SPARE a thought for Astley & Tyldesley in these washout weeks.

The perennial Vimto Bolton Association strugglers are in pain with the rain.

Twice in successive weeks they have set up famous wins - only to be beaten by the weather.

Champions Golborne were delighted to escape the storms a week ago; on Saturday Walshaw were on the ropes when the game was washed away.

Rob Bennett 49, Simon Nicklin 48 and Scott Henderson 38 not out took A&T to 148-3.

Then Paul Bennett took centre stage, snapping up four wickets for 24 to leave Walshaw at 65-5 after 21 overs. Rain stopped play!

Few games even managed a start, but at Atherton the home side were 67-1 against British Aero before the early close.

At the top Adlington scored their sixth win in eleven games to beat Standish by four wickets and move into second place, a point adrift of leaders Elton.

In the Lancashire Inter-League Knockout the Association pressed self-destruct, losing to Ribblesdale by 89 runs.

Ribblesdale were held at 155-9 but the Association were ripped apart, Andy Batterley going for a duck with the second ball of the innings, only three players getting into double figures as the side crashed out for a measly 66.

Golborne 2nd drew with Elton, despite play continuing until nearly 9pm.

Elton posted a target of 153-9 (Geoff Stockton and Paul Waterworth each taking three wickets, Denis Ormshaw taking two). In reply only Mark Mercer 15 and Frank Marston 22 hit double figures.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.