Paddock power shift
Reporter: KEITH McHUGH
Date published: 28 May 2010
Ward back in charge at Royton as Procter steps down
CRICKET: MATT Ward has taken over the captaincy at Royton following Luke Procter’s decision to step down.
Procter’s commitment to Lancashire, with whom he has a contract, has taken up more time than was originally envisaged.
The Royton professional spoke to the club’s committee and both agreed it would be better to appoint a new captain.
Procter’s growing importance to Lancashire, for whom he recently made his County Championship debut, has meant he has been unable to attend training, selection meetings and under-18s matches on a regular basis.
The player and club were in agreement that Procter should hand the captaincy to Ward, but the professional will be the new skipper’s right-hand man.
Ward, who captained Royton to successive victories in Procter’s absence earlier this month and did the job in 2006, takes over with immediate effect.
The top-order batsman, who had a spell with Astley Bridge in the Bolton League last summer, has been in decent nick this season, having fully recovered from a broken right wrist.
He said: “I am enjoying my cricket and have been in quite good form.
“I am happy to take on the captaincy, having done the job before, but Luke will still be heavily involved.”
Ward’s first job as permanent captain will be this weekend’s double header which sees Royton travel to reigning champions Monton and Weaste tomorrow before entertaining Oldham in Sunday’s derby clash.
Procter, currently playing the final day of a second X1 match for Lancashire against Warwickshire in Blackpool, is unlikely to be needed for the senior team’s four-day game against Yorkshire which starts tomorrow so he should be available for both Royton fixtures.
For their part, OLDHAM will be desperate to return to winning ways after a series of disappointing results which has left them second from bottom and, like our area’s other three clubs, dumped out of the Wood Cup.
Oldham are at home to Clifton tomorrow and skipper Chris McDonnell will rally his troops in a bid to kickstart the club’s season.
CROMPTON, by their own admission, are struggling.
This was always going to be a difficult season following the loss of key personnel and last Saturday’s high-speed rout at the hands of Norden was the low point of the current campaign.
Skipper Carl Taylor has a big job on his hands, but at least there is experience in the side with the likes of Alan Whiston and Glen Rigby, so there should be no dropping of heads.
Crompton, knocked out of the Wood Cup by Unsworth last weekend, entertain the same side tomorrow and must somehow find a way to turn round an eight-wicket defeat.
Taylor’s men go to Milnrow the following day and will do well to push a side currently sitting pretty in second spot.
Having shown some early-season promise, WERNETH must be disappointed to find themselves in tenth place and out of the Wood Cup.
Tomorrow’s trip to Clinton Perren-inspired Littleborough looks tough, but a home game against Middleton the following day represents a decent opportunity to pick up valuable points.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
TOMORROW: Ashton v Heywood; Crompton v Unsworth; Littleborough v Werneth; Middleton v Rochdale; Monton and Weaste v Royton; Norden v Milnrow; Oldham v Clifton; Radcliffe v Walsden.
SUNDAY: Clifton v Ashton; Heywood v Norden; Milnrow v Crompton; Rochdale v Monton and Weaste; Royton v Oldham; Unsworth v Radcliffe; Walsden v Littleborough; Werneth v Middleton.
Matches start at 1.45pm.
