Title race heats up for local pair

CROMPTON and Oldham are in the thick of the Lake Garage CLL title race after positive results at the weekend.

Both teams won yesterday, Crompton beating local rivals Werneth by seven wickets in a match reduced to 25 overs because of rain.

Javon Searles took five for 53 as Werneth were restricted to 90 for seven, Matthew Taylor top scoring with 23.

And Searles was in fine form with the bat, too, hitting 37 as Crompton reached their target for the loss of three wickets.

Skipper Simon Wright was unbeaten on 28, while Darren Graham scored 23.

On-fire Oldham, meanwhile, made it eight wins on the spin when they brushed aside Roytony.

Professional Chinthaka Jayasinghe had a match to remember for the Pollards club, taking five for 18 as Royton were bowled out for 126 and then hitting an unbeaten 50 off 38 balls in Oldham's reply of 132 for one.

Leaders Heywood beat fellow title hopefuls Norden by 40 runs at Crimble and have a five-points advantage over second-placed Oldham, with Crompton a further point away in third.

With six sets of fixtures to go, it could hardly be more tense and exciting.

Sunday scores — Clifton 270-2 (Nisar 136 n.o., Lord 123), Ashton 197-6 (Daniel 57, Hussain 36, Hough 4-52); Heywood 164-5 (Peiris 97, Blight 35), Norden 124-6 (Symes 54, Kaye 3-35); Royton 126 (Procter 34, Jayasinghe 5-18), Oldham 132-3 (Jayasinghe 50, Thompson 36 n.o., Mohammed 32); Walsden 91-3 (Gunaratne 41 n.o.), Monton and Weaste 86 (Gunaratne 6-20); Werneth 90-7 (Searles 5-53), Crompton 91-3 (Searles 37); Milnrow v Middleton, Rochdale v Littleborough, Unsworth v Radcliffe - no play.


OLDHAM were the big movers during a ran-hit Saturday on which only two of the eight games were completed.

Mel Whittle's men moved into joint second thanks to a comprehensive eight-wicket defeat of Unsworth at the Pollards, chasing down a meagre 118 target.


CROMPTON were left cursing their luck after the weather robbed them of the chance of beating leaders Heywood in the top-of-the-table clash at Glebe Street.

Skipper Simon Wright hit 54 as Crompton made 176 for eight after taking first guard. Tom Hardman took three for 10 and Rob Slawson three for 52.

In reply, Heywood were 115 for five with only nine overs remaining when rain stopped play.


WERNETH can certainly feel aggrieved after being robbed of a likely win at Littleborough. 

After bowling Boro out for 166, Werneth were cruising on 111 for two when play was washed out for the day.


In contrast, ROYTON were saved by the weather at Monton and Weaste, reeling on 77 for seven in reply to 217 for six.

Saturday scores: Ashton 111 (Gunaratne 4-20, Thompson 4-45), Walsden 115-2 (Thompson 53 n.o.); Crompton 176-8 (Si Wright 54, Stoute 38, Hardman 3-10, Slawson 3-52), Heywood 115-5 (Cross 32 n.o., Searles 3-64) rsp; Littleborough 166 (Hussain 63, Keiser 44, Loku 6-56), Werneth 111-2 (Taylor 47, Loku 36 n.o.) rsp; Middleton 148-9, Clifton 123-7 (Nisar 55 n.o., Lord 45, Punchard 3-29, Coetsee 3-50) rsp; Monton and Weaste 217-6 (Scott 57, Kruis 55 n.o., Duxbury 37, Sharma 34), Royton 77-7 (Procter 41, Kruis 3-23) rsp; Norden 71-6 (Jennings 4-32), Milnrow 297-6 (John 100 n.o., Trepathi 56, Brown 44) rsp; Oldham 121-2 (Jayasinghe 67 n.o.), Unsworth 118 (Entwistle 32, Moore 5-64); Radcliffe 168-7 (Ahmed 84, Avery 3-54), Rochdale 76-7 (Ahmed 3-11, Raza 3-21) rsp.