DAMIEN Keegan was the hero for Greenmount as they were taken right to the wire by Bradshaw in a six-wicket victory in the quarter-finals of the Hamer Cup.

Tom Liversedge (77) and Stuart Hornby (26) opened the batting for the Rigbys outfit and Younis Anwar (58) and Kamran Younis (47) scored high at third and fourth respectively.

Mark Stewart (4-44), Phil Heaton (2-86) and Phil Ingram (2-39) made sure the middle order batsmen stayed relatively quiet as the overs expired with Bradshaw posting 274-9.

Travis Townsend launched the reply hitting 79, and Ryan Senior (59) and Andrew Bowker (45) built up the total.

Phil Heaton then chipped in with 33 as the bowling attack of Phil Dickinson (3-69) and Younis (3-117) cranked up the pressure.

But with two balls remaining and six wickets down Greenmount were looking for an unlikely hero to step up – and Keegan (12no) duly obliged striking the winning runs with one ball to spare.

Elsewhere, Walkden are through to the semi-final of the Hamer Cup after a narrow victory at home to Kearsley.

Rafal Afridi fell five runs short of his century as the hosts started on the front foot. Ryan Ayres (51), Johnathan Fowler (50no) and Adnan Malik (40) all scored high to post a total of 260-4.

Mohammed Jameel was the most notable bowler taking 3-54.

Saeed Anwar Jnr led the reply with the bat striking 86 and Charlie Dorsey added 62 to set up a close finish. Mallik turned his hand to the ball and took 4-71, which along with Ayres and Fowler taking two wickets apiece, dismissed the visitors nine runs short of the target.

And skipper Nigel Partington told The Bolton News just how far the team has come since the beginning of the campaign: “Compared to the start of the season it is a completely different atmosphere at the club now,” he said.

“I was struggling to get a squad together and was begging people to play but now we have a solid squad and I have to tough decision of having to leave players out.

“Our batting is really kicking in and we have got four top class bowlers in our pro (Fowler), Ayres, Malik and (Sayed) Shah who are really doing well.

“On our day we can beat anybody. We are the inform team and we have already beaten Greenmount and Bradshaw this season.

“Nobody will want to draw us, especially not down at our place.

“My team talk before the game was to tell the lads about the three times I have won the cup and how they were the best three days of my life.

"It seemed to spur them on and you can tell how much it means to the lads by their celebrations in the changing rooms after the game.”

David Tonge (60) top-scored for Farnworth Social Circle as they defeated Egerton.

Adam Street impressed with the ball taking 7-43 as the Piggot Park side were dismissed for 169.

Mahela Udawatte (64) led the response but Matt Parkinson (3-18) helped to bowl their visitors out three runs short of the target.

Westhoughton completed the quartet as Oliver Newby (51) and Sean Dunning (48) helped them set Horwich a target of 213-8.

Qaisar Abbass (5-48) destroyed any chance of a successful reply and aided in bowling Horwich out for 164.

Results

Bradshaw 274-9, Greenmount 279-6. Greenmount won by 4 wkts.

Farnworth Social Circle 169, Egerton 166. Farnworth SC won by three runs.

Walkden 260-4, Kearsley 251. Walkden won by nine runs.

Westhoughton 213-8, Horwich 164. Westhoughton won by 49 runs.