Chorley looking to get back to winning ways

Leaders Chorley Cricket Club will be aiming to get back on the winning trail this weekend when they travel to face Preston in the Northern League.
Lukman VahaluwalaLukman Vahaluwala
Lukman Vahaluwala

After recording three wins out of three to go top of the table, Andrew Holdsworth’s men were brought back down to earth with a bump last Saturday.

The men from Windsor Park failed to make home advantage count in the first round-robin stage of the league’s Twenty20 cup 
competition.

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They were well beaten by derby rivals Preston and 
Leyland, but have the chance to gain quick revenge over Sajid Patel’s men in the 
longer format of the game when they travel to West Cliff.

Preston have picked up just one win in the league so far this season, but will have been buoyed by their Twent20 victory over 
Chorley.

Lukman Vahaluwala struck a marvellous unbeaten 81 as Preston posted 145 all out.

He then took three wickets with the ball as Chorley were dismissed for 108 – 
Andrew Starkie took 4-15.

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Chorley also came unstuck against Leyland, who benefited from posting a huge 200-plus total off their 20 overs, with Sri Lanka professional 
Pabasara 
Waduge hitting top form with a superb century, while Andrew Makinson scored 62.

The men from Fox Lane can move to the top of the Norther League table if they beat Morecambe at 
Woodhill Lane this weekend and Chorley slip up against Preston

“We played really well on Saturday,” said skipper David Makinson, who will be on the sidelines over the next month after breaking his finger.

“It was nice for Waduge to get runs under his belt – that will give him some confidence after a couple of low scores.

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“It was his first hundred for the club and his placement was brilliant.

“How he manipulated the field with some 
precision batting was great. Andrew was hitting sixes – they worked well together.”

On Sunday, it is the first round of the Lancashire Cricket Board’s Knockout Cup.

Selected fixtures are as follows: Fulwood and Broughton v Chorley, Egerton v Great Eccleston, Todmorden v Freckleton, Croston v Whalley, Longridge v Euxton, Penwortham v Crompton, Leyland v Bury, Vernon Carus v Preston, Blackpool v Garstang.