Promotion hopes finally dashed

CRICKET: IF CROMPTON were to retain any hopes of promotion from the Lake Garage CLL Championship they simply had to beat Ashton on Saturday.

But in a rain-affected fixture at Rayner Lane, that task proved beyond them and they went down by six wickets.

On a day when five matches were called off without a ball being bowled, Crompton had the chance to play a 50-overs match and took first guard.

But the players were on and off for rain, and Crompton had to settle for 152 for nine. Andrew Yates top scored with 36 and home professional Syed Shah took six for 39.

Time had been taken out of the game, so Ashton were handed a revised target of 137 in 43 overs, which they accomplished for the loss of four wickets.

Richard Taylor hit 68 and Bradley Phillips 33.