On Saturday, Stand entertained Royton in a very close encounter at Hamilton Road.

The visitors won the toss and put the home side into bat.

Stand got off to a promising start, and after losing Taylor for 13, Alistair Roberts and Martin Hegg added a 2nd wicket partnership of 87 to move the score along to 111.

Roberts played his way to a fine knock of 56 and Hegg made 16.

With nine wickets and eleven overs of the innings remaining, Stand were poised for a high total. However, the home side lost all nine remaining wickets for only 31 runs as the innings folded on 145.

The Royton reply got off to a nervy start, with Hegg claiming the wickets of the two openers with the score on 12. Imam and Teall added 38 for the third wicket, before Imam was superbly stumped by McLean off a leg-side wide bowled by Wright.

Teall was then run out by Inman and Wright also trapped Woodward leg before. At this point, Royton were 73-5 at the half-way stage and Stand were well on top.

A vital 6th-wicket partnewrship of 37 between Hulme and Hughes swayed the balance of the game back in Royton's favour at 110-6.

Hughes was then removed by Hegg with the assistance of a breath-taking catch by wicket-keeper McLean, who took the catch in the vacant second slip position.

McLean then stumped Hulme off Wright's bowling and Hegg clean bowled Dickinson. This left the visitors requiring 16 runs from 16 balls for victory.

Clarke and Bell saw Royton home with five balls to spare as Stand snatched defeat from the jaws of victory, with the batting being the main weakness after a good display in the field.

Next week, Stand travel to Ashton in a must win game.