Chorley director backs men to be in contention for Northern Premier Cricket League title contention
Chorley maybe currently languishing near the foot of the early Northern Premier League Division One table, but cricket director Oliver Smith has backed his club to mount a serious title bid this summer.
The men from Windsor Park, who host St Annes this weekend, have picked up just one win from their opening four league games.
However, that record contrasts markedly to their form in the cups where they have won three out of three in the league stages of the 40-Over competitions.
They are also through to the next round of the Lancashire Foundation Knockout Cup after a narrow one-wicket win over Roe Green earlier this month.
Their defeats in the league have come on the opening day of the season at Carlisle, while they were disappointingly beaten by derby rivals Leyland at Fox Lane last weekend.
Their other game scheduled game at home to reigning champions Kendal was cancelled because of the weather.
While Smith would have liked to have seen his men higher up the table, he knows the league season has barely begun.
Chorley's Holy Grail is to win the title for the first time in 46 years – they came mightily close to ending that barren run in 2023 when they were agonisingly pipped to the post by one point by Kendal.
“We have just got to stick to the process,” Smith said. “We know what to do and if we stick to that then I think we will be right up there at the end of the season because we have got depth in our squad right across the board.
"We do have a couple of players from the second team who can come in.
"You look at our squad and we are really pleased with it. We have got all aspects covered in terms of bat, ball, seam, spin – it’s very good. It’s about putting it all together. I would back us to beat anybody on our day as long as we are at pretty much at full strength.
"That is so important. We should have won the league three years ago but I remember we lost a game to Eccleston on bank holiday Monday and we had three or four players – that ultimately cost us the league.”
“It just shows how availability is key.”
NPCL Div One: Blackpool v Kendal, Carlisle v Garstang, Chorley v St Annes, Longridge v Settle, Netherfield v Leyland.
Div Two: Carnforth v Penwortham, Euxton v Barrow, F&B v Great Eccleston, Lytham v Morecambe, TC v Preston, Whalley v Fleetwood.
PS Champ: Eccleston v Netherfield, Garstang v Burneside, Lancaster v Heysham, Mawdesley v Vernon Carus, Penrith v Westgate, Torrisholme v Fylde.