Northern League

A SUPERB innings of 80 by opening bat Russell Cake was the highlight of Chorley's first Northern League win of the season by five wickets at St Annes.

Adrian Darlington with 45 top scored for St Annes who crumbled from a strong position of 147-4, losing five wickets for just three runs before finishing on 155-9. Chorley professional Jo Angel returned a very tidy 3-45 from 20 overs.

Cake's commanding innings, his third half-century in four games, led Chorley from a precarious 59-3 to the brink of victory. Solid support came from Neil Senior (17) and then Nigel Heaton (24 not out) as Chorley closed on 157-5 to pick up 12 points.

Darwen slumped to 100 all out to lose by 23 runs at home to Lancaster.

Lancaster reached 123-4 from their 50 overs with South African professional Andrew Lawson batting through for 54.

Darwen also found runs hard to come by and lost professional Nikhil Chopra without scoring. But Gareth Cordingley made a battling 50, Whitaker and Dennison doing the damage with the ball.

In yesterday's rain-affected Abbot's Ale Cup second round tie at Windsor Park, Chorley beat Morecambe on a faster run rate. The visitors were bowled out for 144 of which Leighton James made 55. Michael Critchley was Chorley's leading wicket taker with 3-30 and Keith Eccleshare also returned 2-19 from nine typically tight overs. Chorley replied with 68-2 in between the showers.

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