Jayasinghe is back in town

SAME AGAIN, PLEASE . . . Crompton professional Mohammed Zaman Khan celebrates the wicket of his Norden counterpart Jean Symes last Saturday. Khan will be hoping for a repeat against Chinthaka Jayasinghe at Glebe Street tomorrow.

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CROMPTON will be hoping Monton and Weaste have one eye on Sunday’s John Willie Lees Wood Cup final when they visit Glebe Street tomorrow.

Currently third in the Lake Garage CLL table, Monton are enjoying a fine season which is hardly surprising given the vast array of talent at their disposal.

The Wood Cup holders’ priority this weekend will be Sunday’s showpiece clash against Rochdale at Norden but, having failed to win the league title since joining the CLL in 2005, Monton will be keen to keep their challenge on track at Crompton.

The man who has done most to steer Monton into such a strong position is opening batsman Paul Green, who joined the club this summer after a long and successful spell with Roe Green in the Lancashire County League.

Green passed 1,000 runs for the season earlier this month and is the stellar player in a team which also includes 6ft 8in David Hamilton, who is leading the amateur bowling averages, top all-rounder and captain Trent Scott and two other potential match-winners in batsman Naveed Din and another all-rounder, Ashraf Gorsi.

Monton were without a professional last Saturday – Malinga Bandara has been recalled by the Sri Lanka board - but former Oldham paid man Chinthaka Jayasinghe was on duty the following day for the postponed match at Unsworth and he will be the stand-in again at Crompton.

Jayasinghe had been due to return to Oldham this season, but he was unable to fufil his contract after being selected for the 25-man Sri Lanka squad for the Twenty20 World Cup.

He did not make the touring party, however, and was snapped up by Lancashire League club Todmorden, for whom he has been playing this summer.

Lancashire’s Steven Parry has been booked by Monton and Weaste for Sunday’s cup final.

Crompton were way below their best against Monton’s title rivals Norden last Saturday and a repeat performance would see them in deep trouble against even stronger opposition.

It is to be hoped that they can recapture the form which saw them win their previous four games in which professional Mohammed Zaman Khan, bowler Ryan Mayes and all-rounder Simon Wright were particularly influential.


OLDHAM bounced back to form with a welcome victory over Walsden and skipper Chris McDonnell - who recently passed 500 runs for the season - will be demanding a similar level of performance at Littleborough tomorrow.

Boro, in sixth place, are an improving team boasting a nice blend of youth and experience.


WERNETH are badly in need of a tonic, but a trip to Walsden is hardly the easiest fixture in which to end a barren spell.

Walsden are particularly effective on their tight ground, but the short boundaries will have Werneth pro Humayun Farhat’s eyes lighting up and an entertaining - and possibly match-winning innings - could be on the cards.


ROYTON are closing in on mid-table Werneth and Crompton following last Saturday’s victory at Radcliffe and they will go to Milnrow confident of further success.

Milnrow were well beaten by Rochdale in their latest fixture and, with only one point separating the two teams, neither side should be lacking in motivation.


TOMORROW (1.45pm): Ashton v Heywood; Clifton v Middleton; Crompton v Monton and Weaste; Littleborough v Oldham; Milnrow v Royton; Radcliffe v Rochdale; Unsworth v Norden; Walsden v Werneth.


SUNDAY (Wood Cup final, 1.30pm): Monton and Weaste v Rochdale at Norden. Man-of-the-match adjudicator is Howard Dronsfield.