Greenfield dig in for victory

CRICKET: NINTH-WICKET pair Chris Gill and Mike Moore dug in for Greenfield as they defeated second-placed Uppermill by 57 runs.

The visitors were seemingly in command after reducing Alex Peters’ mid-table side to 128 for eight in the Saddleworth and District Cricket League clash at Ladhill Lane. But Gill and Moore stood firm to add 69 priceless runs.

The partnership was broken when Gill was out for 69 - only for his father and last man, Peter, to put on 26 with Moore (42 not out) as Greenfield posted 216 for nine. Matt Taylor claimed six for 53.

Gill senior then took the first five wickets with only 101 on the board. Uppermill were eventually dismissed for 159, with Gill bagging six for 46.

Moorside, in third place, also slipped up, with a 107-runs defeat at home to Whalley Range.

The victors finished on 222 for seven thanks to a knock of 60 from Abisheik Kulkarni and Ejaz Din’s 53.

Moorside, who crashed to 111 all out the previous evening in the T20, managed only 115. Waqas Malik took four for 42.

Those defeats allowed Glodwick to extend their lead at the top after a 55-runs defeat of South West Manchester at Ellesmere Road.

Stayley, who started the afternoon in fourth, scrambled across the winning line at Hollinwood. The Millbrook outfit reached their target of 160 in the last over with nine wickets down.

The match at Slack Lane was all over just after 5pm as visitors Austerlands beat Friarmere by seven wickets.

Pro Imran Aslam (64) and overseas amateur Mario Boyce (five for 26) led the way in Saddleworth’s 110-runs success at Shaw.