WAKING up on Sunday morning to the sight of a cloudless blue sky suggested a dry day for the Winter Rounders League matches.

No such luck! Less than half an hour into the Farnworth matches the rain returned around 11am and continued throughout the matches and making the sticky ground slippery.

The Eagley games started with the rain and the Breightmet programme, which started at 1pm was also affected.

Darcy, leaders in the John Smith's Farnworth league, picked up two easy points when opponents Bradbury Ladies conceded their match.

Second placed Imago had a comfortable win over Royal Hotel despite the heavy pitch conditions which caused Imago's Yvonne Halliwell, one of the League Organisers, to rule that the pitch should not be used for future matches. The pitch in question is the one near the car park at the back of the Leisure Centre and which has been the subject of previous criticism.

Siddons remain third after beating bottom side The Grapes by 23 runs and Adlington snatched fourth spot from Markland after beating them by two runs at 122-120.

Hanson retained their unbeaten record in Section 'B' with a comfortable win over White Horse (Little Lever) and The Flag retained second spot with an equally easy passage against White Horse (Kearsley).

Third placed Carl Chapman appear to have had a close match against Harper Green, but are understood to have declared after scoring the few runs needed for victory in their second innings.

ASAP Ladies stretched their lead over opponents Bolton Motor Bodies as a result of a strange match in which both sides were guilty of throwing away rounders.

Although Bolton Motor Bodies trailed by 22 runs after the first innings, early indications in the second session suggested the game could go either way, but ASAP eventually triumphed by a margin of 26 runs.

In the Breightmet League, Levers XI failed to show, thus giving Carl Chapman two unexpectedly easy points.

Leaders Price's maintained their unbeaten run with an innings win over Lower Pools and second placed CRS moved clear with a 28-run win over Lever Bridge who are now joint third with three other teams including Norton's XI and Queen Anne who were in opposition. Norton's won the encounter by 18 runs despite the inclusion of a top "A Section" player in the Queen Anne side.

The Eagley League had only two matches after FRASC XI conceded to The Barbers Shop who remain second in the table.

Leaders Ashbourne XI stay out in front and unbeaten after their 23-run win over Eagley 'B' who have dropped below Dale XI, innings winners against J&P Ladies.