A MIXED weekend for Chorley began with Friday's four wicket win over Leyland in the Abbot Ale cup.

Electing to bat first, Leyland were soon in trouble at the hands of Gordon Lee. The paceman removed Pallett, Waddington and Kenyon to reduce the visitors to 18 for 3 before Gore was caught off Catterall's first ball to make it 34 for 4.

Wickets fell regularly and despite a stand of 36 between Heyes and Steve Pallett, Lee returned to polish things off with three wickets in four deliveries to finish with the astonishing figures of 6 for 10.

Leyland fought hard in defence of their small total. Haydock in particular bowled superbly to pick up two early wickets and when Oakes also removed Grayson and Heaton, Chorley were wobbling at 41 for 4.

Bowling hero Lee smashed his first ball for six and together with Neil Senior was bowled with the total on 116 but Rex Purnell slashed the winning boundary with 12 overs left.

Chorley suffered the ultimate frustration on Saturday at Preston when the home side's last pair held on for 10 overs to thwart their hopes of victory.

Batting first, Chorley amassed 191 for 7 with Heaton making 63, Senior 33 and substitute professional Pervez Shah contributing 27.

Preston's reply started adequately and at one stage they were 46 for 1 before wickets clattered and they collapsed to 64 for 7.

The home side's middle order disintegrated with Purnell taking 5 for 17 from 13 economical overs but Kaye and Hancock hung on to deny Chorley the three extra points.

Nevertheless, Chorley now find themselves joint top of the league along with Lancaster.

Windsor Park witnessed a superb game of cricket on Sunday when Chorley narrowly failed to overhaul Netherfield's massive total in a sun-drenched run feast.

The visitors in the Vaux Samson cup tie rattled along to 255 for 9 with Clarke (27), White (56), Crookes (86) and Dalzell (40) all making significant contributions to the visitors' large total.

They were helped by some indifferent bowling and unusally sloppy fielding by Chorley with visiting professional Crookes twice dropped early in his innings.

Chorley needed a good start and got it from Fazackerley and substitute professional Foley who put on 73 before Fazackerley was lbw to a ball that kept low.

Horridge and Foley then appeared to be steering Chorley towards an improbable win with a stand of 114 but the asking rate was always demanding.

Horridge finally perished caught in the deep for a handsome 48 and then crucially the Australian Foley was caught at long on for a superb 94.

With the overs running out batsmen were inevitably having to take chances and three run outs followed in quick succession.

In the end victory was agonisingly close but slipped away from the home side who closed on 248 for 8 despite some spirited blows form Heaton.

The two sides are due to meet in the next round of the Abbot Ale Cup at Netherfield when Chorley will be hoping for a different result.

This Saturday Chorley are at home to St Annes and on Sunday travel to Sefton in the Lancashire Knockout.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.