THE WELCOME spell of sunshine has made South African Pieter Strydom feel at home at the crease and he made 128 - his highest score of the season for Netherfield on Saturday.

However, the Bay Northern League leaders had to be content with eight points to St Annes' four from a draw and saw their lead at the top cut to two points.

Strydom does not mind working the bowling and his big score featured 49 singles.

It was his third century for the club, taking him to 900 cup and league runs with an average of 52.94 while he has taken 31 wickets at 19.97 apeice.

It fell to Strydom to restore Netherfield's equilibrium after openers Craig Walmsley and Tommy Prime went in the eighth and tenth overs respectively.

From 28-2 the score moved to 65 when Simon Dutton, who had hit two fours in his 12, perished by mistiming one into gully's hands.

It failed to unsettle Strydom who was striking the ball confidently and enjoyed another productive partnership of 47 with Jimmy Moyes before he was undone by spin for 17 to make it 113-4.

The crucial part of the innings was still to come, in the shape of 91 cracked off in just 55 minutes with the help of Grahame Clarke's combustible strokeplay.

They hoisted the score to 203 when Clarke mishit a drive to mid-off, his 47 coming with two sixes and three fours off 58 balls.

Another 39 runs was added to the score, all but eight from Strydom, whose 128 came off 139 balls and featured two sixes and nine fours as Netherfield completed their full completement of 60 overs for a final score of 242-5.

Unusually, not one appeal was made to the umpires during the innings but it was a different matter when Saints batted.

Netherfield's fast bowlers toiled without reward and Saints reached 103 before Stuart Horne came on and his off-spin supplied the first wicket as Adrian Darlington was stumped after reaching his 50.

Going into the last 20 overs Saints were still in with a first-rate chance, requiring 107 to win - an asking-rate of 5.35 an over.

The bowlers then swung the match back to Netherfield with six wickets for 32 in 11 overs before the visitors decided to save the match and closed at 218-7.

n Netherfield host Morecambe in the Slater Cup this Sunday (1.30pm) and Ormskirk in the semi-finals of the Lancashire Cup on Sunday week, August 12 (2pm).