A SUPERB captain's innings by Neil Bannister earned Chorley a draw against league leaders and title favourites St Annes.

St Annes have assembled a powerful outfit this season, spearheaded by Australian professional Shane Harwood, a fast bowler of ferocious pace.

Having won the toss Bannister put the home side in to bat and Tom Smith struck early to remove Adrian Darlington.

Chorley were then unlucky not to see the back of St Annes' captain, and former Lancashire stalwart Ian Austin, who was given not out when he appeared to have got a nick to Neil Senior behind the stumps.

That decision was to cost Chorley a heap of runs.

Austin was eventually run out for 98 as St Annes piled up 242-6 from their 52 overs, a total which unusually did not contain a single 50 partnership.

Even on such a good batting track this was a daunting target and all eyes were now on the turbo-charged Harwood.

He made an immediate impact when his opening delivery crashed onto Tom Smith's pads. Although the ball seemed to have hit the edge of his bat, the umpire's finger went up and the pro' was on his way back to the pavilion.

Neil Bannister and Nigel Heaton were then subjected to a fierce barrage from Harwood, with Chorley having their own piece of good fortune when Heaton was caught off a no ball. Once they saw off Harwood's opening spell, though, batting became easier.

Bannister was playing beautifully and he and Heaton posted the day's biggest stand of 75 before Harwood returned to rattle Heaton's stumps with a peach of a delivery.

Three overs later Harwood struck again to bowl Paul Greenwood with a terrific piece of reverse swing before trapping Mike Critchley LBW.

The veteran Neil Senior joined Bannister and they saw Chorley through to the close with Bannister going on to make a superb century containing 14 boundaries and three sixes and finishing on 101 not out.

This was a real captain's knock and put the icing on a tremendous day of cricket.

On Saturday Chorley travel to Fleetwood and on Sunday return to the coast to take on Blackpool in the Thwaites Smooth League Cup.