Match Report
MAGNIFICENT WHALLEY WINS IT
Chorley 202-3
St Annes 205-5
Gerry Wolstenholme
A magnificent Northern Premier League career-best knock of 91 not out by Duncan Whalley made sure that St Annes kept up their chase for the NPL title at Vernon Road on Saturday. Chasing Chorley's more than useful total of 202-3 from a rain reduced 55 overs, St Annes lost three early wickets before Whalley arrived at the crease. And he was still there at the end by which time his side had posted 205-5 to win by five wickets.
The day had begun well for St Annes as Ian Mawdsley was caught at slip by Geoff Love for four when the total was only five. Tom Smith and Jim Fazackerley then put on 92 runs for the second wicket but their partnership was not without its alarms, at least as far as Fazackerley was concerned. He was missed off a stumping chance at 22 and at 24 he was dropped at deep square leg by David Batholomew and before he was eventually dismissed he gave one further stumping chance that was missed and was also dropped from a chance at the wicket.
It was Smith who was first to go when he overbalanced moving down the wicket to Michael Baer and Whalley smartly whipped off the bails to dismiss him for 47 with the total on 97. Fazackerley and Nigel Heaton then embarked on a productive partnership with the former taking the lead. He had moved on to 76 made from 100 balls with 10 fours when Love bowled him and Chorley were 171-3.
Heaton then stepped up the pace and when the innings closed on 202-3 he had made 51 not out from 60 balls with two sixes and four fours. Stephen John, who swished and missed more often than he connected, was seven not out and none of the St Annes bowlers had done anything remarkable although they had kept Chorley down to just over 200 when, with wickets in hand, they might have scored nearer 250.
The St Annes innings quickly looked in ruins as Adrian Darlington, 11, Gareth Evans, eight, and Steve Twist, one, were all dismissed with only 23 runs on the board. Evans, who had already been dropped at point and at gully, could not survive a third chance and Fazackerley took the catch at slip off john and he had gone for eight. Twist called for a difficult second run and an excellent throw from Tom Smith just about beat him to the crease. Darlington then edged Bill Smith to wicketkeeper Neil Senior and St Annes were in real trouble.
The dependable Love and Whalley then set about rebuilding the innings and, with some judicious stroke play, they added 66 runs to keep their side in the hunt. Love was then leg before wicket to Heaton for 27 and this brought in Adam Cotton. Whalley allowed the new batsman to play his natural game and it paid off as Cotton struck 32 runs off 45 balls with one six and five fours before Heaton excellently caught him at wide long on with the total on 137-5.
A rain break had reduced St Annes overs by two but this suddenly became academic, as did the 100 runs that had been required off the final 20 overs. Whalley and Bradley accelerated away and Whalley hit John for fours boundaries in one over while Bradley steadily accumulated at the other end. Leg spinner Ian Oakes was belatedly brought into the attack in a final desperate measure by Chorley but his two overs cost him 22 runs as both batsmen feasted themselves on some loose balls. The winning runs came off John as Bradley drove the third ball of his 17th over straight to the fence and St Annes, at 205-5, were home and dry with six overs and three balls of the final 20 overs remaining. Whalley's 91 came from only 104 balls and contained three sixes and 12 fours while Russ Bradley finished on 24 not out.
Their late assault on the League title continues and the way they are playing and responding to Geoff Love's captaincy at the moment, not many would back against them having a serious say in where the silverware eventually ends up. Nest week's visit to Morecambe is vital and the visit of Darwen on 30 August could well be a title decider. But all the remaining seven games are equally important and the side will be up and ready for all of them.
