Morecambe get new season off to great start with win at Fylde

Fylde were put into bat first and made a positive start with Usama Abrar (29) and captain Keith Moore (6) giving the innings early impetus.

However, Moore fell to Louis Backhouse (1-37) after he was caught by Mark Woodhead, and Abrar was caught by Reuben Orr off the bowling of Jamie Cassidy (2-25).

Deno Baker was in impressive form for Morecambe, bowling Matthew Johnson (3) and Craig Outram (29) while Graeme Cassidy (2-31) did likewise when he took the wicket of Samuel Davies (1).

Baker also removed Fylde’s leading run scorer on the day Jack Davies (30), Backhouse taking the catch, and Graeme Cassidy struck again to remove Zohaib Jafferi (2), Woodhead taking another catch.

Anthony Churchill (18) was run out by Lewis Smith, and there was still time for Baker to bowl Anthony Ellison (0) and Jamie Cassidy bowled Jonathon Lee (1) as the hosts were all out for 140 from 44 overs.

Morecambe’s response didn’t get off the the best of starts as they lost Sam Owen (0), who was bowled by Ellison (4-38), and Woodhead, who was caught and bowled by Churchill (3-19).

However, Ryan Pearson put in a captain’s performance with the bat and steadied the ship, he managed a knock of 46 before succumbing to Ellison lbw, as did 
Baker (7).

Alex Briggs managed 26 runs before being caught by Craig Outram off the bowling of Churchill, while Lewis Smith (19) was bowled by Ellison.

Churchill bowled Graeme Cassidy (5) and Abrar took the wicket of Orr (7), but Morecambe reached their target in the 42nd over thanks to Jamie Cassidy (2no) and Stefan Dixon (7no), as the visitors finished on 141-8 and picked up 12 points.