NEW pro Raj Javhad stepped off the plane from India at lunchtime and an hour later was helping Astley Bridge to their first win in over a year.

The Bolton League side never won a game last term and their plans for this season were thrown into chaos when original pro Aditya Manohar was refused a work permit.

Enter Javhad and what an instant success he turned out to be as Bridge toppled fancied Westhoughton by seven wickets.

In a superb individual performance, he took 6-46, snapped up a brilliant caught and bowled chance to dimiss visiting pro Brad White before hitting 42 in Bridge's victory charge.

It was the stuff of dreams but he did have some help from Tim Barry 60 not out and Tony Clegg 58 not out.

For Westhoughton, openers Steve Parker and White followed up Saturday's century partnership with a stand of 95, White 67 and Parker 41.

The last time Bridge won was ironically against Westhoughton in September 1999 when Danny Rees scored 127.

It may be early days but Kearsley have every intention of holding on to their Bolton League title.

They underlined that by wrapping up their second ten wicket win in the space of 24 hours, skittling Farnworth for a meagre 56.

Pro Fazal Akber was a potent strike force picking up six wickets for 30 runs while in Kearsley's reply, openers Steve Davies and Jordan Thornley didn't give the other batsmen a look-in.

They followed up their respective unbeaten scores of 54 and 33 on Saturday with 31 not out and 22 not out against Farnworth to steer their side to a winning 59-0.

Tonge didn't waste any time either in handing out a 78 run defeat to Horwich, thanks in the main to the bowling partnership of Dion Taljaard and Ian Taylor.

Batting first, Horwich must have thought they were in with a chance of their second win of the weekend as they dismissed the home side for 143, the bulk of the runs scored by Rick Northop in an innings of 81 while the wickets were shared by David White 3-26, Andy Taylor 3-50 and teenager Nick Wood 3-36.

Yet the optimism didn't last long once Taljaard and Taylor got to work. They both picked up five wickets each, Taljaard for 23 and Taylor 37 which left Horwich down and out for 65.

Bradshaw pro Sairaj Bahutule was foiled of a century as he finished on 98 not out against Heaton. Yet that was good enough to help his side's 188-4 overhaul Heaton's 186-7. Jonathan Fearick was unbeaten on 80 for the Lower Pools side.

Another man who narrowly missed out on a century was Egerton deputy pro Keith Semple from Darwen, who finished on 98 in the drawn game at Walkden.

Egerton totalled 182-5 but Walkden replied with Mike Bennison 58 and Bernard Reidy 33.