LAST summer's cup conquerers Ramsbottom and Elton proved they are in no mood to relinquish their silverware with victories in the first rounds of their respective competitions at the weekend.

Lancashire League Worsley Cup holders Ramsbottom got their defence off to a flyer with an eight wicket triumph over Accrington.

Ramsbottom's Kiwi professional Chris Harris is a real handful when he's presented with a 'softish' wicket so it proved on Saturday when he destroyed Accrington with a superb display of bowling which yielded a 7-19 return from 14.2 overs.

Even his illustrious international colleague Nathan Astle had no answer to the Rams' paid man, falling to a superb delivery.

A score of 63 was never going to trouble the home side and they quickly booked a second round home tie against East Lancs this Saturday.

Elton are on target for a hat-trick of Bolton Association Cross Cup victories after a three wicket win over British Aerospace at Leigh Lane.

The visitors, restricted to a total of 141, succumbed to opening bowler Gareth Williams who finished with a 7 for 49 haul.

Steve Laws led the reply with an unbeaten 69, while professional Darron Foy chipped in with a useful 53 as Elton passed their target for the loss of seven wickets.

Neither club could transfer their cup form to their league encounters, however.

On Sunday the Rams played on Haslingden's re-laid wicket, which must be the quickest in the league. Their batsmen never came to terms with the early onslaught of short-pitched bowling and were always on the back foot after losing Brian Taylor and Harris in consecutive deliveries.

Early wickets were vital for the Rams, they closed on 109 for 9 with former Acre Bottom ace Steve Dearden taking five wickets.

Another old boy then came back to haunt them as Jack Simpson survived a big, early appeal to score 42 not out and steer Haslingden hom by five wickets.

High-flying Atherton were the visitors to Leigh Lane, Elton on Saturday and had professional Andy Hall to thank for victory.

After the home side had put on a respectable 185 for 8 (Foy 67, Steve Lomas 54, Graham Bushell 41), the visiting paid man cracked an unbeaten 94 as his side ran up a winning total of 186 for 4.

In the Central Lancashire League it was a bleak Bank Holiday weekend for Radcliffe who went down to two defeats in the sun.

They couldn't cope with Crompton at the Racecourse on Saturday after the visitors had made 239 for 3.

Opener Paul Farrow (41) showed that runs could be taken off the Crompton attack but after professional Peter Skuse had gone for one only Richard Leech, Steve Holt and Ian Owens managed double figures in an all out 126. At Middleton on Sunday the home side's total of 201 was always going to be too much for a Radcliffe batting line-up short of confidence.

Farrow (29), again got off to a decent start and put on 41 with Leech for the first wicket but Skuse repeated his one run before departing and the innings slumped to 154 all out.

It was a similar story for Stand who ended the weekend pointless. The Whitefield side made a dreadful start at Littleborough on Saturday when they were reduced to 20 for 4 in the 18th over.

But Lee Kenny (79) and professional Mike Warden (51) grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck and shared a fifth wicket partnership of 101 as the Hamilton Road club posted a total of 173.

Warden despatched opener Schofield with only his second delivery then Whiteley soon followed but the home side took control and registered a comfortable victory in the 36th over.

Stand will want to draw a veil over Sunday's performance when they had no answer to Norden's attack and were all out for 68.

And as if to rub salt into the wound the visitors romped to victory without losing a wicket, posting 70 for 0 in the 22nd over to pocket all five points.

Unsworth proved too strong when Royton were the visitors to Parr Lane on Saturday.

Skipper Gary Jones (56) and professional Ramanayake (54) was the bulk of the home side's 187 for 6 total which was five runs too much for the injury-hit visitors.

A day later league a total of 132 was insufficient to worry league leaders Rochdale who cruised to victory for the loss of five wickets.

Greenmount's good start to the Bolton League season continued with a fine win at Walkden.

It was an Aussie double act that did the trick for the villagers with professional Richard Chee Quee smashing 71 of their 200 total before the pace of his Randwick clubmate, Andy Downton, came into play and accounted for six Walkden batsmen for 45 runs as the home reply fizzled out at 137. In the Bolton Association Walshaw moved up to fourth place following a good win over Astley and Tyldesley.

Skipper Rob Faulkner's 45 was the pick of the Sycamore Road club's total of 121 as visitors' bowler Scott Henderson bagged nine wickets for 40.

But that was a bridge too far for A & T who slid to 101 all out thanks to Charles Dagnall's 5 for 47 and Jon Fielding's 5 for 31.

At Gincroft Lane Edenfield suffered their heaviest Ribblesdale League defeat of the season to a useful Cherry Tree side.

The visitors went after the bowling from the start and the homesters did well to restrict Cherry Tree to 228 for 5.

Edenfield's reply began well enough but the turning point was the dismissal of professional John Ashley, adjudged lbw for 12.

John Kershaw top-scored with 52 but the reply never gained momentum and the village club finished 65 runs short of what was required.

In the Lancashire County League Woodbank's Chris Humphreys made it 25 wickets for the season but it couldn't stop his side sliding to defeat.

A meagre home total of 103 was comfortably overhauled by Woodhouses despite Humphreys' 5 for 38 haul.

There was better news for bottom of the table Prestwich however, who turned the league table upside down with a splendid victory over Denton. Not even a century and four wickets from Denton's former Lancashire professional Steve O'Shaugnessy could blunt the Heys Road lads.

With professional Graham Knowles (133 not out) in sparkling form they raced to a crucial five-wicket triumph.

In the Manchester Association eight wickets for Steve Colter wasn't enough to bring Brooksbottoms a win at Ashton-on-Mersey.

Second-placed Ashton's total of 181 was always too much for the Summerseat club who fell 100 runs short in reply.

Bury returned victorious from Monton where all their bowlers chipped in to reduce the home side to 80 all out.

Kiwi professional Owen Steverson led the run chase with 35 as the Radcliffe Road side cruised to victory for the loss of four wickets.

The boot was on the other foot in the Burtonwood Cup on Monday, when Wythenshawe reduced Bury to a paltry 69 all out then proceeded to knock off that total for the loss of one wicket.

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