SOUTH African professional Pieter Strydom cracked an unbeaten century to steer Netherfield to a seven-wicket win on the opening day of the new Northern Premier League season on Saturday.

Strydom, skipper of Border in his native country, made an unbeaten 105 and found strong support from Craig Walmsley, 50, and Rishi Girhari, 34 not out, as Netherfield knocked off a big score of 240-5.

Chorley opener Tom Smith had hit the highest score of the match with 139 not out but it could not prevent his side suffering defeat on their own Windsor Park ground.

Chorley were without Stephen John, one of several Pakistani professionals in the league to be delayed from travelling because of a

backlog in processing visa applications.

Instead Bolton-based left-arm spinner/batsman Ian Critchley came into the side as a substitute.

On winning the toss, Chorley's decision to bat looked fully justified as Smith, who has a habit of making runs against Netherfield, carved his way to 139, smashing five sixes and 13 fours along the way.

Netherfield's attack was depleted with Scott Clement still a week away from recovering full fitness from a leg injury. With David Wheatman also sidelined this season due to illness, Stuart Nixon opened the bowling with teenager Ryan Wilson.

But with the prolonged warm weather taming the wicket, it was left to a mix-up between the batsmen to produce a breakthrough when anchor-man Ian Mawdesley was run out in the 23rd over

of the afternoon, having made 15 of the 68 runs on the board.

Chorley were clearly heading towards a formidable total before the second wicket fell on 180, and again it was a self-inflicted blow as skipper James Fazackerley took one too many liberties with Strydom's spin and sent the bails flying by hitting his own wicket.

That stand of 112 in 26 overs put the home team in the driving seat and they added a further 60 runs off the remaining eight overs for the loss of three more wickets.

Nixon bowled Nigel Heaton as a reward for his 13-over stint and then Strydom claimed two wickets in the final over to finish with 3-50, bowling stand-in Critchley before giving skipper Tommy Prime a last-ball stumping.

Gareth White back for a second spell at Parkside Road - opened the Netherfield innings with Craig Walmsley and made 22 out of 33 when bowled.

It was the ninth over and Strydom joined Walmsley to put on 82 for the second wicket before the latter holed out on featuring two sixes and seven fours.

Newcomer Chris Parry from Carnforth replaced him and the score moved on to 147 after 42 overs when Parry became Ben Smith's second victim for 11.

Going into the last 20 overs, Netherfield required 78 to win and Rishi Girdhari, grandson of the club's famous professional of the mid-60s, ensured that Chorley did not rock the boat as he shared in a stand of 96 with Strydom to bring up victory on 243 for three with eight overs to spare.

Strydom's 105 not out came off 111 balls and contained four sixes and 12 fours.

April 25, 2003 10:30