Category: Club news

The club have announced their pre-season friendlies ahead of the first team’s inaugural campaign in Lancashire League Division One.

The firsts will take on old Bolton League rivals Farnworth at Bridgeman Park on Saturday, 9th April with the second eleven hosting Farnworth’s second string at the Log Cabin on the same day.

Twenty-four hours later the firsts then take on Greater Manchester League champions Prestwich at The Heys in just the kind of tough encounter required if they are to be focused and ready to take on Lancashire League champs Burnley on the opening day of the season.

The third team open their league account with a home game against Accrington thirds on Sunday, April 10th.

There’s no change in the first and third team captaincy for the summer with Ryan Senior and Mark Crowther again taking up the roles respectively, however it’ll be a new face tossing up for the second team.

Oliver Dixon is taking up the skipper’s job following Alex Bullen’s decision to step down from the position.

Cricket chairman Andy Skinner said: “I’d like to thank Alex for all his hard work with the ‘twos’ over the past three seasons and I’m sure his replacement Olly will be a great success .

“Ryan and Mark bring continuity to the firsts and thirds and I know they are looking forward to a great summer once we get started in April.

“We are fortunate to have such capable and popular lads as team captains and I’m certain all three will continue to set great examples both on the field and off.”

Eighteen-year-old batsman Dan Stevens has been given the call to fly to St Kitts to join up with the Scotland squad competing in the ICC Under-19 World Cup.

The Greenmount youngster will be with his international teammates for the rest of the tournament which, should they progress, ends on February 5th.

Initially selected as a batting reserve, it should be a great experience for Dan who will be hoping the Scots can reverse their fortunes after an opening game 40-run defeat at the hands of Sri Lanka Under-19s on Friday.

Their group games conclude this week with fixtures against West Indies Under-19s on Monday (January 17) and Australia Under-19 on Wednesday (January 19). Both games will be played at the St Kitts capital Basseterre.

Everybody at Greenmount Cricket Club wishes Dan the very best of luck on his Caribbean adventure.

Greenmount’s Dan Stevens has been selected as reserve for the Scotland squad to compete in the ICC Under-19 World Cup between January 14th and February 5th this year.

The talented 18-year-old is part of the squad of 20 but has not travelled, being on call as first batting reserve in case of illness or injury.

He has been attending a number of intensive training camps at the Cricket Scotland facility in Dollar near Stirling for the past eight weeks, and while his teammates have been in quarantine in the Caribbean sun, has been practising in the somewhat cooler UK conditions at Cricket Asylum.

The Scotland squad have been drawn in something of a ‘group of death’ with West Indies, Australia and Sri Lanka also in their section.

Dan returns to Sedbergh School this week but is ready to drop everything and head for Guyana if needed.

His progress and development is another example of the club’s flourishing junior cricket section that continues to bear fruit.

The club’s bar opening times for the Christmas period (subject to Government changes) are as follows:

Xmas Eve: 12 noon until 11pm
Xmas Day: 7pm until 10.30pm
Boxing Day: 12 noon until 10.30pm
December 27th: 4pm until 11pm
December 28th: 4pm until 11pm
December 29th: 4pm until 11pm
December 30th: 4pm until 11pm
New Years Eve: 4pm until 1am
New Years Day: 4pm until 10.30pm

Additionally, food will be served from Danny’s at the Log Cabin and his opening times are :

Xmas Eve: 10am to 8.30pm
Xmas Day: closed
Boxing Day: 10am to 4pm – full breakfast menu until 1pm and thereafter limited menu

New Years Eve: closed

New Years Day: closed

Sunday January 2nd: 10am to 6pm

Wishing all members, families and friends a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

The club are delighted to announce that Phil Heaton is taking up the position of junior coach.

Phil, a well-known face around the club, began his cricketing career at the Log Cabin and in his formative years was on the Lancashire ground-staff and that of Middlesex at Lords.

After making his name in the Greenmount first team in his teens, he went on to take up a professional position at Huddersfield League club Shepley and spent 15 happy seasons with the Yorkshire side before returning to the Mount in 2008, playing his part in the 2011 Treble side.

Now he is looking to use his immense experience to help guide future generations of young cricketers.

“We have a number of very talented young players at the club,” said Phil. “And we want to set up a system in which they have a clear pathway to the senior teams, and ultimately, the first team.”

Phil , whose parents John and Eileen were club stalwarts for years, has already overseen the progress of his son Tom who is now a leading light in the Greenmount first eleven while daughter Sophie is a regular for Leigh CC Ladies.

“For a club like Greenmount it is important to have a thriving junior section,” he added. “That has always been the case over the years and it will be moreso in the future. We will be putting together structured sessions that will hopefully bring out the best in the club’s youngsters and help them progress.”

Greenmount’s first eleven have a baptism by fire for their first taste of 2022 Lancashire League Division One action when they travel to league champions Burnley.

The game will be played on Sunday, 17th April with near neighbours Ramsbottom lined up for the Mount’s first home clash on the following Sunday (April 24th).

