CHORLEY turned in an outstanding display to start the 2013 Chorley Building Society Northern League campaign in style as they hammered fancied Kendal.

The Lake District outfit have strengthened their team over the winter and have big plans to challenge – but Chorley were the better side by a country mile on the first day as professional Gaurav Dhar claimed eight wickets.

Skipper Andrew Holdsworth led from the front with the bat as he made 51 for the locals before being stumped on the final ball of the innings, while new boy Ian Dickinson contributed well as he made 37.

Those efforts helped Chorley to post 154-8 but that didn’t seem enough as Kendal started their reply well.

But Dhar finally broke through and removed the dangerous Ryan Nelson and the introduction of Iain Critchley at the other end slowed the home side down.

Critchley claimed the wicket of Dan Salpietro as the Rishton man looked to up the ante as he deputised for Kendal but from that point on it was all about Dhar.

He tweaked and turned his way through the Kendal batting order and returned outstanding figures of 8-35 as the home side subsided to 96 all out.

Darwen’s bid for opening day glory was foiled by the brilliance of Ramsbottom’s South African batting sensation Pieter Malan, who returned to the Northern League for a day as Lancaster sub-pro.

Malan, who re-wrote a host of records when Barrow paid man, hit 122 at Birch Hall as Lancaster piled up 190-7.

Chris Wade claimed five wickets for the Towers, who themselves had Clinton Perren as sub-pro.

He top scored with 38, while John Cordingley chipped in with 24 but no Darwen man could go on and make the big impact and in the end they closed on 173-8.

Leyland beat Morecambe, whose preparations for the game were ruined by the news of the sudden death of their former amateur star Graham Fisher on Saturday morning.

But Fisher’s other club Blackpool were big winners on the day thanks to Lancashire star Steven Croft.

He made 128 on his return to his home club – and then claimed four wickets as they hammered Blackpool.

Baxenden’s Toby Bulcock claimed 8-50 on his debut as St Annes professional but they drew with Netherfield at Vernon Road, while Barrow beat defending champions Fleetwood by 10 runs in a thriller at Broadwater.

Fleetwood pro Ian Holland claimed four wickets as Barrow were shot out for just 107 but last year’s runners-up hit back to win by 10 runs.