WORSLEY are making a quick impression on the Bolton Association, none quicker than Himesh Silva.

After a slow start the league’s new boys have risen to mid-table and are in the quarter-finals of the Cross Cup.

They have taken some decent scalps along the way, none bigger than previous leaders Bury last Saturday when Sri Lanka overseas player Silva took 7-41.

“He bowled as quick as I have seen anyone bowl at Worsley,” said captain Michael Gould. “And he was getting the ball to kick about.

“I was glad he was on our side, I wouldn’t have wanted to face him.

“Beating Bury was definitely the highlight of our season so far.

“We have been clicking for a while now. We had back-to-back wins against Walshaw in the league and Swinton Moorside in the cup and we seem to have kicked on.

“Our early-season form was not as good. We were probably just finding our feet.

Gould, whose side visit Swinton tomorrow before travelling to Daisy Hill in the Cross Cup 24 hours later, said Worsley are finding the Association a tougher proposition than the Manchester Association where they were before.

“The Bolton Association is good competitive cricket,” he said.

“In the league last year you would have a good game one week and a not-so-good game the next.

“It lowers your game because you can’t get momentum. Every week it’s a hard game in this league.”

Picking out the key players so far, he added: “Chris Taylor was not out 90 against Walshaw two weeks ago and he was 86 not out when it started raining against Bury last week.

“Simon Hall has had a few good knocks in the middle order, nothing amazing, but steady, and has contributed to some partnerships with Chris Taylor.

“Danny McKeown has opened the batting for us this year after being middle order in the past and he has had a couple of half centuries and set the platform for us to kick on.

“He has been at Worsley since he was 14 and he’s late 30s now. I’ve been there since I was 10 and in the first team since I was 18 and I’m 33.

“The nucleus has been there since we were juniors, like Simon Hall and Tom Othick.”

Gould added: “We want to finish as high as we can and get our place in the Premier Division, if that’s what they are going to call it.

"That’s what we are aiming to do.

“There are a lot of sides who there’s not a lot of difference. It depends how you play on the day.

“If you get a run of confidence you can push on.

“We have really focused on the junior section in the recent years. We have three level two coaches and we regularly have 50-odd junior players down on a Sunday.”