League’s desire to boost competition

CLOSE CALL: Stayley batsman Lou Adair makes his ground before Uppermill wicketkeeper Alex Griffiths can remove the bails. Adair went on to score 77.

CRICKET:

THE Armstrong Office Furniture Saddleworth and District Cricket League wants to expand.

The league is advertising for new clubs for the 2011 season to make numbers more even.

The league currently consists of 13 clubs, which means one team has an open date each week.

Numbers were as high as 15 in 2000, but were down to 12 in 2006 after East Levenshulme (folded), Flowery Field (joined Lancashire County League) and Micklehurst (joined Huddersfield League) left the competition in the space of six years

Glodwick are the league’s newest members after joining in 2007.

The closing date for applications is June 12.


CLUBS are being asked to show their support for the ‘Weathertime System’ at the league’s monthly meeting on Thursday, May 27.

The sub-committee, formed to come up with a procedure to determine the result of matches when rain or bad light intervenes, want clubs to indicate whether they will be voting for or against it at October’s annual meeting.

Umpire Mike Dunkerley, a member of the sub-committee, says they need time for the formal wording of the rule to be prepared for submission.

A proposal document, approved by the league’s executive committee, was circulated to all clubs and it was presented to them at a special meeting at the end of March.

Captains, players, scorers and umpires were present and the unanimous view was that its introduction would be a positive step forward.

If the ‘Weathertime System’ is approved, there will be training sessions for umpires, players and scorers before the 2011 season gets under way.


BAMFORD Fieldhouse’s Qasar Riaz has an idea how Geoffrey Boycott felt after the legendary Yorkshire and England batsman was dropped despite making a double century against India in 1967.

Although there is absolutely no comparison to playing in a Test match and appearing at Droylsden, Riaz, like Boycott, was pretty pleased with himself after claiming six for 20.

However, the former Hollinwood player was brought back down to earth with a bump when he was replaced by Simon Wright for Bamford’s home game against Heyside 24 hours later!



INTERNATIONAL cricket comes to Friarmere on Saturday when Switzerland under-17s take on a team from the host club.

The touring Swiss teenagers are in the middle of a tour in preparation for July’s European Champ-ionships, which are being held in the Isle of Man.



AUSTERLANDS second-team batsman Adam Sunderland (18) recorded his first competitive century, with an unbeaten 121 at home to Stayley.

It was a fine effort from the teenager, who is still recovering from a knee operation.