SAINTS RETAIN CHAMPIONSHIP

Simon Lowndes’ fixture list once again provided the league with the top two playing each other in the last match of the season at Sycamore Park. John Seeary with 4-27 and Chris Atherton (5-48) saw D.S.L. bowled out for 119 (Steve Dublin 49, Adam Hawley 23). The Saints slumped from 107-3 to 119 all out, but immediately hit back with six wickets (for 25) for Jason Bennett and 3-24 from Dave Morrell. Phill Sutcliffe top scored with 20 not out as Woodhouses lost wickets at 11, 17, 17, 17, 21 and 21 before finally losing their last wicket on 60. It took Bennett to 100 wickets for the year and this was his eighth five for.

Prestwich reclaimed third place after bowling Woodbank out for 134 with Andy Bradley taking 4-21 and Steve Loster scoring 46 for Woodbank. Mike Hudson (36) and Ian Walker (31) took Prestwich to a six wicket win.

West dropped to fourth following their derby defeat to Denton who scored 184-9d. Andrew Neill’s second fifty (62) and an unbeaten 33 from Martin Leech went some way to counter 5-59 from Robin Morris. In reply Lee Dale scored 35 in a West total of 119, Neill taking 3-42.

Dukinfield claimed the final place in the 2007 LCB Knockout by beating Irlam. They totaled 206-8d with Andrew Gleave scoring his second century (120) and David Mayne scoring 45. They put on 156 for the first wicket before Saj Ahmed got to work with 5-36 including a hat trick. Chris Hilton scored an unbeaten 80 in Irlam’s 191-10 (Stuart Mee 4-25, Andrew Eastwood3-31).

Flowery Field finished in fine style with a ten wicket win over Roe Green. Damien Eyre took 5-21 and Glen Middleton 3-54 as Roe Green were bowled out for 76 and then Andrew Lyon (33*) and Lee Knowles (39*) knocked off the required runs.

Stand came second best at home to Glossop when they could score only 119 (Matthew Holt 39, Oliver Kenyon 4-26) in reply to Glossop’s 178-9d (Carl Sutcliffe 4-56).

The bottom two teams had a close game at Thornham with Cheetham Hill’s 202 being four runs too many for the home team. R. Hussain scored 64 for Cheetham Hill whilst Andy Yates took 4-59. A. Graham (47) and Steve Gray (46) were Thornham’s top scorers as S. Wusuf (4-69) and Y. Anwar (3-18) starred with the ball for Hill.