MIKE Bennison said Walkden had still performed admirably after they were forced to play without a deputy professional against Little Lever on Sunday and fell to a shock one-wicket defeat.

Former Walkden all-rounder Liam Jackson, now professional with Elton, who had turned out for them the previous week, did not line up as expected, which completely upset the Harriett Street club’s planning.

“We didn’t have time to register another deputy professional and with it happening so close to the start of the match, it affected our preparations,” said the skipper of the Bolton League champions.

“It was just a shambles and no surprise when we started badly. I thought we did brilliantly to get to 172.

“In fact it was a great game of cricket and it could have gone either way in the final over.”

Little Lever, playing their first game of the season after the previous week’s pre-season tour to Majorca, still required eight runs for victory when the last two batsmen came together.

The pair just managed to avoid a run out before the winning runs were scored when a miscued shot saw the ball fly over the wicketkeeper’s head.

Ironically, former Pakistan Test star Saqlain Mushtaq pulled out with injury the previous night and Sri Lankan Gayan Fernando was drafted in as deputy professional for Little Lever and he made a sizeable contribution for the visitors with a seven-wicket haul.

The problem facing Walkden, as with all clubs who have signed an overseas professional, is the wait for visas.

Walkden hope New Zealander Greg Hay will arrive this week in time for Saturday’s game at Eagley, but the failure to play without a professional against Little Lever, even though it was out of their control, could possibly cost them a fine under Bolton League rules.

The issue of professionals is one that Bennison believes the Bolton League should examine.

He said: “When I began playing many of the professionals were Test players or grade level. Now the majority of clubs, for financial reasons, can not afford such players and some are making one of their own players the professional.

“That is not going to increase the standard of cricket. The league just gets weaker.

“I know we will never have Test stars playing again because of the amount of cricket they are involved in, but it does need to be looked at.

“New rules meant that visa applications could not be applied for before January 26 of this year and with the season starting a week earlier, it has all added to the problems. Hopefully it might be easier to sort out next season.”