Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "blackpool-cricket"
Run Fest at Stanley Park
Northamptonshire 370-4 Lancashire 372-6
The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.
After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.
Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.
Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.
Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.
Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.
George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.
Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.
It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.
The Royal London Cup game between Lancashire and Northamptonshire provided a veritable feast of runs at Blackpool’s Stanley Park last Friday. There were 742 runs scored including 67 fours and 17 sixes. The end result was a win for Lancashire who chased down Northamptonshire’s 370-4 to win by four wickets with 372-6 with 10 balls remaining.
After Keaton Jennings had won the toss and invited Northants to bat on a pitch that looked like a batsman’s paradise, Ricardo Vasconcelos and Emilio Gay, both left-handed batsmen, gave the visitors a dream start. They looked in no danger as they put on 198 in 27.4 overs with neither batsman giving a chance even though Lancashire rotated their bowlers in an effort to break the partnership. It was rare that the ball beat the bat and boundaries continued to flow much to the delight of the crowd of around 2,000. And it was only a touch of misfortune for Northants that brought about the fall of the first wicket.
Vasconcelos, who had just reached his century from 89 balls was convinced there was a second run on offer and turned blind only to discover, when he was halfway down the track, that Gay was stood unmoved at the other end. Despite a desperate attempt to get back, Steven Croft’s throw was taken by Luke Wells and Vasconcelos was gone for 104 made from 90 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
New Zealand’s Will Young, the Northants’ skipper, joined Gay and they put on 44 in 38 balls before Young skied George Balderson to Rob Jones in the deep and he was gone for 24. Saif Zaib joined Gay, who reached his century in 94 balls, and the pair continued the rapid scoring, putting on 61 in 41 balls, before Zaib also fell to a catch by Jones in the deep when he had made 26 and it was 303-3.
Gay was next to go when he, too, was run out this time by a superb throw from Wells that took out the middle stump with the batsman struggling in vain to make his ground. Gay had made a List A-best of 131 from 117 balls with 15 fours and one six. And that was 304-4.
Lewis McManus, 44 not out, and Gus Miller, 17 not out, then added a rapid 66 in 51 balls and the innings finished at 370-4, somewhat below expectations after the excellent platform on which they had to build but still a defendable total. Balderson 1-44 and Danny Lamb 1-64 were the two Lancashire wicket takers.
Lancashire also opened with two left-handed batsmen and they began almost as well as their counterparts had done as with Wells taking the leading role they raced to a century partnership in 46 minutes and in only 12.1 overs. They advanced the total to 130 when Wells went for one big hit too many and fell to a catch by substitute Harry Gouldstone off Zaib for an excellent 84 made from 56 balls with 11 fours and four sixes.
Josh Bohannon joined Jennings and they took the total past the 200-mark before the former was deceived by Zaib and gave a gentle return catch. He was gone for 26 and it was 202-2. Croft earned a warm welcome from his home crowd but he could not quite get into his stride and when he had made 13 he, too, was caught and bowled, this time by Alex Russell, after getting himself in a tangle. That was 228-3. The scoring slowed a little at this point with new batsman Jones at the crease but his stay was not long as on eight he edged James Sales through to wicketkeeper McManus and it was 247-4.
Jennings, the quickest of the three centurions on view, his century coming from 86 balls, was the fifth wicket to fall when, having struck 18 fours, he tried to drive Sales for six only to be caught by Gay on the boundary after he had made 131 from 105 balls. That was 264-5 and Lancashire had just fallen behind the required run rate.
George Lavelle, who had kept wicket immaculately, and Balderson soon put that little matter to rights with a rollicking partnership of 82 in 50 balls. Their running between the wickets was superb and it seemed as though the pair would take Lancashire home. But, on 33, Balderstone edged former Lancashire seamer Nathan Buck through to McManus and it was 346-6 with 25 runs required from four overs.
Lavelle and Lamb, however, kept up the momentum and the latter struck two fours in his 12 not out to ease the pressure. And with 10 balls remaining Lavelle, 61 not out from 34 balls with five fours and three sixes, hit the boundary that won the game for Lancashire by four wickets at 372-6.
It was a thoroughly absorbing game on a sunny but windy day and the majority of the crowd went home rejoicing. It just remains to be seen whether Lancashire can clinch a home time for the semi-final which could be good news for Blackpool as with Old Trafford simultaneously hosting the Test Match the game could well be staged at Stanley Park again.
