In-form sides lock horns at the Clough

FRIARMERE CC . . . Ishtaq Hussain (back, left), Atiq Ur Rehman, Darren Shadford, Gary Kershaw, Ben Ingham, John Morris (scorer). John Patterson (front, left), Darren Graham, Asif Qayyum, Abbas Ali, Danny Meehan, Josh Butler.

CRICKET: HAT-TRICK seekers Shaw and Greenfield go head-to-head at Holebottom Clough tomorrow in the Saddleworth and District Cricket League.

The hosts are up to second in the table after back-to-back league wins, while consecutive victories have lifted Jonathan Ainley’s men to the fringes of the top five.

Although he failed to make too much impression with the bat last weekend, professional Khurram Shehzad has settled in well at Shaw.

The Pakistani was averaging more than 65 before his latest two knocks, and that was the kind of form which saw him pile up 1,000 runs in the Liverpool Competition three years ago.

Rahul Panta is also proving his worth at Greenfield.

The overseas amateur missed the start of the season because of visa problems, but is making up for lost time.

The Indian all-rounder played a starring role in the recent win over Moorside, scoring an unbeaten 79 at the top of the order.

Leaders Uppermill are at home to Droylsden who are looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat, while Glodwick, who slipped to third place after last Sunday’s defeat to Shaw, go to Heyside.

Saddleworth are on a roll — Steven Howard’s men have won three league and cup matches on the spin — and they will look to make it four on the bounce at home to Stayley.

But the visitors to Well-i-Hole will be no pushovers after piling up 262 for five in the defeat of Austerlands last time out.

And Hollinwood, buoyed by successive wins, might fancy their chances against out-of-touch Bamford Fieldhouse at Lime Lane.