Werneth out to put the record straight

EARLY BLOW... opener Alan Durose holes out to Peter Davey off Rick Valentine during Royton’s Twenty 20 semi-final defeat at Middleton.

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CRICKET: THE last time Oldham met Werneth in the Lake Garage CLL, the two sides went into the game in vastly-contrasting form.

Oldham could barely compete with the opposition, while Werneth were upwardly mobile and looking at a top-five finish and place in next season’s LCB Cup.

Then it happened. Completely against all known logic, Oldham blitzed Werneth by nine wickets in a one-side match at the Coppice.

Hero of that victory was Zaffer Jatoi, aka Dr Zaffer, who played quite brilliantly for his unbeaten 89 in Oldham’s 183 for one in reply to 179 for eight.

No doubt Oldham will hope for more of the same in the reverse fixture at the Pollards on Sunday, but Werneth have got their act together since that reverse, including in their victories a derby verdict over Wood Cup finalists Royton.

Indeed, Werneth are the highest-placed of our for local teams in eighth, and are just four points out of an LCB place with 10 games of the season remaining.

Last weekend’s victory over high-flying Walsden may only have been achieved by a single wicket, but it was a solid performance in which Joe Taylor’s five for 33 and professional Hasnain Abbas’s knock of 58 proved crucial.

Sunday’s other derby showdown sees Crompton entertain Royton at Glebe Street.

For the second successive campaign, Crompton have been propping up the rest and there are few signs that they can turn the tide entering the final third of the season.

Carl Taylor and his team continue to battle manfully, but one win in 20 games says it all and it is difficult to envisage anything other than a Royton victory this weekend.

The latter club suffered a heartbreaking Twenty20 Cup semi-final defeat at Middleton last Sunday, but their talented squad – which contains several youngsters – continues on an upward curve and skipper Alan Durose is demanding a strong finish to their league campaign.

Royton warm up for the derby match with tomorrow’s home game against Middleton - a dress rehearsal of Sunday week’s John Willie Lees Wood Cup final at Monton and Weaste.

Crompton face a stiff task at Heywood, Oldham are away to Rochdale and Werneth host Radcliffe.

TOMORROW: Clifton v Littleborough; Heywood v Crompton; Milnrow v Norden; Rochdale v Oldham; Royton v Middleton; Unsworth v Monton and Weaste; Walsden v Ashton; Werneth v Radcliffe.

SUNDAY: Ashton v Unsworth; Crompton v Royton; Littleborough v Milnrow; Middleton v Walsden; Monton and Weaste v Heywood; Norden v Rochdale; Oldham v Werneth; Radcliffe v Clifton.



WOOD Cup final hosts Monton and Weaste are on the look-out for a suitable mobile scoreboard.
The final, between Royton and Middleton, takes place on Sunday week and Monton have launched their appeal following a fault in their own electronic scoreboard.


AFTER winning the toss at last night's Saddleworth and District Cricket League meeting, Bamford Fieldhouse have home advantage in this year's Tanner Cup final against Heyside on Sunday, August 14.
Bamford are chasing a third consecutive victory and a sixth in total in the knock-out competition.