Werneth look the business

ALAN DUROSE

WERNETH may have finished third from bottom of the CLL last season, but the early signs this time around suggest a much more successful campaign.

Boosted by the return to the Coppice of Alan Durose and the acquisition of Pierre Joubert and Jeffrey Rogerson, Werneth looked an accomplished outfit in their 116-runs dismissal of Milnrow on the opening day of the season.

Joubert, standing in as professional for South African international Roelof van der Merwe, hit an unbeaten 125 and took three for 28.

And Rogerson, a 19-year-old from Port Elizabeth, opened the bowling and made 25 in a promising Werneth debut.

Durose and Mark Dronsfield also took three wickets apiece to emphasise the depth of the Werneth bowling this season and skipper Andy Walker’s men will be looking to make it two wins on the spin when they visit neighbours Royton on Sunday (1.15pm).

For their part, Royton produced a perfectly-respectable opening display even though they went down by 19 runs at Walsden.

Star of the show for the Paddock outfit was veteran all-rounder John Punchard, who marked his return to the club from Middleton with eight for 54 from one ball shy of 22 overs.

Having proved so effective, Punchard can expect plenty more bowling this weekend, while professional Luke Procter will need to be a little more economical after leaking over 100 runs at Walsden.

Mark Woodward, Simon Webb and Andrew Morris were Royton’s main run scorers at Scott Street, but Procter and overseas amateur Ryan Carters surely have plenty of runs in them and Sunday’s game would be a good time to prove the point.

Oldham surprised many onlookers with their demolition of Radcliffe at the Pollards, so confidence should be high when they travel to Monton and Weaste this weekend.

Skipper Chris McDonnell, although delighted with the bowling heroics of eight-wicket stand-in professional J P Lee, was full of praise for Neil Inkpen, who took one of the other two to fall.

“He swings it both ways and bowls the odd slower ball, a bit like Mel Whittle,” said McDonnell.

Oldham completed the signing of Paul Jewitt as professional this week and he will make the trip to Monton.

Crompton, who played well in patches during their opening-day defeat at Heywood, face an Ashton team who brushed aside Rochdale.

Bowlers Ryan Mayes and Aqib Zulfiqar showed plenty of promise as an opening pair at Crimble, while professional Mohammed Zaman Khan displayed guile and variation with his right-arm off spin.

Overseas amateur Chris Boschoff picked up a wicket with his first ball, but it was his batting which looked more impressive as he top scored with 24 in a total of 120 all out.




FIXTURES: SUNDAY (1.15pm): Crompton v Ashton; Milnrow v Clifton; Monton and Weaste v Oldham; Norden v Middleton; Radcliffe v Littleborough; Rochdale v Heywood; Royton v Werneth; Unsworth v Walsden.