Local stars put to the test

CRICKET:

THE Kenyans are coming! Saddleworth and District Cricket League outfit Bamford Fieldhouse will be the base for their national team’s preparations for an ICC international showdown with Holland later this month.

Kenya’s cricketers arrive in Rochdale on Sunday and will be based at the Norton Grange Hotel.

And they will face three matches in a week at Bamford, starting with a 50 overs-a-side contest against some Saddleworth League and CLL professionals on Monday (1pm).

These will include the Saddleworth League’s Ryan Senior (Shaw), Roelof Hugo (Heyside) and Imran Aslam (Glodwick), and Clinton Perren (Littleborough) and Mohammed Hanif (Oldham) from the CLL.

Boro overseas amateur Warron Williams and his Oldham counterpart Keelan Gossayn have also been lined up.

The umpires are Trevor Harrison and Peter Lilley from the Saddleworth League.

Wednesday’s game is against a side assembled from a series of trials being held at Bamford this week, while tomorrow week’s match will see Kenya challenge a full Bamford Fieldhouse line-up.

The Kenyan team will be at Rochdale Town Hall next Thursday night for a civic reception.


THE Saddleworth and District Cricket League’s Twenty20 Cup last eight should be completed tomorrow.

Hollinwood are at home to Glodwick in the outstanding tie (start 6.30pm), with the winners facing a trip to Austerlands on Friday, July 9.

The original fixture on June 4 was abandoned in controversial circumstances.

Glodwick were 63 for three when the heavens opened. With the wickets in a saturated state, attempts were made to site a set of stumps on the outfield for a bowl-out.

But despite promptings from the umpires, the bowl-out never took place and first-round match was called off.

Of the other quarter-finals, inaugural winners Saddleworth play host to Heyside, the holders.

Saddleworth beat Shaw (125 for nine) by six wickets and with nearly four overs to spare.

Heyside overcame Stayley by eight wickets in a reduced overs contest, while Uppermill denied Friarmere 1-0 in a bowl-out to set up a meeting with Droylsden.

Quarter-final draw —

Twenty20 Cup: Austerlands v Hollinwood/Glodwick; Moorside v Greenfield; Uppermill v Droylsden; Saddleworth v Heyside.