Walshaw back in the old routine (From The Bolton News)

Walshaw back in the old routine

10:51pm Sunday 6th July 2008 in

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WALSHAW hit top after beating third-placed Little Hulton on Saturday while previous leaders Daisy Hill lost to in-form Darcy Lever.

The Bury side moved six points clear of the rest before yesterday's second round of the weekend's matches as they attempt to win their sixth Bolton Association title in 10 years.

The most consistent team in the Association over the last decade, there has not been a season when they have not been competing at the top.

And that momentum looks like continuing for many years to come as they have built on their success by growing the club from youth level.

The experience is provided by outstanding all-rounder and inspirational captain Rob Faulkner and match-winning pro Jon Fielding who is back at the club after a couple of seasons away.

The two took the wickets to deny Little Hulton victory when they were chasing a revised target of 129.

They fell two runs short with Faulkner taking 5-41 and Fielding 4-69.

Shay Parkinson hit 34 and Mark Penny 26 for Little Hulton while, earlier, their teammate Ian Lee ripped through the Walshaw batsmen with 6-41.

Walshaw made 141-9 from their allowed 36 overs with Jamie Pilling scoring 37 and Faulkner 28.

Daisy Hill lost top spot when they went down by 31 runs at home to the Association's surprise package, Darcy Lever, who went into yesterday 23 points behind the leaders in fifth.

Jack Southworth was again impressive with the bat, scoring 51 of his side's 179-9, while Andrew Griffiths chipped in with a fine 40.

Azam Shah took three Darcy wickets before top scoring for Daisy with 36.

Darcy's bowling success was again shared between Chris Street, with 5-68, and Dominic Gavin with 4-61 as their side completed another impressive victory.

Edgworth finished Saturday in fourth after beating Flixton by five wickets in another game which needed a revised target to be set because of the rain.

The action only got started at 4.30pm in an initial 27-over match and Flixton were all out for 107, pro Faisal Aafreedi top scoring with 48 while none of his teammates managed to get into double figures.

Chris Mather took 5-22 and Tahir Maqsood 3-46 before their side wrapped up victory by passing the revised target of 101 from 25 overs. Tom Liversedge top scored with a half century and pro Maqsood hit 25 not out.

Atherton and Spring View are also far from out of the title race despite going into Saturday night in sixth and seventh places respectively.

They are one and two points respectively behind Darcy, but the title contenders realistically end with them as eighth-placed Golborne were 29 points further back before yesterday.

Atherton won at home by six wickets against an Adlington side which put up a good battle.

The bottom-placed visitors scored 168-4 with Chris Mulligan top scoring with 46 and Eddie Haddon hitting 40.

The target was revised to 163 from 39 overs which Atherton reached with six overs to spare, Paul Keenan hitting a half century, deputy pro Zeeshan Pervez scoring 35 and Jamie Birch 32.

Spring View had super pro Bazid Khan back in their side after Pakistan international duty, and he instantly made his presence felt with 3-46 at Blackrod.

The home side opened with 118-6 from 28 overs, which had been reduced from 31 overs with only one and a half overs remaining, costing them the chance to hit out for some late runs.

Joey Pryle scored 52 and shared a 57-run first-wicket partnership with Asif Bhojani, who made 22.

Michael Crookson took 3-41 and then scored an unbeaten 68, sharing in a third-wicket partnership of 76 with Iain Critchley who scored 24, and View won the game with seven wickets remaining.

Standish moved up to fifth bottom with a superb nine-wicket home victory over Golborne.

Graham Marston scored 46 and Rob Bennett 45 as the visitors scored 165-6 from 46 overs, Andrew Fox taking 3-32.

Brett Collins hit 75, Simon Maiden 42 not out and Tony Kelly 39 not out as Standish passed the revised target of 158.