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CHORLEY marched into the regional final of the Cockspur National Knockout Cup, defeating Liverpool ECB Premier League club Sefton Park by 18 runs in front of another excellent crowd at Windsor Park yesterday.

Useful contributions by five of the top six batsmen enabled Chorley to post 178-9 from their 45 overs, talented young all-rounder Nicky Woods making 48, Ian Oakes 26 and Neil Senior 25.

Sefton Park looked capable of overhauling the home total while Lancashire county squad batsman Paul Horton was at the crease, but his classy innings ended on 43 to leave the visitors on 102-5 and, apart from a brief flurry of runs by the seventh-wicket pair which carried the score to 145, Chorley were always favourites to win, with the Smith brothers and Woods tying down the lower order.

Woods completed a memorable personal performance by taking 3 for 29 and Bill Smith captured the last Sefton wicket in the 44th over to finish with 2 for 12 as the visitors closed on 160.

Chorley will now be away to Bootle or Huyton in the regional final.

On Saturday, they had to settle for a winning draw and ten points from the Northern Premier League match at Leyland Motors.

Opener Tom Smith continued his fine form with 87 and professional Stephen John hit 35 as Chorley racked up 212-8.

But Motors dourly defied the Chorley attack, James Aspinall making 37 and former pro David Makinson, batting at number seven, compiling a stubborn 51 not out in a total of 162-7.

Smith added to his efforts with the bat, capturing 2 for 5 from a very tidy nine overs.

NORTHERN PREMIER LEAGUE

LEYLAND MOTORS 162-7

CHORLEY 212-8

Winning draw to Chorley 10 pts

CHORLEY

T Smith c Iddon b Sibley...87

P Greenwood b Prince...0

N Woods lbw b Prince...2

N Heaton c Patel b Sibley...18

M Critchley st Iddon b Sibley...15

John c Aspinwall b Makinson...35

N Senior c Aspinwall b Makinson...18

J Catterall not out...15

G Dhar run out...4

Extras...18

Total (for 8 wkts)...212

Bowling: I Lilley 13-4-25-0; S Prince15-4-60-2; P Cummings 2-0-14-0; J Aspinwall 7-2-20-2; C Sibley 11-1-48-3; D Makinson 9-1-28-2

LEYLAND MOTORS

T Totham lbw b John...0

F Patel c Catterall b John...18

Ashraf lbw b T Smith...13

J Aspinall c Holdsworth b Woods...37

H Patel c B Smith b Dhar...12

P Cummings c Senior b Woods...1

D Makinson not out...51

C Sibley b T Smith...3

P Iddon not out...5

Extras...22

Total (for 7 wkts)...162

Bowling: John 17-4-34-2; B Smith 7-1-24-0; T Smith 9-6-5-2; G Dhar 11-0-51-1; N Woods 10-3-31-2; N Heaton 2-1-4-0