Saddleworth League side eyes Colts prize

Breeze Hill are celebrating a cricketing treble in the Oldham Schools League. They won the Year Sevens, Eights and 10s competitions to complete a hat-trick.

HEYSIDE’S Scott Rowbottom leads the Saddleworth and District Cricket League Colts into their final battle on Bank Holiday Monday.

The representative team tackle the Lancashire County League at Moorside CBC (start noon) with the Inter-League Trophy at stake.

Rowbottom is in charge of a team packed with talented individuals who, like their opponents, are unbeaten in this year’s competition.

Although facing their toughest test yet, he is concentrating on his own side rather than concerning himself with the opposition.

Rowbottom said: “We don’t know too much about them, but they’ve come through a strong group, so they must be quite decent.

“To be honest if we get involved in how they are going to play, then we’ll take our eye off the ball.

“We’ve got a good team with plenty of experience at first-team level, although not as much in this competition.

“We won two games to get through to the final and both quite convincingly, so we know what we are capable of on the day.”

Those successes, against the Manchester Association and the Bolton Association, were built on the back of solid batting displays.

Chris Gill, Aaquib Uppal and Alex Peters have all hit half-centuries, while the likes of Rowbottom himself, Brian Lord, Adam Hayes and Steve Taylor contributed lower down the order.

Rowbottom added: “It would be unfair to single out any individuals, because everyone has chipped in.

“I’m lucky in the fact I’ve got plenty of batting options which has enabled me to mix up the order.

“We’ve also got off to good starts which has meant we’ve been able to throw the bat around later on when we’ve required quick runs.”

It is five years since the Saddleworth League last lifted the Colts Trophy.

They defeated the Bolton Association by 40 runs in the final, also at Turf Pit Lane, Moorside.

The team then featured the likes of Adam Lavin, Peter Roberts, Ben Willis and Paul Broadhurst.

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




THE weather has played havoc with Oldham Schools under-11s, who have been forced to reschedule two fixtures in the Lancashire Schools’ Merit League.



Team manager Paul Connolly has rearranged the Rochdale match for Wednesday, August 27 at a venue to be confirmed, while they are still trying to organise a date for the Bolton game.




THE Saddleworth and District League under-13s are preparing for a busy spell of action.



Rain put paid to three Peak Trophy fixtures, and they will now be played in an eight-day period.

They take on the CLL at Rochdale tomorrow, before travelling to New Mills to meet the Derbyshire League on Sunday.

They complete their programme against the Cheshire League on Thursday, August 28.

Matches start at 1pm, Players to meet at noon.