IN their Northern Premier League Division One game at Vernon Road last Saturday, St Annes failed to reach the total that their early batting threatened.

After an excellent start, the middle order did not capitalise so that they only reached 199-5 after their 57 overs. In reply Chorley started badly, recovered, then lost further wickets before winning by three wickets with a score of 200-7 with one over and three balls of the game remaining.

The St Annes start was their best of the season as young prodigy Jack Kelliher and Gareth Evans put on 119 before being parted in the 37th over. Kelliher was the more secure of the two with Evans playing and missing a number of times. But he stuck to his task and proved an able ally to the youngster. It was Evans, 44 from 117 balls with four fours, who was first to go when he edged Ian Mawdsley's first ball to wicketkeeper Neil Senior.

Kelliher followed his partner to the pavilion at 133 when, having escaped from a sitter to Tom Smith at mid-wicket in Stephen John's previous over, he drove lamely at the professional to be caught by Andy Harty at mid-on. It was a disappointing end to a lovely innings of 66 made from 129 balls with seven fours.

With Geoff Love seemingly struggling to keep the scoreboard moving, Stephen Twist provided the impetus and he made a quick 27 before he holed out to John at long-on off Mawdsley and St Annes were 162-3. It was soon 176-4 when Joe Davies fell leg before wicket to Smith for two, and Love was the final wicket to fall at 196. He had made 27 in 66 minutes from 50 balls when he skied John for Senior to nip from behind the stumps to take a simple catch. Adrian Darlington made 11 not out and Russ Bradley one not out as St Annes closed on a somewhat disappointing 199-5.

Chorley's reply began disastrously as Smith was lbw to Davies before a run was on the board and Iqbal Patel was comprehensively bowled by Twist for nought when the total was only four. Mawdsley and Nigel Heaton then put on 69 runs, with the former playing supremely well and taking advantage of the many poor balls on offer. He hit everything that deserved hitting to the boundary, so much so that when he was out for 44 he had hit 10 fours from the 56 balls that he faced. He edged Love to James Ellis behind the stumps and Chorley were 73-3.

Heaton, who struck one glorious six over long off from Kelliher, carried on the attack and, with John as his partner, had taken Chorley to 162 when in the space of four runs three wickets fell. John was the first to go when he fell leg before wicket to Twist and then Heaton, 78 from 97 balls with eight fours and three sixes, was caught at deep mid-wicket by Sean Bickerdike. Jim Fazackerley was quickly adjudged caught by Ellis off Love for nought and Chorley were 166-6.

A seventh wicket fell at 173 when Ian Oakes, five, was out to a superb catch by Kelliher at extra cover off Love, but that was the extent of St Annes' success. Mark Richardson, 12 not out, and John Hotham, 11 not out, saw them home without any further alarms at 200-7 with nine balls remaining.

St Annes 199-5 Chorley 200-7

While St Annes were losing, neighbours Blackpool were comfortably defeating Preston at West Cliff. The home side batted first and could make only 122 with former Blackpool skipper Rudra Singh top scoring with 33. Stephen Croft took a League best 5-30 and David Brookes had 4-42.

Blackpool's reply lasted only 25.2 overs as stand-in professional Martin van Jaarsveld blasted 63 not out off only 52 balls with three sixes and six fours. He put on 64 in 32 minutes with Croft, who was 12 not out, as Blackpool cantered home by eight wickets at 125-2.