Lancashire shoot down the Spitfires!
In what turned out to be a rather one-sided contest at Stanley Park on Wednesday, Lancashire’s big guns shot down the Spitfires from Kent comfortably, winning the game by 125 runs, the margin being lessened by a brave last-wicket partnership of 37 by Matt Quinn and Jaskaran Singh, the latter on his List A debut.
Jack Leaning won the toss and decided to field and when he caught Keaton Jennings at second slip for one with the total on 15 the decision, at that point, seemed as though it might be a good one. However, that was the highlight of the Kent bowling performance as from then on all the bowlers were put to the sword.
George Bell, 71 from 97 balls with seven fours, and Josh Bohannon, a faultless 105 from 117 balls with four fours and four sixes, added 112 for the second wicket before Dane Vilas, a quick-fire 51 from 37 balls with five fours and two sixes, and George Balderston, an even quicker 57 from 28 balls with five fours and four sixes, helped to take Lancashire to an impressive 328-5. Singh was the most successful Kent bowler with 3-74.
From Kent’s recent batting performances this looked likely to be a total beyond their reach … and so it proved. They lost Ben Compton early for four, and although Daniel Bell-Drummond battled hard for 80 minutes in making a top score of 38 with five fours, no other batsman survived anywhere near as long with Harry Finch’s 31 being the closest to his score.
Led by George Balderston, 4-52, his figures only ruined by some big hitting by the last-wicket pair, Singh 19 not out with two fours and one six, and Quinn 15 with a four and a six, the Lancashire bowlers whittled their way through the Kent batting. Indeed 148-4 became 166-9 in the space of 18 balls before Tom Aspinwall took his first List A wicket when he had Quinn caught by Blatherwick and Kent were all out for 203 in 39.4 overs.
On a sun-kissed day and watched by a very healthy crowd, Lancashire’s victory took them to second place in the table on net run rate behind Nottinghamshire who lead Group A by one point.
Jack Leaning won the toss and decided to field and when he caught Keaton Jennings at second slip for one with the total on 15 the decision, at that point, seemed as though it might be a good one. However, that was the highlight of the Kent bowling performance as from then on all the bowlers were put to the sword.
George Bell, 71 from 97 balls with seven fours, and Josh Bohannon, a faultless 105 from 117 balls with four fours and four sixes, added 112 for the second wicket before Dane Vilas, a quick-fire 51 from 37 balls with five fours and two sixes, and George Balderston, an even quicker 57 from 28 balls with five fours and four sixes, helped to take Lancashire to an impressive 328-5. Singh was the most successful Kent bowler with 3-74.
From Kent’s recent batting performances this looked likely to be a total beyond their reach … and so it proved. They lost Ben Compton early for four, and although Daniel Bell-Drummond battled hard for 80 minutes in making a top score of 38 with five fours, no other batsman survived anywhere near as long with Harry Finch’s 31 being the closest to his score.
Led by George Balderston, 4-52, his figures only ruined by some big hitting by the last-wicket pair, Singh 19 not out with two fours and one six, and Quinn 15 with a four and a six, the Lancashire bowlers whittled their way through the Kent batting. Indeed 148-4 became 166-9 in the space of 18 balls before Tom Aspinwall took his first List A wicket when he had Quinn caught by Blatherwick and Kent were all out for 203 in 39.4 overs.
On a sun-kissed day and watched by a very healthy crowd, Lancashire’s victory took them to second place in the table on net run rate behind Nottinghamshire who lead Group A by one point.
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai first appeared before the Blackpool cricketing public in September 1957 when he played for the West Indian tourists in a drawn match at Stanley Park. He returned four years later, by then an established Test star with, at that time, 28 Tests and five centuries to his credit, for the 1961 Northern League season having signed for Blackpool as their professional.
It was February 1961 when he agreed to join the Blackpool club after three seasons as professional for Aberdeenshire CC, who were most disappointed to lose him. Financial constraints was the reason he was not re-signed and the Aberdeenshire chairman commented, ’Aberdeen’s loss is now the Blackpool club’s gain.’
At Blackpool Kanhai became the third successive Test player to become professional at Stanley Park, following in the footsteps of Pankaj Roy of India and Hanif Mohammad of Pakistan. And he proved to be a great success as in his first season he plundered 919 runs at an average of 65.64.
