Category: Club news

The JWL Lancashire League fixtures for the 2025 campaign have been announced.

Greenmount first eleven get started with a trip to Colne on Sunday, April 20th, while the seconds entertain their Lowerhouse counterparts on the same day.

The third team are away at Littleborough a week later on Saturday, April 26th.

In the Worsley Cup and second team Junior Cup sue to be played on Saturday, May 3rd, we have been handed a bye in the first round.

Ahead of the new season a friendly has been arranged at Westhoughton CC on Saturday, April 12th.

Full fixtures are as follows:

FIRST TEAM

APRIL

20 – Colne v Greenmount

27 – Greenmount v Bacup

MAY

4 – Greenmount v Enfield

11 – Accrington v Greenmount

18 – Greenmount v Rawtenstall

15 – East Lancs v Greenmount

JUNE

1 – Greenmount v Great Harwood

8 – Rishton v Greenmount

15 – Greenmount v Nelson

22 – Church v Greenmount

29 – Greenmount v Crompton

JULY

6 – Greenmount v Colne

13 – Bacup v Greenmount

20 – Enfield v Greenmount

27 – Greenmount v Accrington

AUGUST

3 – Rawtenstall v Greenmount

9 – Greenmount v East Lancs

17 – Great Harwood v Greenmount

24 – Greenmount v Rishton

31 – Nelson v Greenmount

SEPTEMBER

7 – Greenmount v Church

14 – Crompton v Greenmount

The T20 competition draw sees the Mount at home in three of the five Friday fixtures.

MAY

30 – Haslingden at home

JUNE

6 – Norden away

13 – Ramsbottom at home

20 – Walsden at home

17 – Crompton away

SECOND TEAM

APRIL

20 – Greenmount II v Lowerhouse II

27 – Bacup II v Greenmount II

MAY

4 – Enfield II v Greenmount II

11 – Greenmount II v Accrington II

18 – Rawtenstall II v Greenmount II

25 – Greenmount II v East Lancs II

JUNE

1 – Middleton II v Greenmount II

8 – Greenmount II v Rishton II

15 – Walsden II v Greenmount II

22 – Greenmount II v Church II

29 – Crompton II v Greenmount II

JULY

6 – Lowerhouse II v Greenmount II

13 – Greenmount II v Bacup II

20 – Greenmount II v Enfield II

27 – Accrington II v Greenmount II

AUGUST

3 – Greenmount II v Rawtenstall II

9 – East Lancs II v Greenmount II

17 – Greenmount II v Middleton II

24 – Rishton II v Greenmount II

31 – Greenmount II v Walsden II

SEPTEMBER

7 – Church II v Greenmount II

14 – Greenmount II v Crompton II

THIRD TEAM

APRIL

26 – Littleborough III v Greenmount III

MAY

5 – Greenmount III v Middleton III

10 – Todmorden III v Greenmount III

26 – Greenmount III v Rochdale III

31 – Norden III v Greenmount III

JUNE

14 – Great Harwood III v Greenmount III

21 – Greenmount III v Nelson III

JULY

5 – Greenmount III v Littleborough III

12 – Middleton III v Greenmount III

26 – Greenmount III v Todmorden III

AUGUST

2 – Rochdale III v Greenmount III

10 – Greenmount III v Norden III

16 – Greenmount III v Great Harwood III

23 – Nelson III v Greenmount III

The club held it’s annual Senior Presentation night on Saturday, November 9th.

A great night was had by all with entertainment provided by DJ Paul Stocks and Chris Harrison putting on a splendid buffet.

Young players Toby Leach and Noah Birtwistle were the stars of the show as they picked up five and three awards respectively.

The event was sponsored by official club sponsors Mercedes Whitefield who were represented by Senior Sales Manager Dave Preston.

The full awards winners were as follows:

First team

Batsman of the Year: Tom Heaton

Bowler of the Year: Callum Hunter

Players’ Player of the Year: Tom Heaton

Second team

Batsman of the Year: Toby Leach

Bowler of the Year: Oli Dixon

Players’ Player of the Year: Toby Leach

Third team

Batsman of the Year: Toby Leach

Bowler of the Year: Noah Birtwistle

Players’ Player of the Year: Adam Clarke

Other awards

Club person of the Year: Paul Doherty

Pauline Rigby Under-18 Award: Toby Leach

Most wickets: Noah Birtwistle

Cyril Butterworth Most Runs Award: Toby Leach

Mercedes Whitefield Player of the Year: Noah Birtwistle

Performance of the Year: Travis Townsend

Top from left: chairman Andy Skinner welcomes Dave Preston, Senior Sales Manager of club sponsors Whitefield Mercedes. Centre: Adam Clarke third team players’ player of the season trophy with third team skipper Mark Crowther. Right: Club person of the year went to the hard-working Paul Doherty.

