Mel sees funny side of his latest comeback

MEL WHITTLE: can't stop taking wickets – even in retirement!

CRICKET: “YOU couldn’t have written the script” was the verdict of Mel Whittle as his cricketing comeback at Royton on Saturday was marked by a first-ball wicket.

The hapless victim was Ashton opener Imran Yousaf and Whittle, Royton’s deputy professional for the day in the absence of Luke Procter, could hardly stop laughing in the centre of the Paddock pitch.

Whittle, the 63-year-old former Oldham and Crompton campaigner, was playing his first game for Royton after answering the club’s SOS for a deputy professional.

He retired at the end of last season after taking 100 CLL wickets for Oldham, but had played three times since – twice for Carnforth in the Northern League and once for Lancashire over-50s.

“Alan Durose (the Royton skipper) rang me out of the blue and asked me to play,” said Whittle. “The payment offered was acceptable so I had no hesitation.

“And when I got that first victim (leg before wicket), Alan – who was fielding at slip – let out a whoop. For my part, I just started laughing and could not stop.”

Three more wickets followed for Whittle, who also found time to give Royton fast bowler Matthew Hodson some words of wisdom.

“The young lad was bowling too fast and spraying it about, so I told him to cut his pace.

“He started to get the ball in the right areas and took four wickets.

“Bowling is not about how fast you bowl, it’s about where you bowl and some of these young bowlers should listen to those with experience.”

Having played for three of our four local clubs, Whittle needs just one game for Werneth to complete the full set.

But he doesn’t expect that to happen: “I doubt whether they would ask me,” he quipped.

You never know, Mel. You just never know.


NORDEN were crowned CLL champions with victory over Werneth on Sunday.
But rather than be elated with their success, the Woodhouse Lane outfit have questioned the quality of the opposition in the CLL.

A recent league meeting saw Norden delegate Greg Tattersall voice his concern over falling standards in the league.

And he also said Norden had received an unofficial approach over a proposed Greater Manchester Premier League, plans for which were recently revealed by the Chronicle.