TONGE produced the right type of form just when they needed to put the Bolton League championship chase back in the balance.

They came within an ace of toppling Walkden in a tense affair at Castle Hill while leaders Horwich were comprehensively beaten at Greenmount.

That helped lift Tonge level with Horwich in second place with 240 points enabling Walkden to take top spot for the first time this season with a lead of just two points.

With the stakes that high the game at Castle Hill was one that Tonge simply could not afford to lose.

After topping the table for one weekend only to slip down to third a week later, the game against Walkden and next week's showdown with Horwich, were always going to go some way to deciding their fate.

And when they were on the ropes at 84-7 few would have given anything for Tonge's chances of achieving anything this season.

Fortunately Dion Taljard came to the rescue with a belligerent innings of 71 that included six mighty sixes to haul the total to 153, which at least gave the Tonge bowlers something to defend.

Even so the score never looked good enough against Walkden's strong top order but there is a school of thought that if the bowlers can remove that threat, then the champions can be vulnerable.

That is exactly what happened, Ian Taylor stealing the show with a 6-44 performance that ripped the heart out of the Walkden batting.

Of the top four batsmen, only pro Douglas Watson stuck around for any length of time with a stubborn 34 while Tony Keays did well in the middle order top scoring with 45 but in the end Walkden were grateful to last pair Paul Rushton and Andy Kay.

By the time they came together, Tonge had the scent of victory as Walkden, nine wickets down, still needed nearly 30 runs to win from four overs.

Yet in that time the two batsmen defied everything Tonge could offer, frustrating them to the finish as Walkden happily settled for a share of the draw at 128-9.

Over at Greenmount Horwich tumbled from the top after being humbled by Greenmount paceman Mark Stewart and pro Robin Morris, who bowled them out for 80 in 46 overs.

The Greenmount pair bowled throughout the match, Stewart collecting six wickets for 45 off 23 overs while the pro chipped in with 3-29 off his 23 overs. Only Horwich's David White 23 and Andy Taylor 15 showed any real resistance to the bowling but it was a different story when the home side batted.

They raced to victory by an eight wicket margin, Mark Fallon top scoring with 31 and Morris completing a good day with 26.

Little Lever made quick work of Heaton after Paul Tong's 4-29 had left the home side all out for only 136, Jon Fearick providing 47 of those runs while new player Mohammed hit three sixes in a quickfire 25.

That total proved no problem for Little Lever, who romped in by eight wickets, pro De Silva hitting 40 and Anthony Hilton 35 not out.

At Springfield Road, the Kearsley bowling duo of pro Fazel Akber and Mel Whittle that kept the side at the top of the table for so long last season, finally clicked into gear on Saturday.

The pair dismissed Astley Bridge for a modest 108 with Whittle claiming 5-39 and Akber 4-27. That total proved no problem for the home side, Tom Whittle making it a good day for the family hitting 54 and captain Simon Thomson adding 26.