batsmen garnered runs at will against the seven man Leyland attack.

Cornall was first to his half century following a few overs later by Armstrong who reached the landmark with a nonchalant pull over mid-wicket for six.

At the close Cornall had made 76 not out from 77 balls with one six and eight fours and Armstrong 61 not out from 85 balls with one six and seven fours.

Their unbroken partnership of 136 came in only 86 minutes and took Blackpool to their target of 154-1 with plenty of overs remaining.

The win took Blackpool two places up the table and, coupled with a win for Leyland Daf, dumped Leyland firmly at the bottom.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.