9:02am Monday 17th August 2009
By Matt Donlan
Chorley lost ground on the leading lights in the Northern League after going down by 33 runs in a dramatic, low-scoring game at Blackpool on Saturday.
Without their professional Chris Hartley, who had been called up to play for the Australian side against the England Lions, the locals were always going to be up against it.
And they couldn’t recruit a substitute for the crucial league game.
In a game that began as a 48-overs contest and was then further reduced by rain to 30 overs, Blackpool toiled to 76-8, opener John Mounsey top-scoring with 23. Matt Parry took 4-15 for Chorley. The Blackpool innings contained just four boundaries.
But Chorley then collapsed in the wake of superb seam bowling by Richard Gleeson and Andy Furniss to just 43 all out, Jack Bentham (11) hitting two of the three fours in the innings and being the only visiting player to reach double figures.
Gleeson claimed 6-21 off 9.2 overs and has now taken 47 wickets this season while Furniss had figures of 4-17.
Chorley are now 19 points off the top together with Morecambe, who were inactive.
Darwen’s South African pro David Wiese was in top form as his side beat the weather to record an eight-wicket win at Fox Lane. Wiese claimed 5-35 as Leyland subsided to 99 all out despite late resistance from skipper David Makinson (20) and James Rounding (21 not out). Kamran Anwar underlined his promise with an opening spell of 3-16 and wicket-keeper Jordan Clarke had four catches.
After a frustrating rain delay which threatened the outcome, Darwen then knocked off their target in 20.2 overs with Wiese undefeated on 59 and opener Nathan Jackson making 32.
Darwen were beaten by two wickets in the semi-final of the Furness Building Society Cup yesterday.
Mark Emery top scored with 44 as the locals posted 176-8 from their 40 overs and despite Chris Clarke claiming 5-30, Netherfield got home with five balls to spare with John Huck hitting 79 not out.
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