Two weeks later Rammy are again the visitors to the Log Cabin in a first round Worsley Cup clash (Sunday, May 8th).

The return league clash with the Rams, at Acre Bottom, is scheduled for Saturday, July 9th.

Other notable fixtures are an early trip to Haslingden on Sunday, May 15th while a week later, on Saturday, May 21st, Worsley Cup holders Lowerhouse are the visitors to Brandlesholme Road.

The season concludes on Sunday, September 11th with a trip to Clitheroe.

Full first team fixtures can be found HERE

Greenmount Cricket Club are saddened to hear the news yesterday that former chief executive of the MCC and the club’s ex-overseas amateur Keith Bradshaw has died at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer.

The popular Tasmanian played for the Mount during the summer of 1985 – a campaign that was more memorable for rain and postponements than sunshine cricket.

Nevertheless, Keith won the Bolton League batting prize that year, with a record of 23 innings, four not outs and a highest score of 78 not out. His season’s total of 728 came at an average of 38.32.

Greenmount professional in 1985, bowler Steve Monkhouse, also played with Keith for his hometown club New Town CC, Tasmania and this morning tweeted “Rest easy old friend, RIP”.

Between 1984 and 1988, Keith, a middle-order batsman, played 25 times for Tasmania and hit two centuries in the Sheffield Shield before taking up positions with accounting firms Price Waterhouse and Deloitte being promoted to a partner by the latter.

In 2006, a friend in recruitment told him that the MCC were looking for a replacement for retiring chief executive Roger Knight and he duly applied and landed the job.

During his tenure from 2006 to 2011, Keith quickly gained a reputation for his energy and vision, among other things, pioneering day-night, first class cricket played with pink balls and oversaw the installation of floodlights at Lord’s.

He returned to Australia in 2011 to take on the chief executive position at the South Australia Cricket Association (SACA) at the Adelaide Oval, a position he held until his untimely death this week.

All at Greenmount would like to express our sincere condolences to Keith’s fiancé Helen, children Juliet, Eliza, Donald and Jack and son-in-law Patrick.

Congratulations to Greenmount’s Callum Hunter and Matt Donnelly on their awards at the Lancashire Cricket League’s Annual Dinner at the Fence Gate Inn, Burnley on Friday evening.

Callum picked up the Under-23 award for most wickets with his haul of 43 for the season while Matt’s 35 victims behind the stumps earned him the Division Two wicket keeping accolade.

The draw for the first round of the Lancashire League’s 2022 Worsley Cup competition has thrown up an enticing derby clash for Greenmount as near neighbours Ramsbottom will be the visitors to the Log Cabin on Saturday, 7^th May.

The Rams will also be in the Mount’s T20 competition group along with Littleborough, Crompton, Norden and Rawtenstall.

The 2022 league campaign starts on Sunday 17^th April for the first and second teams while the thirds begin a week earlier on Sunday 10^th April.

The T20 competition begins on Friday 27^th May with the league season due to finish on Sunday, 11^th September.

Greenmount CC’s senior teams were dealing out the trophies at the Log Cabin on Saturday evening when the club held their annual presentation night.

Eighteen-year-old Callum Hunter took pride of place when he picked up four trophies for his efforts in the first eleven.

Callum took 43 wickets as the Mount won promotion to the Lancashire League top flight at the first time of asking, and was rewarded with the club player of the season award, the first team player of the year award, the first team bowling award and the Mark Stewart award for most wickets.

Tom Heaton won the first team batting award.

In the second team Brad Edge picked up two trophies, the Cyril Butterworth Award for most runs in the season and the Second team batting award.

Meanwhile, Oliver Dixon picked up the second team bowling award and Jake Chadwick was named players’ second team player of the season.

In the thirds young Max Birtwistle was named players’ player of season, Skipper Mark Crowther picked up the batting award and Stuart Leach won the bowling accolade.

Andy Kerr won the Moment of the year award for his part in his first wicket partnership of 320 with professional Chesney Hughes that smashed the Lancashire League record.

Matt Senior was also presented with the Pauline Rigby junior player of the year award and Charlie Exton was awarded a special prize voted for by third team skipper Mark Crowther.

The Clubman of the year award went to chairman Rob Kilvington.

List of winners:
Player of the season: Callum Hunter
First team batting: Tom Heaton
First team bowling: Callum Hunter
First team player of season: Callum Hunter (players vote)

Second team 
Batting: Brad Edge
Bowling: Oliver Dixon 
Player of season: Jake Chadwick

Third team
Batting: Mark Crowther
Bowling: Stuart Leach
Player of season: Max Birtwistle

Moment of the year award: Andy Kerr

Mark Stewart bowling award: Callum Hunter

Cyril Butterworth batting award: Brad Edge

Pauline Rigby junior player of the year: Matt Senior

Third team captain’s award: Charlie Exton

Clubman of the year: Rob Kilvington