ADLINGTON captain Simon Trim is hoping some of the club’s second-team promotion winners may be able to step up into the first team next summer and help consolidate their position in the Premiership.

The Huyton Road club are basking in the glory of double promotion from the Association, despite Saturday’s damp end to the campaign.

Both their firsts and seconds finished second in the table after rain washed out respective matches at home to Darcy Lever and away to Walkden.

There was not a ball bowled on Saturday across any division in the Bolton League.

Astley Bridge and Tonge both missed out on first-team promotion, while Adlington’s seconds pipped Walkden and Little Lever to the post.

Trim, a product of the Adlington system and in his maiden season as captain of the firsts having replaced Jon Howells, said: “We’ve played some really good cricket this year and deserve to go up in my opinion.

“It’s great to get promotion, but it would have been better to do it with a win rather than it being sealed by the weather.

“It’s a very big achievement, and the whole club has worked hard, shown by both teams’ success.

“There have certainly been some ups and downs through our season, although I’d quite like to forget the downs.

“For example, Blackrod away when we were bowled out for 45 (last month) and nearly last week when we were 18-5 early on against Tonge.

“Last week’s game against Tonge was the biggest moment in our season, without doubt. Had we not won that, we’d have missed out and been staying in the Association.

“It’s going to be a tough challenge for us next year in the Premiership, but I think we can compete.

“I certainly don’t want to come back down after all the hard work we’ve put in this year.

“We’ll see what pro we have for next season. We haven’t got one signed up as yet.

“I’m very proud, but proud of the lads.

“It’s not about me at all being in my first season as captain, it’s everybody’s achievement.

“It’s been a massive team effort, and I couldn’t have asked any more from the guys.

“We’ve proved a few people wrong, although we never set out to do that.

“It’s a great achievement for the seconds as well, and it shows we’re heading in the right direction as a club.

“It’s a fairly young side in the seconds with a couple of older heads in there to try to get them through.

“Hopefully a few of them may be able to step up, but I guess we’ll only know that at winter nets.”

All-rounder Iain Critchley has been Adlington’s standout performer this season, scoring 531 runs and taking 48 wickets with his left-arm spin.

Critchley was the second leading wicket-taker in the Association behind Little Lever spinner Curtis Anderton (57).

Other notable Adlington contributors with bat and ball include Pakistani professional Kamran Hussain and Naveed Ullah.