Duo keep family tradition going
Date published: 26 May 2010
WINNING START: Oldham under-11s, who play in the Lancashire Schools’ Merit League. Pictured are Chandler Ackroyd (back row, left), Tom Kershaw, Aaron Birtswistle, James Howard, Tom Jones, Quasim Lohdi. Jacob Clarke (front row, left), Declan Bradbury, William Wright, Nathan Jones, Callum Faulkner and Sohban Mizra.
CRICKET: YOUNG cricketers James Howard and Nathan Jones will be helping to fly the flag for Lancashire this summer.
The duo have been selected in a squad of 13 for the Red Rose county’s under-11s side.
They will compete against various other counties, including Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Durham, as well as take part in the Taunton Festival in Somerset during August.
James and Nathan are also following in their dads’ footsteps after they were chosen in the town team.
Steven Howard, who plays for Saddleworth, and Delph captain Grant Jones were team-mates in Oldham representative teams in their youth.
They also spent a season together at Delph.
James, whom plays his club cricket at Saddleworth, attends St Mary’s School in Greenfield is an opening batsman.
He is also learning the art of leg spin.
Knowsley Junior School pupil Nathan, a member of the Delph youth section, also bats at the top of the order and is a pace bowler.
James featured as the under-11s made a winning start to their Lancashire Schools' Merit League campaign with a narrow six-run victory against Rochdale at Littleborough.
The winners set a first innings target of 143 for six from their allotted 30 overs and James chipped in with 35.
Tom Jones (Glodwick) impressed with a knock of 40.
It proved to be enough as Oldham restricted their opponents to 137 for nine.
Oldham under-13s didn’t fare as well, going down by six wickets to Rochdale.
Despite the efforts of Aaron Tesz (Royton) and Alex Milovanovic (Delph), who hit 24 runs a piece, Oldham were all out for 105.
Tesz and Milovanovic completed a fine all-round performance by claiming two for eight and one for 26 respectively with the ball.
Tom Robinson (Heyside) also bowled well, claiming one for eight, but it wasn’t enough as Rochdale reached their target for the loss of just four wickets.
