THIS really was the Tom Smith show.

Chorley's sublimely talented all-rounder, fresh from England Under 19 and Lancashire 2nd XI duty, rattled a brilliant 89 and then collected four cheap wickets as Chorley picked up 15 points from a hard fought win.

Having been put in by Leyland, Chorley were given their best start of the season as Smith and Nicky Woods posted 91 for the first wicket.

Woods departed for 27 tamely cutting to gully, but professional Stephen John maintained the impetus adding 72 with Smith in just 13 overs.

Smith's innings was a thing of beauty full of wonderful shots and containing 13 fours and a massive six which must have finished in a different post code area.

A ton seemed inevitable until Smith miscued an attempted pull to sky a catch to keeper Williams.

From the high point of 163/1 the Chorley innings subsided.

Stephen John was caught for 44 but only Neil Senior and Billy Smith of the remaining batsmen made it to double figures before Smith's dismissal brought the declaration in the 47th over, Wright bowling with great heart to finish with 5/55.

Billy Smith then made an early breakthrough trapping Walsh LBW but professional Atiq and captain Mercer, the latter having been given a life, added 39 before Atiq went LBW to give Tom Smith his first wicket.

Mercer found another ally in Afsar and the pair took the score to 96 before Tom Smith shattered Mercer's stumps.

Dunk soon perished but at the start of the final 20 overs, Leyland stood in a good position at 124/4.

Any hopes of a first win of the season quickly ended though as Jolly and Pullett were bowled in successive overs.

Afsar's additional innings, 31 runs in 108 minutes, was finally ended by Tom Smith's fierce yorker and John collected his solitary wicket, a brilliant catch off his own bowling to remove Williams.

Tom Smith hit the stumps for a third time before Billy Smith wrapped things up when he had out Brown flashing a catch to John at slip with 13 balls left.

The victory leaves Chorley in fifth place in the league 23 points behind leaders Netherfield with a game in hand on them.

On Saturday Chorley travel to third placed Fleetwood.

Final score: Chorley 216/9 dec Leyland 169