IT was smiles all round at Higham Park on Saturday as firstly Steve Walsh won a rare toss and then Atherton went on to bank another 20 points towards their quest for Redmayne Bentley Bolton Association championship honours with a four-wicket win against Darcy Lever.

Asking the visitors to bat first, the bowling was opened by Greg Dimery for the score box end with Ian Nuttall opening from the football ground end.

Equally scarce

Although wickets were not forthcoming, runs were equally scarce to come by and at the end of the 13th over just 23 were on the board. However the next over produced both a wicket and runs, Nuttall making the breakthrough by having Nick Fawcett lbw one ball after the same player had hoisted him for six over square leg.

Next man in, professional Yashir Bashir had the last ball of the over to face and immediately posted his intentions by stroking it for four through mid-wicket.

The scoring rate picked up and the best partnership of the innings, 60, developed between Bashir and Gerald Harper.

It was the 32nd over before the partnership was broken when Phil Wakefield, who had replaced Nuttall, induced Harper to snick one to wicket-keeper Phil Williamson. Harper had scored 39 but it had taken 97 balls.

The rest of the innings became a procession of batsmen coming and going as Wakefield hit the spot to take the next six wickets, three of them snapped up by Williamson. There were also two excellent outfield catches by Paul Brown and Rob Clews.

Bashir top scored with 64 but he never dominated either Wakefield or David Charlson who bowled a tight 12 overs for 32 after replacing Dimery. An all out score of 159 looked an achievable target for the Higham Park outfit.

Wakefield finished with a magnificent 7-63 from 15 while Williamson's four catches complemented nicely the seven victims to his name in the Under 18s inter-league game the previous Wednesday.

Atherton's continued failure to find a settled opening pair, saw Charlson and Greg Greenough given the nod. Charlson soon found himself batting with Dimery as Greenough unluckily played on in the second over.

There then followed a fruitful partnership of 73 between the two, scored at the rate of four an over. Runs were coming so quickly that it looked as though they would see their side to victory without further loss and it was somewhat of a surprise when Charlson nicked to John Norris behind the stumps for 39.

Quick succession

A mini crisis followed as both Phil West (4) and Brown (0) went in quick succession. But Dimery, as reliable as ever, held firm and aided by two well-struck knocks of 16 and 12 from Paul Walsh and Clews, saw Atherton home in the 38th over.

The Aussie pro finished on 81 not out to push his total runs for the season to 933 in all competitions.

Tomorrow Atherton make the short trip to Gin Pit to take on local rivals Astley and Tyldesley.