THE clash between Tonge and Little Lever at Castle Hill tomorrow will be more like a meeting of familiar friends than a cricket match.

For Tonge skipper Ian McLellan will be leading his side for the first time against the men he captained for three years until he answered the call to help rebuild his new club in the close season.

Meanwhile, Little Lever skipper Simon Anderton will return to face the team he led to Hamer Cup, Lancashire Knockout and League title successes.

With the recent spate of postponements caused by the inclement weather, both sides will be happy just to get the game on.

Although Tonge finished bottom of the league last year, McLellan’s influence alongside Nigel Partington, who joined him in the switch from Victory Road, has seen an improvement in form, and, importantly for the skipper, a revival of team spirit and healthy club atmosphere.

They maybe in the bottom half of the table, but McLellan reckons Tonge have thrown away at least four games they should have won in the last over.

“We were beaten at the death by Walkden, then again by Maghull in the National Knockout and Astley Bridge,” he said. “Last week, we were 90-1 chasing 130-odd against Farnworth SC and were all out for 125.

“We’ve now got some useful players in Neil and Paul Tong as well as Nigel, and our pro Syd De Silva is excellent. We’re just short of one player who can make us into a match-winning top-five side – a left-arm spinner who can bat a bit.”

Whatever happens, McLellan is determined his men share a post-match drink with their rivals, whom he described as a “cracking bunch of lads”.

He reckons the social side of the Bolton League is probably the best in local cricket in the region and is delighted to be helping to bring the good times back to Castle Hill.

“It’s important you socialise with the opposition after games,” he said. “It’s what local cricket is all about.”

For Little Lever, who have not played since June 2, it will be a pleasure just to get their kit out.

“We have had a rotten run of luck with the weather and we have been unable to do any training,” Anderton said. “If we play, it will be like starting the season all over again. We’ve only played three home matches so far and we’ve been wondering when we’ll play again. We’ll just have to keep our fingers crossed.”