THE title race is set for its first big head-to-head of the season next Saturday when Walshaw travel to Darcy Lever.

Walshaw maintained their 100 per cent record with a 16-run win against rejuvenated Standish on Saturday, while second-placed Darcy made it seven wins out of eight with a nine-run victory over Spring View.

Walshaw pro Jon Fielding continued his devastating form with a top score of 66 and then 5-99 to lead his side to victory.

Darron Foy hit 64 and Gavin Nicholl 44 in an innings in which most of the Bury side’s batsmen chipped in.

Nick Lacey took 4-70 before his side set off in search of the formidable target.

It has been Standish’s bowling which has been the foundation for their rise to fourth this season.

But on Saturday their batting clicked into gear, although not quite enough to pull off a memorable win.

Sam Heely hit 83, but once he went it was an uphill struggle for Standish for whom captain Tony Kelly had his second successive impressive innings with a half century.

Anthony Jones has proved one of the finds of the season so far, and the Darcy ace gave another superb all-round performance.

His 68 narrowly bettered his team-mates Nick Fawcett and Jack Southworth’s innings of 63 and 62 respectively, and then he took 6-71 as Spring View fell just short with 235-9, Andy Griffiths scoring 66 and Iain Critchley, who had earlier taken 3-55, hitting 51.

Little Hulton are hovering menacingly four points behind Darcy after beating Atherton by 26 runs.

Atherton were looking good in chase of 168-8 with pro Daniel Salpietro and Phil West each scoring 38 until they collapsed.

Hassain Abbas marked his first game as Little Hulton’s permanent pro by taking 6-65 as Atherton finished on 142-9.

The big three are 13 points clear of Standish and looking like the only serious contenders for the title even at this relatively early stage of the season.

Adlington are seven points further behind in fifth after picking up 10 points from a tied match at Elton.

Pro Majid Majeed took a long time in arriving at Adlington, but judging from his opening three games he has been worth the wait.

He took 8-71 as Elton hit 203, then scored 80 as Adlington did the same but with two wickets remaining.

Sam Reidy earlier hit 43 for Elton and Mark Halliwell scored a half century for Adlington.

Steve Rawlinson was the hero for Adlington who needed 12 off the last over. He faced the last five balls, scoring the necessary runs including two off the last ball. Liam Jackson took 4-74 and Reidy 3-58.

Astley and Tyldesley were the day’s highest scorers on a day of big scores. Jim Cutt scored 97 and pro Chris Cook-Martin 96 as A&T amassed 264-4 before getting Golborne out for 193, Jamie Foster scoring 53 and Cutt rounding off a memorable day with 4-70.

Seventeen-year-old Tom Pemberton’s 3-33 was also a high point in A&T’s victory which lifted them three places to fifth bottom.

Reigning champions Daisy Hill proved too strong for bottom club Flixton in a 32-run win. Mark Wood scored 46 in Daisy’s 206-9.

Flixton’s Mark Hughes and Alan Embleton proved something of a double act, taking 4-46 and 3-57 respectively before each scoring 21 not out in a stubborn last-wicket partnership.