Chorley said goodbye to professional JJ Smuts this weekend as he prepares to travel to Australia on international duties. Jon Jon has been selected to join the South African emerging players XI on a tour of Australia and was given a great send off by players and club members alike.

With only two thirds of the season gone Smuts showed his talents scoring a total of 747 league runs in 16 league games at an average of 57.46. This accounted for 29% of the total team runs in this period and was only a portion of the 1034 runs he scored in all competitions.

In his period at Chorley Smuts broke both the clubs highest individual score record for the first division with an impress 177* against Carnforth and also took highest total runs for a professional overtaking Stuart Duffs 1987 record of 740. This shows the standard of professionals playing at Windsor Park after last year saw the test debut of 2008 pro Friedel De Wet and Australian Chris Hartley (2009 pro) was named both Sheffield Shield player of the year and won the Ian Healey Award for Queensland player of the year.

This weekend will see Chorley lock horns with local rivals Leyland with all eyes being focused on the selected sub pro Andrea Agathagelou who has been drafted in from Rishton who will aim to emulate the contributions of his departed countrymen aswell as turn over Leyland professional and captain of his South African side Brett Pesler.

HIGHLY promising batsman Stuart Naden has won the Chorley Cricket Club Player of the Month award for April/May, sponsored by the White Hart, Chorley.

The 17-year-old opening batsman has had a superb start to the season, scoring an impressive 227 runs for the club's second XI up to the end of May, which included a brilliant 79 at Lancaster. He has continued his fine form into June, with 96 against Morecambe and 49 in last week's home win over Carnforth, helping his side to third place in the table.

Second XI skipper Ian Mawdesley said he was delighted for Naden, and added that he showed every sign of continuing his good form through the rest of the season.

The player received his prize of a food and drink voucher for the White Hart from the pub's landlord Paul Mulhearn.

"Stuart is a deserved winner and I hope he enjoys his prize," he said "We have a brand new eight foot screen at the White Hart for the World Cup and it's a great time to get down here and enjoy watching the football in a friendly, lively atmosphere."  

This is the first ever Chorley CC Player of the Month award, which is open to all players, with the winner being chosen by the skippers of the club's senior sides.  

Photo: Paul Mulhearn, left, landlord of the White Hart, presents the Chorley CC April/May Player of the Month award to Stuart Naden at the club's Windsor Park ground. 

In the summer of 1978 1st team captain Bob Yardley set a new Chorley Cricket Club record scoring 151 not out. This was the highest individual score for the club for 32 years until this week when Pro Jon Jon Smuts surpassed Yardleys record scoring a crowding pleasing 177* at Carnforth on Saturday. 

Smuts brought up a chanceless hundred in the 45th over after opening the batting. He then progressed to move from 100 to 178 in 22 balls sharing an 80 run partnership with Kieren McCullagh who contributed3 not out from his 3 balls faced. Smuts scored his 177 in 139 balls scoring 15 fours and 10 sixes in an innings that put Chorley back on winning ways and showed the talent and promise that the young 21 year old has, talent that has been recognised by his national selectors as Smuts prepares to represent his nation in the squad of emerging South African cricketers due to tour South Africa.