Made in Oldham

CRICKET:

Young guns bolster league attack
THREE young bowlers from the Oldham area are expected to form the cornerstone of the Lake Garage CLL’s bowling attack in their Reader Inter-League Competition first-round match against the Ribblesdale League at Middleton on Sunday (1.30pm).

Ryan Mayes, the pace bowler who joined Royton after spells with Oldham and Crompton, makes his first appearance in the senior side.

And, following the withdrawal this week of Nick Brierley (Norden) and David Hamilton (Monton and Weaste), Werneth’s Matt Taylor and Middleton’s Dale Highton have been called into the 12-man squad.

Taylor, a genuine all-rounder, can bowl at a brisk pace, while former Crompton spinner Highton has been in terrific form recently, taking seven for 18 against Ashton on Saturday.

Also in the CLL side is Werneth all-rounder Alan Durose, while the team will be captained by Middleton’s Steve Davey, with his team-mate Scott Stanworth, the Shaw-based player, as wicket-keeper.

The rest of the squad is: Bobby Cross, Danny Pawson (Heywood), James Rawlinson (Walsden), Oliver Makin (Norden), Zaffer Zaman (Ashton), Reece Jones (Norden).

The Ribblesdale League are looking for a replacement following the withdrawal from the original squad of Umar Saddique.

Rest of the team: M Rishton, capt, G Sudworth (Baxenden), P Dibb, J Dewhurst (Clitheroe), M Nutter (Barnoldswick), T Davidson, D Morris (Settle), C Holt, K O’Connor (Read), R Craddock (Earby).

WERNETH wicketkeeper Robert Shaw is in the CLL colts’ team which will take on the Manchester Association in their first group game of this season’s Reader Lancashire Inter-League Competition at Wythen-shawe on Sunday (1.30pm).


The rest of the team is:

Scott Butterworth, capt, Greg Butterworth, Tom Avery (Rochdale), Curtis Maguire (Heywood), Chris Long, Andrew Gregoriou (Unsworth), Mo Abid (Ashton), Grant Jones, George Walker, Richard Fitton (Middleton), Harvey Fitton (Norden).


ROYTON’S excellent youth system continues to bear fruit.

Every one of the wickets in their recent second X1 match against Oldham was captured by members of the under-18 squad or younger.

The same thing happened in the third team’s game against Middleton on Bank Holiday Monday.

And the icing on the cake came on Saturday when 15-year-old Connor Hey made 106 and Richard Pertoldi (16) smashed 44 off 18 balls for the third X1 in the victory over Walsden at the Paddock.


LATEST results in the CLL under-18 competition for the Whittaker Cup:

Rochdale 148-4, Royton 147-9; Oldham 166, Unsworth 167-3 (Craig Taylor 50 n.o.); Clifton 193 (Adam Holt 50 n.o, Michael Ferry 50 n.o., Liam Holt 52 n.o.), Middleton 195-1 (George Walker 51 n.o., Matthew Lee 51 n.o.); Heywood beat Bury (conceded); Werneth 103-8, Crompton 105-5.