ASTLEY and Tyldesley have been the whipping boys for longer than they care to remember.

But Bolton Association top two Walshaw and Adlington will have different degrees of respect for them after last weekend.

After stubbornly forcing a draw with champions Walshaw on Saturday the team which finished bottom last season and went into the weekend propping up the rest, produced a stunning victory over leaders Adlington.

It was the first time the top club had been beaten this season, and nobody could have predicted the way it came about.

Things looked bleak for A&T when they were skittled for a measly 64. They couldn't get to grips with professional left arm spinner Matthew Taylor who followed up his 6-12 24 hours earlier with a remarkable 8-23. Rob Bennett top scored for A&T with 27.

Adlington, who bowled out Blackrod in the second innings for the meagre total of 33 on Saturday, got a taste of their own medicine as they managed just 44 runs in reply. Medium pacer Simon Nicklin produced a captain's performance with a stunning 7-21 while pro Nigel Doyle picked up the rest for just 13 runs.

The reward for A&T was that, although on the same points as Daisy Hill, they moved off the bottom by virtue of the fact that they have won a match and Daisy have not.

Champions Walshaw took their Saturday frustrations out on Atherton.

The Bury side showed their quality to complete a miserable weekend for Atherton.

Atherton had gone into the weekend handily placed in fourth but a last ball defeat at Clifton on Saturday was followed by finding themselves on the wrong end of a one-sided contest.

They had no answer to Walshaw pro Jonathon Fielding who took 5-35 as Atherton were restricted to 112-9. Barry Hamilton claimed 4-53 while Atherton pro Andy Hall top scored with 40.

Fielding finished what he had started when he took the bat and struck an unbeaten 61 to lead his team past the target with seven wickets remaining.

Daisy Hill hit rock bottom with an 80-run defeat at Little Hulton.

Little Hulton produced 151-8 with Paul Craig top scoring with 45 and pro Dave Parkinson hitting 41, S.Evans took 5-38 and pro Chris Jones 3-59.

Little Hulton's Andy Sutherland ripped through Daisy's batting order, taking 7-36 while Parkinson mopped up the other three wickets at a cost of 33 runs as Daisy managed 71 in reply.

On Saturday Daisy Hill had the better of the draw when they entertained Lostock.

Mark Penny led the scoring for the home side with 66 while Jamie Birch showed what a good aquisition he could be as he compiled a half century in fairly quick time.

Graham Beswick took Lostock's bowling honours with 5-48.

In reply Lostock ended the day on 153-4 and on reflection they might feel they should have got a lot closer or possibly won the game. Main contributions to that total came from Matthew Syddall with 47 and pro Wayne Harper 55.