Town team suffer trophy heartache

OLDHAM UNDER 15’s

OLDHAM Schools under-15s were on the back foot from the word go as they went down to Rossendale in the final of the Greater Manchester Schools League’s Ainsworth Trophy at Bacup CC.

Missing two of their frontline bowlers because of other commitments, the town team were dealt a further blow when Connor Hey suffered a back spasm in his second spell and played no further part in proceedings.

Rossendale amassed 300 for six from their 50 overs, with Jack Taylor hitting a superb 122 not out. He gave one half chance, off the bowling of Andrew Cadd, before he reached his 50.

Rain during the tea interval delayed the restart, and when play did resume Oldham were soon in trouble, losing key batsmen Ross Zelem and Joe Lovell with only 24 runs on the board.

Khurram Hussain and Nick Doyle — a century-maker in the semi-final — steadied the ship, but when the former departed, the game was effectively up for the local lads as the run-rate had increased to nearly 10 an over.

A middle-order collapse hindered their cause further, with Rob Shaw, Brad Hadfield, Andrew Cadd, and Zain Tahir all falling cheaply.

With Hey absent, it was left to Callum Porteous (17 not out) and Chris Jewell, with a gritty ninth-wicket stand of 45, to lift Oldham’s score to a respectable 166.

o THANKS go to Romida Sports who stepped in at the 11th hour to provide the Oldham team with commemorative shirts and caps for the final.