Mel bemoans slip-ups

CLL CRICKET:

NO-NONSENSE Oldham star Mel Whittle claimed a dozen wickets at the weekend — but insists it could have been many more had the fielding been up to scratch.

A busy couple of days in the Lake Garage CLL saw Whittle take six for 38 in the victory over Ashton, before he returned to his old stomping ground at Crompton and clinched six for 79 in a narrow defeat.

A string of errors in the field left perfectionist Whittle wondering how different things might have been.

He said: “This team has to learn to field better. We must have put 10 catches down against Crompton.

“It’s the difference between chasing 202 and chasing 120, and can ultimately be the difference between winning and losing.

“Batting-wise we’ve done alright but the fielding hasn’t been good enough. I know it’s not easy in the cold but a lot of these players have been around long enough to know how to do better.”

Despite his disappointment at the team’s lack of catching prowess, Whittle admitted he is pleased with his current form.

He added: “Obviously from a personal point of view it was a pretty good weekend.

“I wanted to do well at my old club Crompton so taking six wickets was nice. I’ve got a lot of history there and I still recognise some familiar faces.

“I even said to the umpire ‘it’s hard to believe I coached some of this lot’ when Crompton were batting!


OLDHAM Cricket Club is holding a sportsman’s dinner on Friday, May, 21, to raise money for club funds.

Former Athletic winger Mark Ward is the guest speaker, Chris McGlade the comedian and Michael Bradshaw the MC.

Tickets cost £25 and are available from Oldham CC first-team skipper Chris McDonnell on 0791 9368727.