Final ambition

ALL eyes will be on Hawcoat Park near Barrow-in-Furness this weekend.

The Saddleworth and District Cricket League under-18s face the North Lancs/Cumbria League in a Sunday showdown (start 1.30pm) of huge significance.

At stake is a place in the Inter-League Colts Trophy final.

Despite boasting a 100-per-cent record in this season’s competition, the Saddleworth League require a win to reach the coveted final.

If the North Lancs/Cumbria League come out on top, then both teams will finish on the same number of points, but the hosts will go through by virtue of the head-to-head result.

Lying in wait for the winners are the Lancashire County League, who have already qualified from their group.

The Saddleworth League, under Heyside’s Scott Rowbottom, have impressed in each of their two victories so far.

With Greenfield’s Chris Gill and Aaqib Uppal, of Droylsden, notching half-centuries, they were comfortable 53-run winners over the Manchester Association at Well-i-Hole.

They were then too strong for the Bolton Association, cruising home by a 100-run margin after dismissing their opponents for just 98.

Stayley’s Alex Peters scored 60 at Turf Pit Lane, but is not in the 13 for trip north. Adam Hayes, the Greenfield first-teamer, is unavailable.

Squad: S Rowbottom (capt, Heyside), M Barnes (Stayley), N Boote, M Bird (Uppermill), C Gill (wkt), D Gill (Greenfield), J Kenworthy, A Sunderland, L Du Feu (Austerlands), B Lord, S Taylor (Saddleworth), E Wolfenden (Bamford Fieldhouse), A Uppal (Droylsden).




GREENFIELD have been crowned Saddleworth and District Cricket League under-17s champions — they clinched top honours in style.



Ashley Dearden delivered a match-winning performance for the Ladhill Lane lads, who brushed aside Stayley by 46 runs.

Dearden took three for 15 as the home side were shot out for 76 and followed up with 43 in the emphatic eight-wicket win. Matt Ralph was unbeaten on 42.

The under-13s suffered back-to-back defeats in the Lancashire County League.

They lost by four wickets to table-toppers Dukinfield after they were restricted to 82 for five. Rowan Watson scored 24. Toby Jones took two for 10 in reply.

And they went down to Denton West, who achieved their goal of 79 runs with nine wickets to spare.

The under-15s also suffered double disappointment, crashing to 72 all out in reply to Denton’s 125 for four and then losing by three wickets to Glossop.

Liam Parfitt made 29 in Greenfield’s total of 72 for three.




OLDHAM Schools under-11s will go in search of their first win in the Lancashire Schools’ Merit League when they take on a strong Bolton side at Delph tomorrow.



The town team have suffered three defeats and a tied game from their four matches in the programme so far.

They went down by 11 runs to Salford in their opening league game of the season before losing by a single run to Pendle.

Oldham claimed a share of the spoils in a tied match against Salford, but suffered a 33-run reverse against Wigan at the start of last month.

And they will have to hit top form if they are to overcome Bolton, who remain unbeaten in the league and are also through to the semi-finals of the Lancashire Schools’ Bob Hurst Rosebowl.




PLACES are still available for Micklehurst Cricket Club’s summer school from August 26 to 29.



Sessions are open to children aged from nine to 12 and will take place at the Castle Lane club from 10am to 3pm each day. The cost is £35.

For further information and a booking form, call Duncan Ross on 01457 835261 or email info@micklehurstcc.co.uk.