MAYES MOVES ON

CRICKET: RYAN MAYES, who has played for Oldham and Crompton in the Lake Garage CLL, will represent Royton in the league next summer.

The seam bowler is a good friend of Royton professional and captain Luke Procter from their days as juniors at the Pollards.

Mayes showed what he is capable of last season when he took seven wickets against high-flying Heywood.

Procter, meanwhile, is back in England after returning from the Darren Lehmann Academy in Adelaide. Procter, who trained most days at the Adelaide Oval, expects to fit for Lancashire’s pre-season tour of Barbados.


FORMER Pakistan paceman Waqar Younis believes the current side is capable of beating Australia in their upcoming series.

Waqar was last week appointed the bowling and fielding coach of the Pakistan team for the three-Test series beginning with the Boxing Day clash in Melbourne.

The Sydney-based former fast bowler believes the current Australian team is vulnerable and the series offers his team a fine opportunity to score a rare series win.

“I believe we have a team that is capable of beating Australia for the first time in a Test series,” Waqar said. “They are definitely beatable at the moment, but Pakistan’s players need to put in a lot of hard work and commitment.”