Crompton battle back to the top

Crompton’s Jevon Searles bowls to Middleton’s Steve Davey.

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CROMPTON displayed their never-say-die spirit and joined Norden at the top of the Lake Garage CLL table when they defeated struggling Middleton by six wickets at Towncroft on Saturday.

After being reduced to 44 for four in reply to Middleton’s 116 for seven in a match reduced to 32 overs per side, Crompton hit back with a superb fifth-wicket stand of 78 from skipper Simon Wright and overseas amateur Jevon Searles.

That gave them four points and, as fellow title contenders Radcliffe lost, and Norden and Heywood were frustrated by wet pitches, Crompton returned to the top alongside Norden on 56 points. Heywood are on 55, with Radcliffe a point further adrift in fourth.

Tom Read hit 35 and the evergreen John Punchard an unbeaten 34 off 36 balls in Middleton’s modest total after the home side recovered from the early embarrassment of eight for three.

Young Aqib Zulfiqar had great figures of two for six off seven overs, while professional Kevin Stoute picked up two for 14 from three overs.

Crompton suffered their own problems early in their innings and it looked bleak when they lost Darren Graham (11), Stoute (12), Zulfiqar (0) and Steven Wright (3), but Simon Wright and Searles decided that the best form of defence was attack and set about the home side’s bowling attack.

Both hit three fours and three sixes as the whole complexion of the game changed.

Wright was unbeaten on 43 off 48 balls, while Searles’ 44 came from just 31 balls faced.

OLDHAM returned to winning ways with a fine six-wickets success at Littleborough.

The home side took first guard at Hare Hill and felt so confident of defending their total of 192 for eight that they declared their innings.

Kamran Hussain hit 86, while Oldham professional Chinthaka Jayasinghe took three for 26 and Liam Garnett three for 84.

In reply, Oldham were in rampant form, knocking off the runs they needed for the loss of only four wickets.

Jayasinghe hit a superb 82, while Naveed Mohammed gave him great support with 57. Brendan Miskella took three for 42 for Littleborough.

WERNETH maintained their recent improvement with an 11-runs defeat of Walsden yesterday.

Overseas amateur Nathan Griffin was their top scorer with 35 as Werneth were bowled out for 171, home professional Janaka Gunaratne taking seven for 56.

A strong Walsden batting line-up would have fancied their chances of reaching their target, but Werneth paid man Loku emulated his fellow Sri Lankan Gunaratne by taking seven for 56 as the home side were dismissed for 160.

ROYTON suffered a 71-runs defeat at Clifton in a match reduced to 33 overs per side.

Clifton overseas amateur Seate Letshela hit a whirlwind unbeaten 100 as Clifton made 186 for four and, despite Tony Walsh’s excellent 68, Royton were only able to manage 115 for eight in reply.

Scores:

Clifton 186-4 (Letshela 100n.o.), Royton 115-8 (Walsh 68); Littleborough 192-8 dec (Hussain 86, Jayasinghe 3-26, Garnett 3-84), Oldham 193-4 (Jayasinghe 82, Mohammed 57, Miskella 3-42); Middleton 116-7 (Read 35, Punchard 34 n.o.), Crompton 122-4 (Searles 44 n.o., Si Wright 43 n.o.); Radcliffe 184-5 (Tariq 109, Raza 33, Scott 3-27), Monton and Weaste 189-4; Walsden 160 (Loku 7-56), Werneth 171 (Griffin 35, Gunaratne 7-56); Ashton v Norden, Rochdale v Heywood, Unsworth v Milnrow - no play.

WERNETH all-rounder Matthew Taylor hit 37 and took three for 26, but still finished on the losing side for the CLL colts against the Lancashire County League at Unsworth yesterday.

The Lancashire League were bowled out for 163, Taylor being given great support by Crompton pair Aqib Zulfiqar (three for 26) and Majid Khan (3-37).

But the CLL - weakened by several absentees - made only 96 in reply, Taylor top scoring and Walsden’s Elliott Gilford (20) being the only other player to reach double figures.

The CLL 2nd X1 went down by 133 runs to the Bolton League 2nd X1 at Ashton.

Royton’s Andrew Westphal took three for 17 as Bolton were bowled out for 176, but the CLL were dismissed for a paltry 43.