Oldham cricket in crisis talks

OLDHAM Cricket Club have made a dramatic, last-gasp U-turn by announcing their intention to compete in the Lake Garage CLL this season.

For much of yesterday it seemed inevitable that Oldham would be resigning from the league after 109 years’ unbroken membership.

Their inability to sign an overseas professional and the loss of several key amateur players, including last year’s skipper Mel Whittle to Huddersfield League club Micklehurst, threatened to undermine their attempts to assemble a competitive first team.

But players and club officials, including groundsman Whittle and his fellow committee member Jason Maher - who will play for Bamford Fieldhouse in the Saddleworth League this summer - met for crisis talks last night and agreed that Oldham would fulfil their CLL fixtures in 2009.

Chris McDonnell, who has succeeded Whittle as skipper, said: “We had a decent discussion and decided to try to get a few more players, hopefully this weekend, and attempt to sign a professional for the season.

“We are trying not to go down the road of packing it in. I don’t know what sort of side we are going to get out, but hopefully we will be able to get some of the ex-Oldham lads back. We should know more early next week.”

It is expected a meeting will be held at The Pollards next Tuesday night to assess the situation.

The season is due to start on Sunday, April 19 with a home game against Radcliffe.

Oldham, founder members of the CLL in 1892 before leaving a year later and rejoining in 1900, have been battling against adversity for many years.

They have a substantial brewery debt and owe over £6,000 in legal fees.

To rub salt in their wounds, they also have to find the air fare for their intended overseas amateur, Nick Maree, who arrived in England from South Africa this week.

Oldham’s Pollards ground has regularly been a target for vandals, but concerted efforts during the last couple of seasons have seen facilities improve and the playing surface become one of the best in the CLL.

During a rain-affected 2008 campaign, more matches were completed at Oldham than anywhere else.

Credit for that goes to groundsman Mel Whittle, who backed up those efforts with his captaincy which culminated in Oldham being runners-up to Heywood - their best finishing position in the CLL since they won the title for the fifth time in 1982.

In their long association with the CLL, Oldham have also won the league’s Wood Cup five times, and the second X1 title five times.