THE second half of the Northern League season begins with a cracker at the top as Chorley face a massive game with leaders St Annes tomorrow.

The early leaders have been overtaken by the seasiders and go into the game six points behind - and the game promises to be a full-on scrap.

There is no finer way to commence the second half of the season than to have the top two teams in opposition.

Chorley hope to be near full-strength, apart from the injured Josh Tolley and Kieran McCullagh. Nigel Eastham, Ian Oakes, Billy Smith and Rex Purnell could all return.

Michael Baer returned to the St Annes side after completing his university commitments and took six wickets against Darwen last weekend, while Chorley must also try to stop the league’s top amateur, Atiq uz-Zaman.

The former Pakistani Test man is this year’s top batsman with 516 runs at 64.5.

Fleetwood v Carnforth, Kendal v Barrow, Lancaster v Leyland, Morecambe v Blackpool, Preston v Darwen, St Annes v Chorley, Netherfield no game