Big two in firing line

Luke Proctor played for Royton.

WITH the Lake Garage CLL Championship trophy tantalisingly close, Royton must hold their nerve in order to keep local rivals Werneth at bay.

Denny Hulme’s men went to the top of the table following their recent defeat of their neigbours at the Coppice.

The two teams are level on points, but Royton have recorded one more victory which means that should they pick up maximum points in their last two fixtures they will be crowned champions.

And that would be a major tonic for a club which last lifted silverware when winning the league title in 1980.

Werneth won the Wood Cup in 1990, but you have to go way back to 1939 for their only title triumph.

Skipper Matt Taylor is desperate to put that right, but the matter is out of his hands and all his team can do is pick up maximum points in their remaining fixtures.

Both Royton and Werneth have tricky matches on Sunday.

Royton, with Lancashire star Luke Procter their deputy professional in place of Aussie Ben Dunk, host a Monton and Weaste side for whom paid man Paul Green is a huge player.

Remove Green early and you have a great chance to win the game.

But let him settle and he can bat through an innings and set up victory for his team.

Werneth are at home to an Unsworth side who defeated Crompton by seven wickets at Glebe Street last weekend.

Their paid man, Chris Williams, has been in fine form with the ball, while batsmen Chris Long and John Wiggans shone against Crompton and will pose a threat if allowed to get going.

Crompton travel to Radcliffe aiming to shrug off last weekend’s setback, while Oldham – who shocked the Racecourse outfit to end a disastrous sequence of heavy losses – will be hoping to follow that up with a positive result at fellow strugglers Ashton.

Sunday (12.30pm) –
PREMIER DIVISION: Clifton v Norden; Littleborough v Middleton; Milnrow v Walsden; Rochdale v Heywood.

CHAMPIONSHIP: Ashton v Oldham; Radcliffe v Crompton; Royton v Monton and Weaste; Werneth v Unsworth.