Cricket: Double gloom for Unsworth

They entertained Norden on Saturday and were summarily dismissed for a quite inadequate 121.

Only Mark Manley, playing a solid, captain's innings, came to terms with a fairly difficult wicket and he picked up his ones and twos when they presented themselves and top scored with 35.

There appeared less in the wicket when Norden replied, the Unsworth attack lacked penetration and only two wickets fell before Norden collected the points.

A greater degree of resolution was required by Unsworth, a drier field might have helped, but 24 hours later they went from bad to worse.

Hosts Oldham made 183 for 9 in their 50 overs, opener Inkpen providing the perfect anchor role with 65 runs, but the biggest disappointment was the 31 extras despite good work from Manley who took 6 for 51.

In reply only Saeed showed real resistance with 35 runs, number eight Irfan was the only other players to reach double figures and Unsworth were all back in the 'shed' in 33 disappointing overs. STAND travelled to Ashton on Saturday and with five players aged 18 and under struggled to come to terms with a slow wicket with variable bounce.

Sri Lankan professional Thushara Sampath (31) threatened a big score but was caught out after skying a catch to backward point.

Although most players had no trouble staying at the wicket, scoring against the spin of Coles and Greenop proved difficult and the Hamilton Road club were dismissed for a meagre 78.

Far from downhearted they hit back with the second ball of the Ashton innings when Chris Warren claimed the scalp of professional Nievwoudt.

Warren and Dave Foreman followed up with two more quick wickets to leave Ashton on 16 for 3 but four dropped catches, all off matchwinner Selby, swung the game the way of the home side.

On Sunday Stand entertained Walsden in the Wood Cup but were again found wanting.

Sixteen year old debutant Jonathan Gatcliffe struck an early blow for the local side and continued to trouble the batsmen with his pace and accuracy.

Stand continued to exert pressure with some fine fielding and tight bowling but a series of dropped catches kept Walsden in the game.

However, the game probably swung on one incident when, before he had reached double figures, Walsden professional Kruis mistimed a drive and was caught at extra cover by his opposite number Sampath.

He dived forward to take the catch inches above the ground, rolled over and in throwing the ball in the air in celebration was judged not to have completed the catch.

Stand's reply suffered an early setback and though Alistair Roberts and Sampath were rarely in trouble the pair fell further behind the run rate. IT was a weekend of mixed fortunes for RADCLIFFE as they notched up a Central Lancashire League win at Walsden on Saturday but then fell to glorious defeat against Rochdale in the first round of the Wood Cup despite a century from Steve Dearden.

The victory was achieved with five wickets to spare after hosts Walsden had won the toss and elected to take first strike.

It was a move which backfired badly for in the face of some fine bowling from Nick Kennedy, who had figures of 5 for 52, Walsden were rolled over for a paltry 97.

When Radcliffe replied they were indebted to Graeme Simpson who saw them home with an unbeaten 40, backed up by good performances from professional Dearden and Richard Heaton who scored a useful 35 runs between them.

The Wood Cup tie at The Racecourse was a much closer affair despite Rochdale posting a formidable 203 for 9 when they took first knock.

Skipper Simpson was the pick of the home bowlers with the scalp of Rochdale opener Wilcock on his way to economical figures of 5 for 27 from his ten overs.

The target was certainly a tough one but Dearden was determined to make it a weekend double for the side and played his way to a superb 109 as Radcliffe kept the opposition in their sights.

David Jones (18) and Kennedy (21) gave valuable support but as the tension mounted and the gap between the teams narrowed, Radcliffe finally ran out of players just seven runs short of victory. PRESTWICH bounced back from the disappointment of a first defeat of the campaign in a lamentable display at Dukinfield on Saturday to bring off one of the major upsets of this season's National Knockout Cup.

Just 24 hours after the reversal a Craig Duxbury century set up a fine win over New Brighton who are the current champions of Lancashire's newly nominated flagship league, the Liverpool Competition.

