5:48pm Wednesday 4th August 2010
Leyland moved 35 points clear at the top of the Northern Premier League after a dramatic victory over derby rivals Chorley at Windsor Park.
David Makinson’s side swapped the sunshine of Malta, after completing their week-long mid-season tour for gloomy overcast Lancashire skies but acclimatised superbly to earn a maximum 15-points haul from a thrilling, low-scoring game.
After the start was delayed for 35 minutes Leyland, invited to bat by Chorley captain Andrew Holdsworth struggled on a slow, damp Windsor Park deck as Chorley gave one of their best bowling and fielding performances of the season.
Chorley’s substitute professional Andrea Agathagelou, on hire from Lancashire League outfit Rishton, appeared to have put the skids under the leaders with an inspired display of leg-spin bowling.
Agathagelou captured 7-23 runs as Leyland collapsed from 59-1 to 89 all out, and that after Andrew Makinson and Tayyab Afsar mustered an invaluable 19 for the last wicket.
Included in Agathagelou haul was his provincial captain back home in South Africa, Leyland professional Brett Pelser.
Chris Parkinson top scored with 30. Luis Reece (16) and Andrew Makinson were the others to reach double-figures. Billy Smith played a fine supporting role with 3-26 off 17 overs.
But Leyland captain David Makinson was in no mood to let slip Leyland’s hard-earned lead at the top and bowled superbly to take 8-17 off 14 overs as Chorley subsided from 20-0 to 25-7 and 60 all out.
Only four Chorley batsmen troubled the scorers as Makinson claimed three leg before decisions, bowled two more and saw Kieran McCullagh and Smith fall to superb catches by Luis Reece and Pelser respectively.
Pelser supported his captain by taking 2-12 off 14 overs. Makinson captured the final two wickets in successive balls just as light drizzle turned to heavier rain and no sooner had last-man Chris Harty been despatched leg before the heavens opened.
L Reece LBW Smith 16
C Parkinson b Agathagelou 30
H Thompson ct and b Agathagelou 7
Pelser ct Reynard b Agathagelou 1
K Cross ct Weetman b Smith 1
A Makinson ct Weetman b Agathagelou 20
N McDonnell ct McCullagh b Agathagelou 4
P Cummings b Agathagelou 0
D Makinson LBW Smith 0
M Watkinson ct Weetman b Agathagelou 2
T Afsar Not Out 1
Extras 7
Total (all out, 43.3 overs) 89
K McCullagh 5 2 5 0, J Lee 5 0 17 0, B Smith 17 4 26 3, C Harty 7 3 13 0, Agathagelou 9.3 3 23 7.
Agathagelou ct Afsar b D Makinson 10
J Catterall ct A Makinson b Pelser 10
J Reynard ct Watkinson b Pelser 0
A Weetman b D Makinson 0
M Critchley b D Makinson 15
W Moulton LBW Makinson 0
K McCullagh ct Reece b D Makinson 0
A Holdsworth LBW b D Makinson 0
B Smith ct Pelser b D Makinson 15
J Lee Not Out 0
C Harty LBW D Makinson 0
Extras 10
Total (all out, 35 overs) 60
L Reece 6 2 20 0, Pelser 14 7 12 2, D Makinson 14 5 17 8, P Cummings 1 0 6 0.
Leyland won by 29 runs.
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