St Annes pegged back by Barrow

St Annes still lead the Furness Building Society Northern Premier Cricket League (incorporating 3D Sports) but were left frustrated by a fighting performance by Barrow at Ernest Pass and had to settle for a winning draw.

The home side, playing without a professional as they await the arrival of Pasan Wanasinghe, fought superbly under the leadership of Daryl Wearing and talented teenager Liam Livingstone, a Lancashire academy player, underlined his rich potential.

The 15-year-old all-rounder Livingstone, a member of the ECB Elite Performance U16s squad, took 2-74 with his leg-spin to help Barrow restrict the league leaders to 170 for seven.

Wearing lead from the front with 2-10 from 10 overs including the prize wicket of Atiq Uz-Zaman, bowled for a duck and Paul Bayman weighed in with 2-40.

St Annes were again indebted to all rounder Stephen Twist who hit his third successive half century, making 89 not out with opener Gareth Evans the next top scorer with 27.

Livingstone, batting at three, then top scored with 48 and vice-captain Chris D'Leny hit 43 as Barrow finished 154 for eight. St Annes' Sri Lankan professional Dinuka Hettiarachchi collected 4-54 from 19 overs of testing left arm spin and Twist completed a superb all-round performance with 2-35 from 16 overs.

Preston are second after Adam Parker inspired their second 15-points victory in a row.

Parker hit 58 off 75 balls, including nine fours and a six, as Preston were bowled out for 176 at Lodge Quarry by Carnforth.

Parker's third wicket partnership of 107 with professional and captain Bilal Asad (48) underpinned Preston's batting effort as pace man Adam Cowperthwaite took 4-54 and left-arm spinner Warren Quinn 5-26.

Parker then collected 4-53 including that of Carnforth top-scorer Ryan Nelson for 40 as the home side were bowled out for 136. Nelson's second wicket partnership of 53 with skipper Darren Moore (30) looked to have put Carnforth in command.

UCLAN student Andy Roberts again impressed with 3-31 and Asad took 2-14.

Chorley spinner Gaurav Dhar made a successful return to Windsor Park as Jack Catterall's men made light of playing without a professional to defeat Kendal by 46 runs.

Dhar, a member of the MCC Young Professionals squad, returned from a season in the Central Lancashire League to bowl Chorley to victory with 6-47 and also taking two catches as Kendal, also without a professional, were bowled out for 125.

Former Chorley skipper Michael Critchley had earlier hit 42 from 67 balls as the home side posted 171, seamer Nick Lewthwaite taking 4 for 32.

The biggest shock of the day was at Broadwater where Fleetwood, last season's wooden-spoonists defeated Morecambe by six wickets.

Morecambe, inserted on an initially damp pitch, struggled to 122 for 9, Tommy Clough making a vital late undefeated 21. Fleetwood seamers Tom Blundell (4 for 34 off 25 overs) and Adam Breakall (4 for 43 off 19) had bowled superbly for the home side, with James Ellis's men also impressing with their excellent fielding.

The promising Tom Wilson made 36 in Fleetwood's reply and the experienced Michael Clinning and Adam Sharrocks saw their side home with an unbroken fifth wicket partnership.

Fleetwood had a new player in opener Chesney Hughes, a West Indies U19s representative who hails from the British colony of Anguilla. Hughes made 19 before falling lbw to Morecambe professional Kashif Shafi.

Reigning champions Netherfield made the day's highest total, 253 for six against Lancaster at Parkside Road but had to settle for a winning draw.

Australian professional Glen Batticciotto hit 83 off 100 balls including three sixes and five fours and opener Craig Walmsley 55 from 64 balls while the promising John Huck added a quick-fire unbeaten 46.

But Lancaster dug deep to battle through to 141 for eight at the close, skipper Tim Barry leading the resistance with 46 and receiving valuable support from Raghavendra Bangalore Vaidyanatheswara (33), the pair adding 56 in 25.3 overs for the fourth wicket to frustrate the hosts.

Leyland had the better of a drawn game against Blackpool at Stanley Park.

Opener Karl Cross hit an impressive 47 as Leyland posted 182 for eight. Blackpool paceman Richard Gleeson bowled with hostility to record 5-44 from 17 overs, including the prized wicket of former Blackpool all rounder Luis Reece, bowled for eight.

Blackpool's substitute professional Tanveer Sikandar, a highly-rated Essex and Surrey 2nd XI player who also plays for Stevenage CC, underpinned the home side's reply with 63 off 96 balls.

But when Sikandar was caught on the boundary by James Rounding off Leyland pro Ameer Khan, Blackpool had to shut up shop and the closed on 148 for six, Khan taking 3-41.