Depleted firsts suffer heavy defeat

An under-strength Lancaster were given a stiff lesson after another batting collapse away at Windsor Park.

Chorley have been this season’s surprise package and now sit second following their 84 run victory.

On the other hand Lancaster have struggled to find league form in recent weeks with their list of injuries beginning to lengthen.
Rain greeted both teams in Chorley reducing the game to 36 overs-a-side.

Ben Simm won his second toss of the year and decided to make the most of the moisture on offer by bowling first.

Iain Perrieman was the pick of Lancaster’s bowlers and made the early breakthrough forcing Ian Oakes into a miscued pull to Alex Metcalfe at mid-on.

But it was as good as it got for the visitors as David Fisher found his timing after surviving a caught-behind chance off Simm in the early exchanges.

Support for Fisher came in the shape Ian Dickinson as Chorley motored past fifty on a diet of boundary balls.

A wet ball often made conditions difficult for Lancaster as Simm switched to his back up bowlers searching for a way back into the game.

Fisher was now into his stride – despatching anything that strayed onto his legs. Left-armer Elliot Mason found out the hard way as a length delivery was clipped over the trees and into the graveyard for a huge maximum.

At 102 for 1, Matthew Liver gave Lancaster hope when Dickinson clipped to Perrieman at mid-wicket for 37.

Simm returned to remove the tiring Fisher for 70 but Chorley Pro Brenton McDonald ensured no collapse for the hosts by working the ball around.

With wickets in the shed, Chorley could afford to throw the bat and duly did.

Lancaster did claw their way back however, with Will Moulton and Jack Bentham falling in quick succession to Simm and the returning Perrieman.

Jack Catterall’s stay at 7 was also brief after a mix-up following a mis-field by Metcalfe at mid-off led to a straightforward run out.

Chorley skipper Andy Holdsworth gave Chorley the late push they were looking for. His 37 from 31 balls made Lancaster look ragged with errors slipping into the visitors’ out-fielding.

Holdsworth holed out off the final ball to give Simm his third but the damage was done – the hosts finishing on a commanding 191 for 7.

Chasing north of five-an-over was always going to be a stiff ask for an under-strength Lancaster but Jamie Heywood and Alex Metcalfe showed positive intent.

Heywood looked to advance on the fast bowlers while Metcalfe eyed the aerial route through straight.

James Lee accounted for Heywood with the score 17 as the right-hander inside edged onto his stumps.

Professional Rameez Raja joined Metcalfe and despite an early boundary through the covers, struggled to get into his stride against the probing left-arm seam of Kieran McCullagh.

Metcalfe tried to keep pace with the required rate finding the odd boundary but 191 looked a long way away when Edwin Moulton had Raja caught down the leg-side for just 12. 50 for 2.

Kieran Moffat’s stay at number four was a brief one as the left-hander was left stranded after he attempted a suicidal single to get off the mark – 55 for 3.

With Lancaster’s middle-order now exposed, Chorley sensed a chance. Pro Brenton McDonald replaced McCullagh as Iain Perrieman walked to the crease.

Metcalfe gave Lancaster a glimmer of hope pulling McDonald to the boundary and riding his luck to keep the asking rate around eight-an-over. But wickets continued to fall.

Perrieman top-edged a slog sweep to deep mid-wicket for just 2 and when Metcalfe departed for 49, edging a drive behind to the diving Holdsworth, Lancaster were teetering on 84 for 5.

The visitors’ weak batting line-up was now there for the taking. James Davies holed out top-edging to point for a duck and an injured Lee Sparks couldn’t call on his recent form when he too top-edged McDonald after putting his first ball over square-leg for six.

Danny Welbourne didn’t look comfortable at the crease and became the leg-spinner’s fourth padding up to a googly to give McDonald his third and put Lancaster at risk of a big loss at 90 for 8.

Elliot Mason and Ben Simm looked to have saved Lancaster from outright defeat but the 35th over from McDonald changed things.
Mason was adjudged caught behind down the leg-side and two balls later it was all over as the Australian’s googly flummoxed number 11 Matthew Liver to give Chorley all the points.