FLIXTON had Bolton Association officials racking their brains over whether they set a new record for the least number of overs needed to win a game.

The second-placed side had just got Standish all out for 75 before romping to victory in just 6.1 overs on Saturday.

Association results secretary, Nick Chamberlain, said: “There’s no way of verifying it, but I would think it must be a record.”

Standish’s excellent season so far suffered a blip as, apart from opener Niall Burke (25) and captain Sam Heeley (19), their batting was a disaster.

“It was a good batting wicket, too,” said Heeley. “We just batted really badly. It was a bad day and I just told the players to forget about it and move on. There’s nothing else you can do.”

On a day of predominantly low scoring games, Bury disposed of Golborne in double quick time at Radcliffe Road.

And the Radcliffe Road men could have been challenging Flixton’s 6.1 overs but for a manful recovery by Jack Cullen and Tony Kelly after their side were reduced to 11-5.

They put on 65 – Cullen finishing not out on 43 and Kelly scoring 35 – to mean Bury needed six more overs than Flixton to complete their victory. Golborne ended on 97, Alex Breckin taking 5-10 – the first five wickets to fall – and Kobus Scholtz taking 4-10.

Bury were 11-2 in their reply, but lost no more wickets as Scholtz finished unbeaten on 62, smashing a half century in 25 balls.

Flixton captain and pro Steve Hammond helped himself to 6-42 and new signing Adrian Holmes took 3-23 before Luke Perry hammered 55 off 24 balls and Alton Beckford added 16 to complete Standish’s misery in double quick time.

Before yesterday’s programme Flixton remained 14 points behind Atherton who had to show their resilence after bottom club Blackrod gave them a scare.

Chasing 129-9, the top men were under pressure at 52-5 before showing they are not top for nothing.

Matt Lilley (38) got together with Neil Bannister (21 not out) and they put on a partnership of 58 to take the score on to 110-6.

Atherton, who rarely if ever give teams a hammering but always seem to find a way of getting over the line, had trouble dealing with Tushendra de Zoysa, who scored 64 then took 3-33.

Unfortunately for the basement club, their next best was 25 extras then 13, as Jamar Griffith took 5-49.

But they took heart from testing the mettle of the leaders, club captain Chris Sanderson tweeting: “So near yet so far,” adding that it was a “good team effort” and that his side were “no pushovers.”

Edgworth, who are third, 47 points behind the leaders, looked to be heading for defeat when they were all out for 94 at home to Little Hulton, Trevor Caine unbeaten on 24.

But the visitors – for whom Azam Shah took 5-33 – collapsed to 68 all out with Jaco Fourie taking 6-39 and Liam Watkinson 4-27.

Darcy Lever became the third team to breach a new slow-over rate rule brought in this season.

Having posted 225-8, they had only bowled 45 of their 48 overs after the three-hour deadline.

This meant Adlington were awarded 15 runs – five for each over not bowled in the allotted time – which took the visitors to within two runs of victory.

They achieved it with five wickets to spare, Majid Majeed the star with 81no, Mark Halliwell adding 40 and Jack Shovelton 38no.

Halliwell earlier took 3-29 and Tom Foster 3-39 as Darcy again showed their recent vast batting improvement with 225-8 (Chris Fenn 48, Freddy Oliver 46 and Andy Patel 34).

Danny Lomax returned to the first team in style as Elton beat Astley and Tyldesley by five wickets at home.

Opening the batting in reply to A&T’s 191-5, the wicketkeeper, who has been out of the side since the start of the season, hit 58.

Mark Goddard scored 43no while visiting pro Jimmy Cutt took 4-77.

Cutt had earlier scored 52, Hemant Patel 44, Matt Moore 37 and Aaron Booth 32. Elton captain Steve Filkins took 3-50.

**** DOG stopped play at Daisy Hill where Walshaw bucked the trend of low scoring elsewhere in the Association.

The game had to be halted for a full 15 minutes as various attempts were made to catch the canine.

“The most enjoyable part of the day for us was watching everyone chasing the dog around the pitch,” said Daisy Hill cricket secretary Phil Andrews.

“The owner couldn’t catch it, the players were all chasing it and the umpires joined in.

“No-one could get it for 15 minutes until someone dangled a toy that it likes and got it through the side gate.

“The rest of us just sat back and enjoyed it. There wasn’t much else for us at Daisy Hill to enjoy on the day.”

Walshaw, who have only lost three league games since two defeats at the start of the season, moved up to fourth with a 145-run victory.

They made the most of a currently weakened Daisy bowling attack with Danny Hornby hitting 91 and Chris Horner 31 in an opening partnership of 100.

Gavin Nicholl kept the momentum going with 72 before Hornby was out with the score on 175-2, and Jack McClung hit a quickfire 41 not out as Walshaw posted 283-5.

Daisy’s reply stuttered along with only Paul Atherton (30), Michael Chilton (37) and Imtiaz Cheema (35) making meaningful contributions.

Walshaw’s overseas player Brandon Williams took 3-25, Hornby 3-39 and Gavin Nicholl produced his second impressive bowling figures in successive weekends when he mopped up the tail-enders with 4-15.

BOLTON ASSOCIATION Saturday Atherton 133-6, Blackrod 129-9. Atherton won by 4 wkts Bury 101-2, Golborne 97. Bury won by 8 wkts Daisy Hill 138, Walshaw 283-5. Walshaw won by 145 runs.

Darcy Lever 225-8, Adlington 227-5. Adlington won by 5 wkts.

Edgworth 94, Little Hulton 68. Edgworth won by 26 runs.

Elton 192-5, Astley and Tyldesley 191-5. Elton won by 5 wkts.

Standish 75, Flixton 77-0. Flixton won by 10 wkts.

Yesterday Little Hulton 99, Atherton 103-3. Atherton won by 7 wkts.

Flixton 57-2, Daisy Hill 56. Flixton won by 8 wkts.

Blackrod 208-3 v Golborne. Match abandoned.

Adlington v Elton 116-7. Match abandoned.

Darcy Lever 178-8, Bury 145-1. Match abandoned.

Walshaw 56-3, Edgworth 159-8. Match abandoned.

Astley and Tyldesley 163-6, Standish 102-5. Match abandoned.