BRILLIANT Chorley stunned Northern Premier League leaders St Annes as they had fun in the sun and thrashed the title favourites by 117 runs at Windsor Park.

It was a stunning display from Andy Holdsworth’s men, who finished rock bottom last year but are now second with a game in hand on St Annes and are starting to look every inch the title challengers.

Chorley were indebted to a superb innings by Will Moulton who took on dangerous St Annes professional Dinuka Hettiarachchi in a brilliant innings as his top order team-mates wobbled.

While Hettiarachchi caused havoc on his way to stunning figures of 8-56 off 24 overs, Moulton, who was dropped in the outfield on seven, batted quite magnificently for his side.

He made 90 off just 93 balls with nine fours and five sixes before he was bowled just 10 runs short of what would have been a glorious century.

Despite his heroics, Chorley only managed 185 as Hettiarachchi wheeled away to his fine figures, which included five leg before decisions.

St Annes’ opener and former Pakistan Test man Atiq uz-Zaman hit the first 29 of his side’s reply before falling to a superb caught-and-bowled by Iain Critchley.

The Chorley left-arm spinner bowled superbly to take 4-31 from 15 overs after opening the bowling with Billy Smith who took 2-14.

Professional Gaurav Dhar chipped in with 3-22 and Chorley’s supreme fielding backed up the bowlers as St Annes collapsed to 68 all out, Jimmy Lee claiming the final wicket with his first ball.

Chorley
A Holdsworth b Hettiarachchi 0
J Catterall lbw Hettiarachchi 15
M Critchley lbw Hettiarachchi 0
W Moulton b Willis 90
S Naden lbw Hettiarachchi 0
Dhar lbw Hettiarachchi 0
I Critchley lbw Hettiarachchi 13
J Bentham b Hettiarachchi 29
A Weetman st Whalley b Hettiarachchi 18
B Smith b Dowling 5
J Lee Not Out 0
Extras 15
Total (all out, 48.3 overs) 185.

J Sunderland 5 1 19 0, Hettiarachchi 24 8 56 8, B Dowling 6.3 0 29 1, M Grindley 3 1 22 0, A uz-Zaman 5 0 30 0, B Willis 5 1 18 1.

St Annes
A uz-Zaman ct and b Iain Critchley 29
N Kiruparan ct Smith b Dhar 20
N Armstrong ct Moulton b Smith 0
A Kellett ct Bentham b Smith 0
D Whalley ct Smith b Dhar 4
B Dowling st Holdsworth b Dhar 9
Hettiarachchi ct Dhar b Critchley 0
N Bradley ct Smith b Critchley 0
B Willis b Critchley 4
J Sunderland lbw Lee 1
M Grindley Not Out 0
Extras 1 Total (all out, 31.1 overs) 68.

B Smith 8 4 14 2, I Critchley 15 5 31 4, Dhar 8 2 22 3, J Lee 0.1 0 0 1.

Chorley won by 117 runs.