Cricket: Morecambe CC slip to Bank Holiday loss in rain affected weekend

Morecambe CC were beaten by Fulwood and Broughton in a rain affected Bank Holiday of action.

Morecambe’s first game of the weekend was against Lytham, and the weather proved to be the saviour for the visitors, after Alex Briggs scored 64 to take Morecambe to 184.  

Lytham won the toss and elected to bowl first at Woodhill Lane and made a great start thanks to James Livesey as he took two wickets in consecutive overs dismissing Lewis Smith and Joseph Bradshaw without scoring.  

Briggs and Andrew Creech got the score ticking along nicely for the hosts as Briggs played the aggressor in the partnership racing to 48 off 42 balls. After 15 overs, Morecambe were well placed at 79-2.  

Lewis Smith

The 16th over was an expensive one for Archie Banks-Smith as he conceded 19 runs including nine wides. Briggs started his innings with a boundary and reached his half century in the same manner to reach the landmark for the first time in 2026.  

The introduction of Sahaan was the undoing for the Morecambe batsman as Banks-Smith took the catch with Briggs on 64.  

Sahaan was proving too good for the hosts and took two wickets in the same over to dismiss Creech (35) and Benjy Orr.  

Joseph Bradshaw

A watchful partnership of 26 by Luke Pearson and Jamie Holmes was concluded when Pearson was caught for 15 which left Morecambe in a bit of trouble at 144-6.  

Holmes made a well worked 26 but Morecambe lost their last four wickets for just 22 runs, Sahaan ending with figures of 5-33 off 12 overs. Morecambe bundled out for 184 in just 40.2 overs.  

Lloyd Smith and Michael Bland were excellent to start proceedings with the new ball as the duo both got their names in the wicket's column. Myles Child was trapped LBW without troubling the scorers and Henry Roberts also trudged back to the pavilion cheaply as he was clean bowled by Smith.  

Andy Creech

Smith was showing his class in tough batting conditions as Sahaan and Banks-Smith both fell victim the Morecambe pace bowler.  

Unfortunately for the hosts, the rain began to get heavier after 11 overs with the score on 36-4 and with 20 overs having to be played for a result to be determined no more play was possible. 

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On Bank Holiday Monday, half centuries for Lewis Smith and Joseph Bradshaw were in vain as Fulwood kept their promotion hopes alive to keep the gap to four points behind Euxton.  

The fixture at Woodhill Lane saw a different opening partnership as Andrew Creech and Taylor Backhouse went out to the middle.  

Chris Brookes made the early inroad dismissing Creech for six. Backhouse and Bradshaw put on 44, but the former fell for 25 by Brookes for his second of the day.  

Two fours and one six for Briggs but it was one shot too many as he held out in the deep trying to slog sweep Brookes.  

It was an identical innings for captain Pearson making 16 off 19 with score on 118-4. Bradshaw made a fine half century which included seven fours and two sixes, but Lewis Wellings secured the wicket of the Morecambe youngster on 58.  

Lewis Smith propelled the score going at a run a ball for most of his innings. Not in his usual position at the top of the order played no problems for Smith as he made 84 not out to take Morecambe to 251-8 off 50 overs.  

Joseph Bradshaw

Ewen Mansford and Matt Smith started well for Fulwood racing to 45 off just six overs. However, Michael Bland got the first wicket to get the hosts off and running as Creech took the catch behind the stumps.  

Smith also was dismissed by Bland six overs later as he trapped LBW for a quick fire 34 and when Clayton Stone swung and missed to leave himself plump LBW off the bowling of Stefan Dixon.  

The game was finely in the balance, Fulwood reaching 100 around 20 overs. Morecambe got an important just before the drinks via Regan Jackson dismissing captain Ben Parkinson.  

A match defining partnership between Ben Rosbottom and James McWilliam proved the difference putting on 95 for the fifth wicket. Fulwood needed 40 off 42 balls when Rosbottom was out for 74 by Bland.  

Taylor Backhouse

But the wickets didn't come often enough for the hosts which gave way for Jon Fenton and McWilliam (70*) to play their shots and rotate the strike to perfection to see Fulwood to a huge victory by five wickets with four balls to spare. 

Morecambe sit fourth in the table two points ahead of next week's opponents Whalley to be played on Saturday 5 September, 12:30 start.