He scored three centuries, the highest 153 not out against Lancaster, as Blackpool finished in joint second position in the League with Fleetwood, behind champions Leyland. Blackpool also won the League’s Slater Cup with Kanhai being undefeated in the three games played, scoring 86, 74 and 58.
He surpassed his 1961 record in the 1962 season when he led Blackpool to the League title with 1,165 runs at 83.21, including six centuries, with a top score of 156 against Lancaster, and three half-centuries. It was at that time only the sixth occasion that a batsman had passed 1,000 runs in a Northern League cricket season. Incidentally the other five occasions also involved Blackpool professionals, the legendary Bill Alley, four times, and Hanif Mohammad.
Blackpool did not complete the double, however, as they were defeated in the Slater Cup final by Darwen with Kanhai scoring 52 of the all out total of 98; he also scored 60 and 81 in his other two innings in the Cup run.
He was unavailable for the 1963 season, when another West Indian, Cammie Smith, was signed as Blackpool professional but Kanhai’s two seasons with the club saw him score 2,084 League runs at an average of 74.42. He was a very occasional bowler and when he took 2-13 off five overs against Morecambe in June 1961, having just completed an 87-minute century in the Blackpool innings, the local press reported, ‘Blackpool’s most successful bowler was … that’s right, Kanhai.’
By then living on the Fylde Coast, he did return to Northern League cricket 19 years later when he became professional at St Annes in 1981. And he continued his run scoring exploits with 945 runs at 78.75 with two centuries and eight half-centuries to top the League’s averages as well as being the leading runscorer. He returned to St Annes for one further season in 1982 when he created a new club record, which still stands, of 1,085 runs at 60.27 with three centuries and eight half-centuries.
His two seasons at St Annes, therefore, saw him score 2,030 runs at 67.67 bringing his total Northern League runs over a four-season span to a phenomenal 4,114 runs at an average of 70.93.
Rohan Kanhai was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in May 2009 and, still resident on the Fylde Coast, he is nowadays an avid golfer.
It was February 1961 when he agreed to join the Blackpool club after three seasons as professional for Aberdeenshire CC, who were most disappointed to lose him. Financial constraints was the reason he was not re-signed and the Aberdeenshire chairman commented, ’Aberdeen’s loss is now the Blackpool club’s gain.’
At Blackpool Kanhai became the third successive Test player to become professional at Stanley Park, following in the footsteps of Pankaj Roy of India and Hanif Mohammad of Pakistan. And he proved to be a great success as in his first season he plundered 919 runs at an average of 65.64.
He scored three centuries, the highest 153 not out against Lancaster, as Blackpool finished in joint second position in the League with Fleetwood, behind champions Leyland. Blackpool also won the League’s Slater Cup with Kanhai being undefeated in the three games played, scoring 86, 74 and 58.
He surpassed his 1961 record in the 1962 season when he led Blackpool to the League title with 1,165 runs at 83.21, including six centuries, with a top score of 156 against Lancaster, and three half-centuries. It was at that time only the sixth occasion that a batsman had passed 1,000 runs in a Northern League cricket season. Incidentally the other five occasions also involved Blackpool professionals, the legendary Bill Alley, four times, and Hanif Mohammad.
Blackpool did not complete the double, however, as they were defeated in the Slater Cup final by Darwen with Kanhai scoring 52 of the all out total of 98; he also scored 60 and 81 in his other two innings in the Cup run.
He was unavailable for the 1963 season, when another West Indian, Cammie Smith, was signed as Blackpool professional but Kanhai’s two seasons with the club saw him score 2,084 League runs at an average of 74.42. He was a very occasional bowler and when he took 2-13 off five overs against Morecambe in June 1961, having just completed an 87-minute century in the Blackpool innings, the local press reported, ‘Blackpool’s most successful bowler was … that’s right, Kanhai.’
By then living on the Fylde Coast, he did return to Northern League cricket 19 years later when he became professional at St Annes in 1981. And he continued his run scoring exploits with 945 runs at 78.75 with two centuries and eight half-centuries to top the League’s averages as well as being the leading runscorer. He returned to St Annes for one further season in 1982 when he created a new club record, which still stands, of 1,085 runs at 60.27 with three centuries and eight half-centuries.
His two seasons at St Annes, therefore, saw him score 2,030 runs at 67.67 bringing his total Northern League runs over a four-season span to a phenomenal 4,114 runs at an average of 70.93.
Rohan Kanhai was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame in May 2009 and, still resident on the Fylde Coast, he is nowadays an avid golfer.
