Luke-ing good!

Photo: Chris Sunderland

TON OF RUNS: Royton centurion Luke Procter plays and misses against Crompton yesterday.

Procter smashes superb century in derby victory

CRICKET: LUKE Procter hit the Lake Garage CLL’s highest score of the season as Royton inflicted more grief on Crompton and their beleaguered bowlers at Glebe Street yesterday.

Royton’s professional smashed a sensational unbeaten 198 in his team’s 324 for five after they took first guard.

Procter’s massive individual score surpassed Middleton deputy professional Michael Smith’s 193 not out against, you guessed it, Crompton.

A toothless attack is giving Crompton little chance of success and even though their batsmen did show some fight in reaching 226 — Aqib Zulfiqar hitting 78 and Shahid Khan 58 — they were still a hefty 98 runs shy of Royton’s total.

Yesterday’s other derby match produced a comprehensive victory for Werneth against Oldham at the Pollards.

Taking first guard, Werneth rattled up 268 for seven as Joe Taylor (67), Matt Taylor (60) and Jon Slater (42) tucked in to some ordinary bowling.

Mel Whittle laboured under a burning sun to take four for 111, but Werneth’s batsmen held the whip hand and their bowlers followed suit when Oldham replied.

The Pollards men were skittled for a disappointing 111, spinner Alan Durose taking four for 20 and Mark Dronsfield three for 30.

Norden returned to the top of the table with a thumping 148-run victory over previous leaders Rochdale, Josh Poole hitting a superb 148 for the home team.

Warron Williams, Littleborough’s overseas amateur, scored 107 in Boro’s convincing defeat of Milnrow, while Shaw-based Scott Stanworth also reached three figures in Middleton’s defeat of Walsden at Towncroft.

Scores —

Ashton 203, Unsworth 253-9 (Flowers 88); Crompton 226 (Zulfiqar 78, S Khan 58, Porteous 3-78), Royton 324-5 (Procter 198 n.o., Brown 79); Littleborough 252-3 (Williams 107, Forden 81 n.o.), Milnrow 159 (Power 45, Perren 5-48); Middleton 262 (Stanworth 105, Edwards 68, Rawlinson 5-58), Walsden 165 (Perera 105, Jones 3-33, Edwards 3-37); Monton and Weaste 188-0 (Din 85 n.o., Green 75 n.o.), Heywood 187-8 (Grogan 59 n.o., Scott 6-100); Norden 287-8 (Poole 148), Rochdale 139 (Cryer 48, Price 3-30, Humphries 3-36, Makin 3-37); Oldham 111 (Durose 4-20, M Dronsfield 3-30), Werneth 268-7 (J Taylor 67, M Taylor 60, Whittle 4-111); Radcliffe 126 (Akhtar 4-32), Clifton 209-7 (Puchert 78, Burns 3-53).