NETHERFIELD were supreme with both bat and ball as South African professional Dale Benkenstein grabbed seven for 31 to sweep aside Chorley for an impressive 181-run victory on Saturday.

An action-packed weekend in the Northern Premier League featured a double-header of league fixtures and Tommy Prime's men emerged with a total of 25 points after a winning draw at Lancaster on Sunday.

It saw Netherfield move onto 160 points and open a 19-point lead with Morecambe and Fleetwood, now in joint second place place on 141.

Fleetwood, along with fourth-placed Darwen, still have a match in hand, so there can be no resting on laurels, but judged on Saturday's display the Parkside lads are as as keen as ever to land another title.

Although Saturday's grey start with persistent rain did not augur well, the weather brightened up by afternoon and Netherfield only lost four overs before play began shortly before 1.30pm.

Netherfield seized the match by the throat after winning the toss and electing to bat with Craig Walmsley hitting 104 out of a testing total of 239-8 off the 53 overs.

After opening partner Chris Parry played on for six, Walmsley, who had a couple of extra 'lives' thanks to spilled catches, featured in stands of 65 and 60 with Gareth White and Benkenstein respectively.

White was held at long-off for 21 in the 19th over with the score on 84, and Benkenstein made 24 as he stayed with Walmsley for another 10 overs to push the score on to 144 when caught behind in the 29th over.

Grahame Clarke contributed nine before he was run out in a mix-up in a call for a second run and Walmsley was the fifth wicket to fall, his 104 featuring five sixes and nine fours and coming off 123 balls and 139 minutes.

At 189-5 with still 13 overs to come, Netherfield skipper Tommy Prime produced a well-judged 32 before he was the eighth and last wicket to fall, leaving Netherfield defending a very tidy score of 239-5.

What was to come was pure carnage for a weakened Chorley line-up. Apart from opener Tom Smith's 28, the batting was ripped apart with no one else managing to reach double figures.

Benkenstein weighed in with 7-31 - his best set of bowling figures for the club so far and sent down six maidens in his 13-over spell.

While Chorley had an undistinguished day in the field, Netherfield held their catches as Chorley lost their last five wickets for six runs and were hustled out for an ignominious 58 in under 26 overs.

n RUNS flowed again on Sunday when Netherfield set almost exactly the same score of 236-7 at Lancaster. But this time their opponents would not be budged and finished 28 runs short of victory at 209-7.

White top-scored for Netherfield with 57 but therewere a couple of useful stands featuring Benkenstein (46) and Clarke (44) to enable the visitors to top the 200-mark by the 50th over.

Lancaster's left-arm spinner Chris Glover took 4-79.

When Lancaster replied, they reached 48 in 15 overs before Netherfield made the breakthrough.

At 50-2 the match was in the balance and a third-wicket stand of 58 in 21 overs between professional Renier Munnik and Ben Harrison provided the stability the home side sought.

A flurry of wickets curbed their ambitions, however, as Marc Hadwin took 4-86 and Stuart Nixon 3-37.

Instead Lancaster batted out the draw to close on 209-7 - perhaps a little surprised that they got as close as they did to Netherfield's score and left pondering what a bit more impetus in the middle-order might have achieved.

COMING UP: Fleetwood away on Saturday and trip to Blackpool in the cup on Sunday.