Saddleworth in sight of super trophy treble

WATCHING OVER YOU . . . umpire John Hughes keeps a close eye on Austerlands seamer Mohammed Irfan. The left-armer has taken 55 wickets so far this season.

CRICKET: SADDLEWORTH’S first team could be celebrating a glorious silverware treble on Sunday evening.

Brian Lord’s high-fliers require 24 points out of a possible 44 to be crowned SWB Commercials Saddleworth and District Cricket League champions.

Stayley tomorrow and Austerlands 24 hours later stand in the way of a first league title since 2004.

But only the brave would bet against Saddleworth adding the Hollingworth Challenge Trophy to their Tanner Cup and Twenty20 Competition success.

A glimmer of hope for nearest challengers Glodwick, the reigning champions, is that Stayley have beaten the leaders already this season. And until last weekend’s loss at Greenfield, Austerlands were themselves in with a shout of top honours.

Franco Lenhardt’s Glodwick have emerged as Saddleworth’s closest pursuers thanks to a run of seven consecutive league wins.



THE Saddleworth club are also on course for the second XI title. Though close rivals Greenfield and Friarmere have a game in hand, they both need the leaders to lose one of their remaining two matches to stand any hope of denying the Well-i-Hole outfit more glory.



CHRIS Gill is leading the way in the Neil Parrish Trophy standings for the most dismissals by a first XI wicketkeeper. The Greenfield gloveman and skipper has 28 victims — 18 caught and 10 stumped — according to league records. He is five clear of Moorside’s Alex Griffiths, with Brian Lord (Saddleworth) seven adrift of Gill in third.