Dronsfield set to step down

CRICKET

THERE will be a change of leadership in cricket’s Lake Garage CLL later this month.

Howard Dronsfield, who is standing down after five years as chairman, said: “I have loved every minute of the job but I think it is time to step aside.”

It looks as though vice-chairman and umpires’ secretary Neville Fletcher will succeed him as chairman, though that will have to be ratified at the annual meeting a week on Friday.

The league’s annual presentations saw Heywood’s Bobby Cross win the Sir Frank Worrell Trophy for a record fourth time.

Cross, who scored 834 runs, was the league’s leading amateur run maker.

The Clifford Pickup Memorial Trophy for the leading amateur bowler went to Littleborough’s Phil Deakin, more renowned as a batsman, who claimed 56 victims.

The Littleborough Supporters Trophy for the leading all-rounder went to Monton and Weaste’s Trent Scott (683 runs, 42 wickets).

And the Lal Vohra Trophy for the most-improved player went to Heywood’s Tom Hardman (17),who scored 664 runs and claimed 18 dismissals.

The President’s Trophy, awarded for outstanding service to the CLL, was given to Rochdale’s Neil Avery.

Avery, who had a spell at the now defunct Castleton Moor, has played for 28 years in the CLL, most of them at Rochdale, missing only two matches out of more than 700 and winning nine league titles and two Wood Cups.

He has taken more than 1,200 wickets and scored around 8,000 runs.

Two new ‘spirit of the game’ trophies were awarded with the result determined by marks allocated by umpires.

Ashton landed the first-division prize while honours in the second division went to Norden.