Wright aims for last-four success

Simon Wright

SEMI-FINALS are on the menu in the JW Lees Brewery Pennine Cricket League tomorrow.

A final at Towncroft awaits the winners of the Wood Cup ties at Crompton and Royton.

Then there is the last four of the Tanner Cup - and not forgetting the second XIs in the Burton and Moore Cups competitions.

Local cricket lovers will be gunning for Crompton and Royton, two clubs with rich histories, to reach the Wood Cup final on August 6.

With the former heading to the Lancashire League in 2018, this could well be the last chance that the Glebe Street and Paddock sides have a chance of facing off for the Wood Cup. What an occasion that would be.

For Simon Wright's Crompton it would be a great way to bow out.

They are slight favourite to see of Premiership rivals Littleborough, who will be without professional Ryan Burl because of Zimbabwe touring commitments.

Both teams go into the game on the back of disappointing results.

Crompton were skittled for a crazy 52 runs by rampant Heyside, while Boro came off second-best at home to Austerlands.

Before that, Crompton had won three league matches on the spin.

Wright said: "It was one of those days when you had to hold your hands up. Fair play to Heyside, we got off to a terrible start and the momentum was all with them.

"We've had three good seasons in winning the Championship (CLL) and Tanner Cup, so we're hoping it was just a blip. It was one of those days.

"It would mean a lot to the club to have Crompton's name on the Wood Cup and also for me personally.

"I'm a Crompton lad and I've never played in a Wood Cup final - I think I've been in five or six semi-finals.

'DIFFICULT'

"It is a difficult one to call (against Littleborough) as man-to-man there isn't much between us. It will be case of who performs on the day."

Wright has called in the vastly-experienced figure of John Punchard for the tie.

England over-60s international Punchard has a big couple of weeks coming up, with an Ashes game against Australia on Sunday week.

After overcoming Championship leaders Middleton in the last eight, Royton will fancy overturning top-flight Rochdale at The Paddock.

Up to second place, James Maurice-Scott's side are on a roll in the league after an indifferent start to the campaign.

They also boast players at the top of their game in Ryan Carruthers and paid man Chirag Khurana.

Heyside won the Tanner Cup three times in the last nine years of their membership of the Saddleworth League.

They have an affinity with the competition, but must be wary of the challenge Friarmere will pose.

With home advantage, Friarmere will give it a right go against the Premiership boys.

Heyside are also on the look-out for a deputy pro has Bilal Khiljee has returned home to Pakistan to visit his sick father.

It was 1971 when the Slack Lane side last lifted the Tanner Cup.

Stayley will be the underdogs at Norden, who are riding high in the Premiership.

The two protagonists haven't met in a league fixture so far this season - they will meet on Saturday week - but have locked horns in the Tom Hardman Twenty20 Cup.

Victory went to Norden after they were set a revised target.

This weekend's fixtures -

Tomorrow, Wood Cup semi-finals (1.30pm): Crompton v Littleborough; Royton v Rochdale.

Tanner Cup (1.30pm): Friarmere v Heyside; Norden v Stayley.

Burton Cup (second XI) semi-finals: Glodwick v Norden; Middleton v Greenfield.

More Cup (second XI) semi-finals: Oldham v Saddleworth; Heyside v Littleborough.

Sunday, Inter-League Trophy: Ribblesdale League v Pennine Cricket League (at Ribblesdale Wanderers, Clitheroe)