FORMER Heaton captain Warwick Milne says the Lower Pools club are looking at the bigger picture when it comes to regaining their Premiership status.

Heaton started 2018 with a thrilling home victory by 22 runs over Tonge on Saturday.

But Milne, who remains heavily involved with the club, believes an immediate return to the Bolton League’s top flight would come too soon.

“Promotion isn’t our aim,” he admitted after watching Heaton post 298-8 from 48 overs and Tonge reply with 283.

“We’re in the rebuilding process, and we’re honest and realistic about that.

“We’re part of a two or three-year process, which will leave us in a position where we can say ‘We are sustainable and can move forwards’.

“Our players are realistic about maybe not being ready, and it’s up to us to put a loving arm around them and guide them.

“It’s a case of us saying ‘We may not be at our best today, but we’ll be better tomorrow and even better the day after’.

“We have always produced good young players, highlighted by Callum and Matt Parkinson at county level, and others littered all over Bolton who have benefitted from what we have done.

“Tom Liversedge at Bradshaw is high quality, Chris Baxendale at Kearsley, we helped Simon Booth and so on.

“We’re not pretending to be something we’re not. It’s going to be difficult for us, which is a similar case for Tonge, Little Lever or other old Bolton League clubs who have gone down.

“We can’t rebuild overnight, and those clubs have enough sense to say ‘We’re not going to pay every Tom, Dick and Harry to put us somewhere that’s false’.”

Heaton’s total was built around 83 from professional Anwar-ul-Haq, who has returned to the club this year having also played at Farnworth in the past, and Oliver Sutcliffe’s 67.

They were 123-3 after 29 overs, but a series of lower order contributions helped fire them towards 300 before Tonge’s Sri Lankan pro Tilaksha Malshan heightened nerves with a brilliant 117. Malshan had earlier taken six wickets.

They were 223-4 in the 30th over before he fell to Marcus Haslam to swing the game back the way of Gary Garner’s side, for whom ul-Haq also claimed three wickets.

“It was a ridiculous game,” said Milne.

“There was a bit of juice in the track, and Tonge’s opening bowlers bowled well.

“Olly Sutcliffe is a First Division player, but he had to work mighty hard for 60-odd. By the end, he was fluent and looked like the Olly we know and love.

“Anwar will be a match-winner with bat and ball, and he batted really well.

“He bowls leg-spinners and googlies. He’s a pro who any team in the First Division would have, and he’s a good lad as well.

“He’s a friend of Gary’s who’s played for us before.

“I was really impressed with the way Tonge stuck together because we gave them some clobber in the first half. But they came back and were positive.”