Sharp moves down the Fylde coast
Tuesday 22nd October 2002

Former Lancashire and Southport and Birkdale opening bowler, Marcus Sharp (32), has swapped ECB Premier Leagues and will be playing for Lytham in 2003.

He has just completed five highly successful years at Blackpool in the Northern Premier League in which he claimed 285 wickets with a best haul of 66 at an average of only 8.94 in 2002 and a best of 9-65 against Fleetwood last August.

In his last match for Blackpool, against Lancaster, Sharp had bowled 45 'dot balls' before a single spoilt his figures. His accuracy always helps the bowler at the other end and in this match he finished with figures of 23-14-15-5 as Lancaster collapsed to 81 all out.

No stranger to the Liverpool Competition Marcus, a hospital physiotherapist, played for Southport and Birkdale between 1990 and 1992 whilst studying at Edge Hill College in Ormskirk. He has also managed to squeeze a Minor County career with Cumberland into his busy schedule.

ECB Premier League side Leigh were also keen to secure his services but Lytham had beaten them to the post.

As Marcus travels around the district with Lytham, it will be interesting to see how many players that he played against in the 1990-1992 period are still performing each week. I shouldn't think there'll be many.