Three of a kind chasing silver

Photo: Darren Robinson

LEWIS ASHTON . . . a major Twenty20 asset for Werneth.

CRICKET: IT’S been over 20 years since one of our four local clubs lifted Lake Garage CLL silverware.

But the draw for the quarter-finals of the John Willie Lees Twenty20 Competition has sparked hope that the long wait for success may be about to end.

Werneth’s Wood Cup triumph in 1990 was the last cause for local celebration, but each of our three remaining teams have avoided each other in the Twenty20 shoot-out and all three have winnable ties.

Royton are away to Radcliffe, a team they defeated in good style in the John Willie Lees Wood Cup last month.

Werneth host Littleborough and although the visitors boast some big names in their line-up, group-stage form suggests the home team have every chance of booking a place in the semi-finals – particularly given home advantage and the big hitting of professional Hasnain Abbas and overseas amateur Lewis Ashton.

Crompton are enduring a miserable season in the league, but their Twenty20 form has been a revelation.

They came through a difficult group which also contained Littleborough, Milnrow and Walsden and their comprehensive nine-wickets victory over the former club underlined their ability in this shorter form of cricket.

The other quarter-final ties sees Middleton host Clifton and these matches will be played on Friday, July 8 (6.15pm).


OLDHAM may no longer have any interest in the Twenty20 Competition, but they are still in the John Willie Lees Wood Cup, the quarter-finals of which will be held – weather permitting, of course – on Sunday.
With finance remaining a serious issue at the Pollards, a cup run is vital to the health of the club and victory over Walsden at the weekend would give Oldham a money-spinning semi-final tie against Royton or Norden.

Royton find themselves against the league’s most powerful club in Norden and must somehow turn around last Saturday’s heavy league defeat.

But should they do so, they would be one step nearer to winning the Wood Cup for the first time in their history. And a semi-final against Oldham? That would be something to savour.