ABBAS KEEPS DENTON TOP 

Ghulam Abbas took 3-64 for Denton as Dukinfield reached 202-5d with Greg Harwick scoring 88 and David Gandy 62 not out. He then scored an unbeaten 57 and with Steve Roebuck on 59, Denton won by three wickets.

The gap at the top was cut to three points however as Woodhouses took five points off Flowery Field. The visitors scored 222-7d with Chris Atherton (62) and Gareth Tuson (62) being the top scorers and Damien Eyre taking 4-84. John Seeary (4-42) reached 60 wickets for the season and Kevin Quinn took 3-21 as Flowery were dismissed for 135 despite Mark Dyson’s 65.

Prestwich moved up to third after restricting Glossop to 150-8d on a good deck at North Road. Bhatiya Perera (43) passed 600 runs and William Appleton scored 37 for Glossop. Prestwich’s first wicket fell on 120 and with Craig Duxbury (77) and Steve Orrell (52) batting well, the visitors won by seven wickets (Perera 3-41).

Four points for West moved them up to fourth place with Robin Morris scoring 137 not out and passing 700 runs in the process. Gareth Senior scored 63 and Andy O’Brien 45 not out as they amassed 291-4d. Morris then took 5-95 to complete a good day but Thornham gained a point as they reached 259-9 (Steve Gray 84, James Scott 45). Because of injury this was Gray’s first fifty since 2002.

D.S.L. stayed sixth after taking four points off Woodbank. Barry Williams 100* was his tenth ton and with Adam Hawley (56) he put on 132 for the first wicket, the Saints eventually passing Woodbank’s 180-9d for the loss of one wicket. For Woodbank Steve Loster scored 53 and Damien Stringer 43 whilst Jason Bennett’s 6-75 took him past 50 wickets for the season.

Stand returned to winning ways and remained seventh when they chased Roe Green’s 114 to win by three wickets. Paul Green passed 700 runs but it was Stand’s bowlers Carl Sutcliffe (5-43) and M. Curphy (3-14) who called the tune prior to Trent Scott (46) and David Taylor (33) seeing Stand home. J. Parker took 3-3 off five overs for Roe Green.

Despite a good effort with the bat, Cheetham Hill remained at the foot of the table when they were all out for 221 in reply to Irlam’s 250-4d. Liam Parkinson (62), Saj Ahmed (70) and Pervez Shah (49*) were Irlam’s main scorers and Ahmed’s fifty was his 20th. In reply Y. Anwar scored his maiden 50 (80) and Waqar Ahmed hit five sixes in his 60 (Rick Blackman 3-56).