Northern League: Resounding victory for Darwen (19 July 1999)
The much anticipated Cup clash between the top two teams in the Northern League resulted in a resounding victory for Darwen as they defeated St Annes by 39 runs after one of the most impressive batting performances seen from a Darwen side for many
19-Jul-1999
19 July 1999
Northern League: Resounding victory for Darwen
Lancashire Evening Telegraph
The much anticipated Cup clash between the top two teams in the
Northern League resulted in a resounding victory for Darwen as they
defeated St Annes by 39 runs after one of the most impressive batting
performances seen from a Darwen side for many years.
Batting first, the Darwen openers Ainslie and Lowe set their tempo
for the innings with a stand of 64 and the Darwen youngster Lowe then
shared in partnerships of 56 with professional Petrie (40 from 47
balls) and of 71 with Gareth Cordingley (45 from 40 balls) as the
ball was hit to all parts of the ground.
Lowe finished with a splendid 71, his highest score for Darwen and
skipper Hacking added a belligerent 25 from 19 balls at the end to
totally demoralise St Annes as the Birch Hall side reached 233 from
only 40 overs.
Set with an asking rate of six an over, St Annes were always behind
the clock in the face of tight Darwen bowling and keen fielding, and
the game was effectively over with 10 overs still remaining and St
Annes still requiring 120 to win to give Darwen a home tie in the
next round on August 1 against Morecambe who Darwen defeated earlier
this season in the Vaux Samson Cup in a last ball thriller. Another
batting masterclass from Roland Horridge guided Chorley out of
trouble against Lancaster at Windsor Park and secured a second round
home tie with Leyland in the Vaux Bitter Cup. Leg spinner Keith
Eccleshare took 5-24 as Lancaster were bowled out in the final over
for 154 but in reply Chorley were soon up against it at 43-4.
Partnerships of 40 and 51 for the fifth and sixth wickets between the
unflappable Horridge and Michael Critchley and Rex Purnell
respectively rescued Chorley's cause and the match really turned
their way when Horridge imperiously square cut Phil Dennison for four
boundaries in five balls. After Horridge finally departed for 80,
professional Josh Marquet finished the proceedings in style, striking
the luckless Dennison for four and six off successive deliveries to
see Chorley to victory by three wickets with six balls to spare.
Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)