Duxbury was helped initially by a good effort from Danny Varney and at 80 for 1 on the half way mark a score of 200 looked on.

In fact, the innings fell away slightly but Duxbury was a study of concentration as he compiled his three figures and the final 170 for 7 set the bowlers something to bowl at.

All five responded magnificently and, encouraged by an early success when Orrell and Bradley combined to dismiss New Brighton skipper Burns for a duck, the attack never let their celebrated opponents off the hook.

Every time the visitors appeared to be getting back into the game Prestwich rocked them back on their heels with a wicket whilst the tail simply capitulated to the pace of Humphreys.

The victory, which puts the Heys Road boys in the third round of this competition for the first time, was as emphatic as the winning margin of 54 runs suggests and a tremendous recovery from the previous day's lacklustre performance at Dukinfield.

The game there had begun well enough with Humphreys and Bradley restricting Dukinfield to 33 for 2 after 18 overs but Rexstraw and pro Paul Turner retrieved the situation with a partnership of 94 before picked up by Sandiford and Higginson respectively.

Cowling and Fletcher added a further 43 for the fifth wicket and although there was a flurry of late wickets when Humphreys and Bradley returned to the attack the runs still piled up with Dukinfield running out of overs at 187 for 8.

During this spell 'keeper Billy Taylor took his 250th catch for the club when dismissing his opposite number and namesake Peter Taylor.

If the first half performance had been less than moderate, the second period was even worse although again there was initially nothing to indicate the problems which were about to be encountered as Orrell and Duxbury put on 47 in sixteen overs with some ease.

A rush of blood by the pro, however, left him stranded half way down the pitch to leg spinner Collins and Varney soon followed.

The innings collapsed with only teenager Carl Hey showing any inclination to battle it out against the twin spin threat of Collins and Turner.

He completed an intelligent 50 before being run out in the last over trying to propel the score to the 141 mark needed to save a point. It was a great weekend for WALSHAW who went top of the Bolton Association following their four wicket triumph at Daisy Hill.

It was a hard fought battle for the Sycamore Road club and skipper Rob Faulkner's decision to field proved vital to the outcome.

On a wet wicket the home side were dismissed for only 98 with professional Jonathan Fielding in exceptional form with the ball taking 5 for 21.

However, it wasn't all plain sailing for Walshaw in the reply when they were soon in trouble at 31 for 5.

But as the wicket dried out new acquisition Mark Greenhalgh continued his good form with a fine match-winning 44 and made the Daisy fielders pay for twice dropping him!

Then after he departed to the pavilion Faulkner led his side to victory with an unbeaten 17.

Twelve-year-old youngster Bilal Mustafa was the toast of Elton in their home win over Little Hulton on Saturday.

The Elton High School pupil finished with amazing figures of 4 for 52 from 18 overs in only his second senior game as his side to an triumphed by eight wickets.

The leg spinner, who has trials for Lancashire Under-14s on Sunday, showed just what a hot prospect his is to restrict Little Hulton to 125 for 8.

In reply a fine unbeaten 67 by Elton's Aussie professional Greg Dimery and 45 from Steve Lomas gave the local lads their first win of the campaign and early revenge for last week's Cross Cup defeat.

The Elton paid man was in fine batting form again on Sunday but couldn't stop his employers from making an early exit from the Lancashire Knockout competition.

Ribblesdale League outfit Cherry Tree were the visitors to Leigh Lane and thanks to their professional Naeem Ashraf (89) they set a target of 202 for 8 from their 45 overs.

That total was a bridge too far for Elton with Dimery's half century the only resistance to the visitors' attack and at the close they were a disappointing 39 runs adrift. STRUGGLING Ramsbottom followed up an early exit in the Jennings Worsley Cup with a defeat that firmly planted them at the bottom of the Lancashire League.

Todmorden were the visitors to Acre Bottom for Saturday's cup tie in a match that was held over a week because of the weather.

And the wet conditions played their part again as a fresh pitch had to be cut to get the game underway.

