ATHERTON batsman Jonathan Fearick was in knockout form for Bolton Association at the weekend.

But, despite his man-of-the-match performance, the Lancashire Knockout champions fell at the first hurdle.

They crashed out in a 41-run defeat to the Saddleworth League.

And that was sweet revenge for Saddleworth who lost to the Bolton men in the semi-finals of last year's competition.

Poor fielding gave the Association a tough target of 226-9 to chase but it looked a possibility until key batsmen Tony Kelly and Brett Collins lost their wickets in fairly close succession.

The Association went to Flowery Field in confident mood after last season's stunning success in the competition but it was one of the strengths of that winning campaign that let them down on Sunday.

"We were a good fielding side last season but we fielded badly this time," explained team manager Derek Bannister.

"Ben Johnson, who changed the game for them with his 45, was dropped four times, and, instead of having a total of 180 to chase, we end up chasing 226.

"We had some successes, like Jonathan Fearick who was given man of the match, and Tony Kelly who hit 74, but our fielding lost us the game.

"If you don't take your catches, you don't win the game."

Anthony Buckley (61) and Stuart Hanson (56) set Saddleworth on their way to a big total, but it was former Bolton League player Johnson's 45 in 27 balls (which included two sixes and six fours) that really swung the balance in their favour.

Fearick starred with the ball with 5-38 while Spring View's Andrew Fox took 3-50.

The task became tougher for the Association when they lost the early wickets of Jamie Birch and Adam Coates cheaply but captain Kelly and Brett Collins steadied the ship and put the Bolton team back on course to make a game of it.

Kelly's 74 came from 96 balls. But when he went, followed by Collins, with the score on 128, the Association never recovered and the run rate proved beyond them despite Fearick completing his starring show with 22.

THERE was more disappointment for the Bolton Association when their U18s were beaten in the Junior Inter-League Knockout, falling to the Saddleworth League at Clifton.