Bolton Cricket League round-up: Little Lever taste defeat for first time but stay top

Batting first, Lever’s 160 saw Nathan Kelly top score with 37 as Richard Dempster took 4-34 for Circle.

David Tonge (67) and Ryan Ayres (62) then steered Circle towards a six-wicket victory as Lever lost for the first time this season.

Despite Kearsley’s Dave Mather taking 8-52, Little Hulton were stall able to reach 215, Habib Ur Rehman hitting 56 off 26 deliveries late in the innings.

Tajamul Khan, 43, completed a good all round performance taking 5-66 as Kearsley were bowled out for 140, Cameron Murray making 36 of these.

Tom Billington’s 151 for Horwich was briefly the highest individual score this season and he was involved in a 153-run partnership with Brett Pelser, 61, in a total of 290-4 against Farnworth.

Farnworth were all out for 130 as Pelser took 3-24.

Atherton’s Zain Abbas was to overtake Billington’s 151 later in the afternoon.

Chasing Darcy Lever’s 234, with Chris Fenn falling one short of his century, and Saf Ur Rehman taking 4-42, Abbas hit an unbeaten 174 to give his side a two-wicket victory, rescuing his side from 120-8 with a century partnership accompanied by Ellis Mort.

Adam Patel recorded figures of 3-38 for Westhoughton as Tonge were dismissed for 111.

Matty Morris with 41 helped Westhoughton to a six-wicket win with Shoyab Haji taking three of the four wickets to fall at a cost of 23 runs.

Tahir Maqsood with 4-33 and Mustafa Bashir with 3-31 were mainly responsible for dismissing Eagley for 98, then Walkden overtook this for the loss of two wickets with Nathan Rushton making 30.

Tush De Zoysa’s 68 was the top score in Blackrod’s 191, but Astley Bridge were to overtake this for the loss of four wickets.

Two BCL sides were in Lancashire Knockout action on Sunday.

Dan Naylor fell three short of his century for Horwich as they progressed against GMCL side Roe Green. RMI were all out for 200 with Roe Green finishing 71 runs short.

Farnworth were knocked out by Burnley for whom Joe Marshall hit a century as they made 275. Farnworth were dismissed for 130, Neil Hyde making 45.

The weekend had kicked off on Friday night with the latest round of T20 action. The top two teams from each group qualify for the quarter-finals on June 25 along with the third-placed team with most points. Horwich are almost certain to top their group with Lostock and Astley Bridge both able to finish in second place.

Little Hulton and Westhoughton both have 28 points in their group, but as they play each other in the final match this week, one of them could be overtaken should Farnworth win.

Tonge are certain to top the final group, with Little Lever strong favourites to be runners-up, however they can be caught by both Kearsley and Walkden.

RESULTS

Friday: T20 – Astley Bridge 125-3 v Blackrod 122-6, Astley Bridge won by seven wkts; Eagley 115 all out v Horwich 136-7 (L Haydock 4-22), Horwich won by 21 runs; Farnworth SC 109 all out (D Tonge 51) v Westhoughton 227-3 (Melius 112no, M Welcome-Goodman 51), Westhoughton won by 118 runs; Little Hulton 186-8 (T Khan 72) v Atherton 184-4 (D Hughes 56, S Ur-Rehman 61no), Little Hulton won by two runs; Darcy Lever 142-8 v Walkden 143-7 (A Ur-Rehman 57), Walkden won by three wkts; Tonge 193-3 (S Hardman 60, Dumindu 87) v Kearsley 144 all out (T Heyes 70no), Tonge won by 49 runs.

Saturday: League – Atherton 238-8 (Abbas 174no, S Ur-Rehman 4-42) v Darcy Lever 234 all out (C Fenn 99), Atherton won by two wkts; Blackrod 191-9 v Astley Bridge 192-4, Astley Bridge won by six wkts; Eagley 98 all out v Walkden 100-2 (T Maqsood 4-33), Walkden won by eight wkts; Farnworth 130 all out v Horwich 290-4 (T Billington 151no, Pelser 61), Horwich won by 146 runs; Little Hulton 215 all out (T Khan 43, 5-66, H Ur Rehman 56) v Kearsley 140 all out (D Mather 8-52), Little Hulton won by 75 runs; Little Lever 160 all out v Farnworth SC 163-4 (R Dempster 4-34, D Tonge 67, Ayres 62), Farnworth SC won by six wkts; Tonge 111 all out v Westhoughton 112-4, Westhoughton won by six wkts.