WALSHAW had to put on a championship show to get out of a tricky situation at Daisy Hill on Saturday.

On a wet wicket the defending Association champions were bowled out for only 67 yet staged a tremendous fightback to skittle the home side for 53.

Pro Jonathan Fielding proved the matchwinner. He collected seven wickets for only 19 runs while Barry Hamilton picked up the remaining three for 30 runs.

Earlier Daisy must have felt it was their day as Chris Jones and Duncan Brookes sent a procession of batsmen back to the pavilion. Jones finished with 4-19 and Brookes 4-48 with only Hamilton showing any resistance with 24.

The 14 run win turned out to be a good result for Walshaw in view of the fact that their nearest title challengers were unable to pick up winning points.

Clifton suffered a surprise and a rare defeat when they went down by two wickets at Lostock.

They appeared comfortable at 91-5 until Phil Hall came on and changed the game.

In seven overs he picked up four wickets for 17 forcing a Clifton collapse to 110 all out, the bulk of those runs coming from Andrew Griffiths 30 and Tony Kelly 27.

Steve Twist 23 and Phil Knowles 20 then gave Lostock a healthy start but a 5-42 bowling return from David Parkinson left them nervously poised at 110-8 going into the last over. Again Hall turned things around, winning the game with a four off the next to last ball.

Atherton were in the driving seat at Elton where Greg Dimery 82, Philip West 52 and an unbeaten 47 from Rob Clews helped them to 241-5.

In the end, however, their bowlers could not clinch the win they needed, Howard Pawson keeping them at bay with a defiant 73 not out in Elton's 174-9.

Little Hulton left it late to clinch a three wicket win at Standish. Chasing the home side's 156, Ashley Perry hit 44 before Hulton won the game with three balls remaining. For Standish, pro Tipathi hit 45 and Ijaz Mahmood 44.

Only 11 runs separated Darcy Lever and Spring View in a highly entertaining draw.

View totalled 185-5 with Chris Rudd 66 and pro Arindam Sarker 58 the main contributors but Yasir Bashir put Darcy in with a chance hitting a whirlwind 41. He was eventually out to a brilliant catch by Chris Barnes and when Jamie Taylor followed, the rate dropped leaving Darcy to hang on at 174-9, Paul Hart taking 4-43. Quickfire Morris has A&T in a spin Redmayne Bentley

Bolton Association

By Peter Mensforth BLACKROD pro David Morris had the scoreboard spinning at Astley and Tyldesley when he blasted an unbeaten 87 off only 35 balls.

His half century was achieved in 24 balls as he peppered the boundary with fours and sixes and with Stephen Speak unbeaten on 43 at the other end, Blackrod took only 24 overs to amass 170-2.

That overhauled A&T's 166-8, Jim Cutt top scoring with 75 while John Fairbrother claimed four wickets for 38.

A six from David Roberts off the penultimate delivery gave Golborne a one wicket win over Edgworth.

Chasing a target of 150, Golborne made a good start but after rain cost them nine overs they started to lose wickets as Gary Garner picked up 5-59.

That left Golborne needing seven to win off the final over but Roberts stayed calm to hit the winning boundary.

Earlier Mike Davies top scored with 51 and Steve Liversedge added 37 in Edgworth's 150-8. MASTER BLASTER: David Morris