There was certainly no luck in it for the home side who struggled to cope with the visitors' medium pace attack and were dismissed for just 86. Ian Bell proved to be the only batsman to show any resistance with 24.

Opener Stewart Preistley then eased Todmorden to victory with an unbeaten 44 from 110 balls.

He gave Rammy's fielders precious little chance to take his wicket and after losing two partners teamed up with Alex Scholefield for a crucial 66-run stand that put his side into the last eight.

At Church on Sunday it was the Blackburn Road side's bowling attack that left the Rams reeling.

They found West Indian professional Neil McGarrell (6 for 28) and partner Maboob Hussain (4 for 13) unplayable in a 135 run defeat.

The devastating pairing skittled the valley side to 47 all out with only skipper Brian Taylor and Michael Haslam making double figures.

Earlier McGarrell showed what he can do with the bat hitting a crucial 55 as Church set a target of 182 for 4 at the close. BROOKSBOTTOMS registered their first victory of the summer when they travelled to Newton Heath in the Manchester Association.

Put in to bat the home side were immediately under pressure thanks to a fine bowling display by Eddie Hoyle who finished with four wickets.

Heath's Murdoch and Winstanley both sought to redress an early collapse but superb catches from Peter Thompson and Danny Kannenberg helped the Summerseat side keep the screws on.

Steve Colter's spin earned him four wickets while Richard Ernhill mopped up the tail as the home side posted 69.

In reply Brox responded positively with Colter (23) and Thompson (21) putting on 48 for the first wicket.

The loss of the two openers and two more quick dismissals added to the uncertainty on a tricky green wicket before Steve Dowd and Brian Boyes steered the villagers home to a six wicket win. BURY made the short trip down the A58 to take on Deane & Derby and picked up a winning draw.

The Sports Club side batted first on a damp pitch and their innings was built around a stroke-laden 46 from Paul Morris.

However, the innings lost momentum and slid to 97 for 7 before Andy Metcalfe and Razwan Anwar combined in a vital 38 run eighth wicket partnership as Bury finished their 50 overs with 154 for 9.

Deane & Derby replied strongly and were 101 for 1 before Bury's pressure began to tell.

Dave Leach picked up his second consecutive five wicket haul and the home side eventually finished five runs short with one wicket in hand. REVENGE has been eleven years in coming but GREENMOUNT settled an old score in the Thwaites Lancashire Cup on Sunday.

It was back in 1988 that the Bolton League side enjoyed their best run in the prestigious county competition reaching the quarter-final stage.

But there they encountered Liverpool Competition outfit Bootle, complete with former Shakers' striker Mark Carter but despite having former Aussie captain Mark Taylor as club professional Greenmount were defeated by five runs.

It was a different story at the weekend though as last year's finalists were shown the door at the first round stage.

Greenmount batted first and set a target of 148, a total that looked optimistic indeed when a flurry of wickets resulted in the score slipping to 111 for 8.

South African professional Craig Norris again did the business with the bat cracking a useful 57 but it took late blasts from Keith Webb (33) Andy Skinner (20) and Mark Stewart (27) to make the score a defendable one.

In the reply the Merseysiders lost both openers for only three runs before steadying and at 64 for 4 they looked a good bet to repeat their feat of 1988.

However some patient and sterling work from all five Greenmount bowlers frustrated Bootle and the pendulum gradually swung the other way.

And at the death youngster Gareth Edmundson capped a fine afternoon's work with a superb catch for the final wicket which left the visitors 18 runs short of what was required.

On Saturday it was a different story completely when visitors Egerton triumphed to take over the leadership of the Bolton League.

It was a similar story for the Greenmount batsmen who were restricted 152 for 6 with Norris top-scoring with 45 and Webb finishing unbeaten on 40.

Egerton suffered a shaky start and lost three quick wickets before Anthony Clegg (60 not out) and John Mills (53 not out) set their stall out to carry their side to a comfortable six-wicket win.

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