Fleetwood inflict more misery on Morecambe

Availability of key players continues to hinder the championship side of 2015 as their struggles in this campaign go on.

On a pitch that looked again to be dry Morecambe followed their instincts and batted first looking to get the better of the conditions.

They started poorly however as Laurence Read cut James Amor into the gully without troubling the scorers.

Newly promoted to number three after his hundred last Sunday Lewis Edge looked to be aggressive striking his second ball through the vacant backward point region for the first boundary of the afternoon.

At the other end his skipper Josh Dixon stood firm nudging singles to rotate the strike.

Just as Edge looked settled he was to fall driving Amor straight to cover a soft dismissal by his high standards.

Edge’s move to number three saw professional Saeed Anwar Jnr move to four and the professional’s poor run of batting form continued.

He could make just 13 before the bowling change took its effect.

Looking to use his feet to the legspin of Patrick Ashton the Morecambe paid man was beaten in the flight of the ball allowing Dean Bell to remove the bails and end his brief stay at the crease.

Despite the loss of wickets there was one constant in that of Dixon who continued to battle hard.

The skipper began to find his rhythm, tucking into any loose offerings from Ashton and striking him for a succession of boundaries including a maximum over the leg side.

Ryan Pearson provided an element of support for Dixon and looked in good touch, however Ashton was to have the last laugh removing the Morecambe man with a peach of a leg spinner.

This was the story of the Morecambe innings as wickets fell at regular intervals and nobody built a partnership with Dixon who brought up his half century from 72 balls in the 26th over.

Morecambe found hope in Luke Pearson (23) and Eddy Read (15 not out), however when Ashton removed Dixon (57) with a peach of a googly Morecambe’s innings was ultimately over as they slumped to just 146.

In reply Morecambe started brightly as Eddy Read trapped Fleetwood professional Travis Dean plumb in front second ball. Read thought he had his man again as Dean Bell drove hard at his first ball but Morecambe saw their appeals waved away despite an apparent edge.

This was to be the last of Morecambe’s appeals for the afternoon as the class of Adam Parker and Bell shone through.

The pair not content on nudging the ball blasted it to all corners as the Morecambe bowlers struggled with the right and left -hand combinations.

Inconsistent lines showed as the ball disappeared to all corners of the ground, Fleetwood cruising to victory by nine wickets, Parker finishing on 75 not out and Bell 71 not out.