Werneth aces a perfect match
Date published: 05 May 2011
CRICKET:
IF early-season displays are anything to go by, Werneth have landed on their feet in signing professional Hasnain Abbas and overseas amateur Lewis Ashton.
After a first-day shocker at Littleborough, Werneth have reeled off three successive victories and the two new signings have certainly played their part.
Abbas hit a brutal 139 and Ashton a slightly more circumspect 104 as Werneth dismantled Ashton by 282 runs in their second fixture.
And the pair were at it again as Werneth ended a long losing run at Heywood on Saturday, Abbas hitting four sixes in his quickfire 63 and Ashton controlling the innings with a solid 58 as the Coppice outfit easily passed the Crimble team’s total of 185.
Indeed, the Pakistan pro and the Aussie amateur seem to be the perfect match.
Abbas loves nothing more than taking the attack to the opposition and seems destined to mix spectacular success with occasional failure.
But the pro’s unpredictable nature is not such a problem given Ashton’s more measured approach. A classy player, he has already indicated he can adapt to the match situation with ease.
Not that Werneth are a two-man team - far from it, in fact.
The nucleus of last year’s side, which did so well to finish seventh, remains.
And most of the team are young cricketers who are bound to improve so, taking everything into account, the outlook at the Coppice is extremely rosy.
CROMPTON and OLDHAM have been refreshingly honest in assessing their own limited ambitions for this season, so it was gratifying to see both register their first wins of the campaign at the weekend.
Carl Taylor’s Crompton won easily at Ashton and although they were brushed aside by 10 wickets at the hands of Littleborough 24 hours later, they are unlikely to be the only side to suffer a similar fate this term – just ask Werneth.
As for Oldham, the annual struggle for financial survival goes on and skipper Chris McDonnell certainly has his work cut out to keep his team competitive.
He has led from the front with his batting and made a vital 52 as Oldham saw off Radcliffe at the Racecourse just a day after a nine-wicket reverse at home to Middleton.
ROYTON are a work in progress so it’s hardly surprising that they possess form figures of won, lost, won, lost.
Alan Durose’s side seem to be progressing along the right lines, though, and will surely hold their own this season.
