Ace Crompton on cloud nine

Photo: Tim Bradley

FLYING THE FLAG . . . Crompton celebrate Tanner Cup final success

WHAT a weekend for Simon Wright's Crompton in the JW Lees Brewery Pennine Cricket League.

After destroying Premiership high-fliers Walsden by 159 runs on Saturday, the Glebe Street gang lifted the Tanner Cup yesterday.

Although the margin of victory over Championship club Ashton was in the end an emphatic 91 runs, Crompton were in trouble at 137 for seven batting first. This was after losing four wickets, including three in one Brad Woolley over, for only six runs.

Number five and man-of-the-match Steve Wright held firm to score a vital 42 not out to lift his side to 182 for eight. Woolley claimed four for 34.

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Ashton's reply got off to a terrible start as they were reduced to 24 for five. Simon Wright and Aqib Zulfiqar did the damage, with both holding superb catches off their own bowling.

Simon Wright finished with figures of three for 15 and Zulfiqar three for 16 as Ashton were dismissed for a disappointing 91 in the 37th over.

With Walsden losing ­- it was their second league loss in a row ­- Littleborough moved to the top of the table with an 81-runs win against Rochdale.

Saddleworth are also in the title hunt after beating Austerlands by seven wickets.

In the Championship, Moorside inflicted only the second league defeat of the season on Milnrow.

Stand-in pro Australian Ashton Turner was the star man, taking four for 55 and scoring an unbeaten 110 in the five-wicket win.

The result allowed Heyside draw level with Milnrow at the top of the table after the former tied with Friarmere on 188.

Stayley maintained their promotion push with a seven-wicket demolition of Uppermill, who crashed to 44 all out, with Pakistani paid man Hamza Nadeem taking eight for 16.

Scores ­-

Saturday, Premiership: Norden 248-4 (M Price 104, A Gowers 47 n.o), Middleton 222-7 (E Kemm 76); Littleborough 248-3 (C Perren 137 n.o, C Schofield 65), Rochdale 167; Glodwick 181 (A Ur Rehman 49, C Jewell 5-22), Royton 142 (C Khurana 73 n.o, R Rafiq 6-28); Crompton 222-9 (J Tolley 73, D Louis 40), Walsden 63 (Si Wright 6-36, A Zulfiqar 3-26); Austerlands 144 (S Rana 53, S Howard 4-35), Saddleworth 145-3 (N Akram 65 n.o); Monton and Weaste 277 (C Jonker 159 n.o), Greenfield 133 (B Chapman 6-50).

Championship: Werneth 110 (B Woolley 4-22), Ashton 111-6 (C Edirisinghe 44 n.o); Friarmere 188, Heyside 188; Milnrow 205 (R Second 89, A Turner 4-55), Moorside 209-5 (A Turner 110 n.o); Hollinwood 151 (S Ambre 41, JJ Strydom 5-33), Shaw 152-4 (C Zhuwao 97); Uppermill 44 (H Nadeem 8-16), Stayley 45-3; Oldham 151 (T Tufail 40, J Caudwell 8-53), Micklehurst 108.

Sunday, Tanner Cup final: Crompton 182-8 (St Wright 42, D Louis 39, B Woolley 4-34), Ashton 91 (A Zulfiqar 3-16, Si Wright 3-15).