Lancaster CC lose out to defending champions

They suffered a third loss in their opening four league matches with a 96-run defeat against Blackpool at Lune Road.

Lancaster had one into the game on the back of their first victory at Penrith seven days earlier.

They also won the toss on Saturday and asked the defending champions to bat first before dismissing them for 168 with one ball of their 50 overs remaining.

Tomas King was the first man to fall, falling victim to Liam Moffat for 11.

The former Morecambe bowler tasted plenty of success as he dismissed three more of the Blackpool top order.

Dylan Henshall (6) was his next victim, followed by the wickets of Lancashire paceman Richard Gleeson (13) and Jake Muncaster (3).

It was then Ben Simm’s turn to shine as he also found himself among the wickets.

The former Lancaster skipper accounted for Blackpool’s top scorer, opener Josh Boyne, after he had made 55.

Ben Howarth (23), Arran Lewin (26) and Matt Grindley (15) were also dismissed by Simm, who ended with four wickets.

Irfan Khan then collected the remaining two wickets as he sent back Alex Ryder (1) and and Jamie Thomson (0).

It meant Blackpool skipper Paul Danson ended one not out at the conclusion of their innings.

Moffat led the Lancaster bowling figures with 4-39 from 15 overs, Simm claimed 4-40 from 14, while Khan ended with 2-32 from 7.5.

However, Lancaster’s reply then saw them all out for 72 after only 19 overs.

The damage was done by Gleeson and Grindley, who shared all 10 wickets between them and bowled all of the overs in the process.

It was Gleeson who did the early damage as he dismissed five of the Lancaster top six.

First to go was Steven Fisher without scoring, the opener being one of nine players to be dismissed without making it into double figures.

Gleeson also picked up the wicket of Irfan Qayyum, who was Lancaster’s top scorer with 16.

The wickets of Khan (4), Jamie Heywood (5) and Laurie Atkinson (2) then completed Gleeson’s early five-wicket haul.

It was then Grindley’s turn to enter proceedings as he got the better of Eddie Steinson (2) and Kieran Moffat (0) before accounting for Simm (2).

Lee Sparks (9) then became Gleeson’s latest victim before Grindley ended proceedings with the wicket of Liam Moffat (4).

It left David Steinson 10 not out as Gleeson recorded figures of 6-32 from nine overs, while Grindley claimed 4-23 from his 10 overs.

That meant Lancaster ended with three points, leaving them ninth in the early league table.

Blackpool’s 15-point haul saw them climb into second place, five points behind Longridge who overhauled former leaders Chorley.

Next up us another weekend double-header with a home league game against Kendal taking place on Saturday (12.30pm).

Then, on the Sunday, they travel to Farnworth Social Circle in the Lancashire Cricket Foundation knockout competition (1pm).