Crompton out to cause a stir

RYAN MAYES . . . in a rich vein of form.

CROMPTON are a team on a roll. Four successive victories in the Lake Garage CLL have enabled the Glebe Street side to climb from the lower reaches of the table to a position of mid-table respectability.

Admittedly, two of those four wins have come against bottom club Radcliffe.

But recent victories over Milnrow and Werneth suggest Crompton are doing something right and no-one has done more to spark their mid-season revival than young medium pace bowler Ryan Mayes.

Mayes’ seven for 54 haul against Werneth was the highlight of some excellent spells, while a four for 19 display at Radcliffe last Saturday underlined the bowler’s new-found consistency.

Crompton skipper Glenn Dawson said: “Ryan has really come to the fore. He may not be that quick, but is bowling good lines and length.

“And our pro (Mohammed Zaman Khan) has also been taking wickets.

“He has 47 wickets at about 16 and when you consider he has also scored 720 runs at 48, he is having a good season on pitches which have not been great.”

A number of other Crompton players have been making significant contributions - not least key all-round Simon Wright - and the Glebe Street men will need all their confidence and belief to obtain positive results this weekend.

Second-placed Norden are the visitors to Glebe Street tomorrow and Dawson is well aware of the task facing his side.

He said: “Norden are a very good all-round team. Nick Brierley got 90-odd against us the last time we played them and Hasham Malik can take the game away from you in the first 10 overs.”

Add professional Jean Symes - recent scorer of a league-record 268 against Royton at the Paddock - and in-form opening bowler Zane Arthur, and you can see why Norden have been overpowering so many teams this season.

Crompton go to Walsden on Sunday to face a side in fourth place in the CLL, 11 points behind leaders Heywood.

In dashing opening batsman James Rawlinson and a talented all-round professional in Sri Lanka’s Rasika Priyadarshana, Walsden have two stand-out players whom Crompton must contain.

ROYTON will be expected to pick up maximum points at Radcliffe tomorrow, while Sunday’s home derby against OLDHAM offers the Paddock men another clear chance to climb the table.

Royton were beaten by Oldham at the Pollards last month, the home side successfully chasing down a revised target of 139 in 20 overs after a delay for rain.

With the forecast for Sunday rather indifferent, a similiar scenario could be on the cards.

Recent performances by the two teams points to a home win but, as Royton skipper Barry Woodward pointed out in last night’s Chronicle: “Form goes out of the window in these matches.”

Oldham warm up for Sunday’s derby with a home game against Walsden.

WERNETH, who like Royton, are in John Willies Lees Twenty20 Cup semi-final action tonight, will be hoping to shrug off last Saturday’s defeat at home to Middleton when they go to Littleborough tomorrow.

Boro are enjoying a decent season and will be tough nuts to crack, but Ashton – Sunday’s visitors to the Coppice – are third from bottom and are clearly a team Werneth will be confident of overcoming.

TONIGHT (Twenty20, 6.15): Heywood v Werneth; Clifton v Royton.

TOMORROW: Ashton v Middleton; Crompton v Norden; Heywood v Unsworth; Littleborough v Werneth; Monton and Weaste v Clifton; Oldham v Walsden; Radcliffe v Royton; Rochdale v Milnrow.

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


WOODHOUSES are on a recovery mission in the Lancashire County League this weekend.

The Medlock Road outfit slipped to fourth in the table when they lost to Dukinfield.

But Woodhouses can bounce back at home to sixth-placed Glossop tomorrow, while they visit basement boys Irlam on Sunday.