Ton-up Tolley lays early marker

SOLID START: professional Josh Tolley (pictured) and Andrew Yates shared an opening stand of 79 for Crompton in the club’s first fixture of the season

CRICKET: 

CROMPTON’S demolition of CLL newcomers Elton on Sunday was hugely encouraging given the close-season upheaval at Glebe Street.

With Carl Taylor departing for Royton and Mel Austin and Marlon Black also missing, expectation at Crompton was hardly high. But a new wave of optimism is sure to be prevalent given their 185-run victory in their opening fixture.

Sami Ullah’s four-wicket haul, a mean spell by the evergreen Mel Whittle and a telling two-wicket contribution from Danny Taylor will have given skipper Simon Wright plenty to smile about, as, too, will his own whirlwind contribution of 86 from 42 balls.

But probably of most significance will have been professional Josh Tolley’s century. The paid man failed to reach three figures last season despite several promising starts, so to start the season that way has got that particular monkey off the pro’s back straight away.



WERNETH’S loss is most certainly Littleborough’s gain. Matthew Taylor, the skipper at the Coppice in 2014, is now at Hare Hill and made a blistering start for his new team with a match-winning five for 32 haul against reigning champions Norden.

Ali Muzaffar, another Werneth member of the class of 2014, top scored with 57 as Boro reached 187 for six before bowling out Norden for a paltry 104. Matt Hodson, formerly of Royton, chipped in with three for 26 for Boro.



A CHARITY match in memory of Royton stalwart Trevor Lewis will be held at the Paddock on Bank Holiday Monday (1.30pm).

A Royton XI led by first-team captain Denny Hulme will take on a Trevor Lewis XI skippered by Carl Taylor. The Royton team will comprise mainly members of the first and second teams, while the side led by Taylor will include local cricket stalwarts such as Cec Wright, Paul Rocca and John Holder.

The match will mark the first anniversary of Trevor’s death