Middle from left: Toby Leach is presented with some of his five awards by Andy Skinner. Centre: Second team skipper Oli Dixon gets the second team bowling award. Right: Tom Heaton who took the first team batting prize and first team players’ player award.

Bottom from left: Noah Birtwistle took third team bowler award, most wickets and the Mercedes player of the year accolade. Right: Mrs Barbara Butterworth (wife of former club stalwart Cyril) presents Toby Leach with the most runs award that is in her late husband’s name.

The Mount have received a bye in the first round of next summer’s Lancashire League Worsley Cup competition.

Meanwhile, in the league’s T20 competition, the club have been drawn in the T20 MPA Group with near neighbours Ramsbottom, Crompton, Haslingden, Norden and Walsden.

T20 group games will run from Friday, May 30th to June 27th.

The new league campaign will begin on Sunday, April 20th. This is a week later than in previous seasons in response to the last two years’ adverse weather challenges in getting grounds fit for play in time.

Greenmount professional Jacques Snyman has been selected for the South Africa team to compete in the prestigious Hong Kong Sixes competition starting on November 1st.

South Africa open their campaign against hosts Hong Kong on Friday followed by an enthralling clash against New Zealand later in the day.

They will be hoping to progress and add to their only Sixes success in 2017.

The six-a-side format has a focus on aggressive batting, fast outfielding and consistent bowling – with that in mind, it’s not difficult to see why Jacques with his all-round talent has received his call-up.

The full South Africa squad for the tournament is: JJ Smuts (captain); Modiri Litheko; Evan Jones; Jacques Snyman; Matthew Boast; Don Radebe and Aubrey Swanepoel.

Everyone at the Mount wishes Jacques well for the competition.

Link HERE to the South Africa Hong Kong Sixes page.

Just Giorge

From 7.30pm to 9.30pm on Saturday 26th October the club will feature local live singer, Just Giorge in the Log Cabin function room.

This will be a FREE event for anyone. That weekend the function room will be the only bar open, as the members bar will be being refurbished. 

Come and join us at the Log Cabin to have a sing-along with a great local talent and enjoy some delicious food from Harrison’s at Greenmount, who will be taking orders until 8pm.

On Saturday, November 9th we will be hosting our Annual Senior Presentation evening.

The event will start at 7pm, doors open from 6pm.

There will be a DJ, buffet and raffle on the night.

Tickets are £10 per person (no children under 10 allowed).

Please order ticket requirements at the bar or email message/message the club at helen@peterbowker.plus.com

Greenmount third eleven are left to sweat on their possible promotion after ending
their season with a disappointing loss on Saturday writes SAM CHADWICK.

Elsewhere, further disappointment came from the skies as rain put pay to any results on Sunday, although there was still time for Toby Leach to hit a major milestone.

The thirds’ game couldn’t have been much bigger as they travelled to second placed Middleton for their final fixture of the season.

Toby Leach (left) and Noah Birtwistle

Having been asked to bat, they compiled a below-par total as they collapsed from 81 for 3 to 113 all out.

Leach defiantly anchored the innings with 49 from 99 balls to ensure there would at least be something for the villagers’ bowlers to try to defend.

Indeed, there was a fightback come the second innings as their hosts fell to 20 for 4 thanks to some excellent opening bowling from Matthew Gilmore and Noah Birtwistle.

However, a measured innings of 52 not out off 82 balls from Middleton’s Sam Ganner quashed any hopes of an unlikely win.

The result means Greenmount sit second having been leapfrogged by their hosts. They are 13 points above Nelson who have two more games to play.

Contrastingly, neither the first nor second teams had anything to play for going into their final day games against Bacup. Even so, bad weather meant there would be little chance of ending on a high.

The first eleven saw their journey to Lanehead wasted, as proceedings were called off without a ball bowled. However, there was still one major positive to be had at The Log Cabin for the second team.

Playing through the rain, they managed to navigate through a 36-over first innings in almost constant precipitation. This allowed Leach to carry on his end-of-season form, compiling an excellent effort of 95 from 98 balls and taking himself over 1000 senior runs for the season in what was his first year at the club.

Greenmount finished the innings on 171 for 7, but only six overs could be bowled following the interval.

The resulting draw means the seconds finish their campaign in tenth place, staying above Bacup in eleventh. The firsts’ abandonment saw them end in fifth.

The first eleven had to once again accept a rain abandonment for the second week in a row.

Having won the toss, home captain, Travis Townsend chose to bat first in fairly dry conditions on what looked to be a batter friendly surface.

Accrington struck in the first over when their professional, Jurie Snyman, had in-form Thomas Heaton caught at mid off for 0.

Sub-pro Abid Ali

This brought to the wicket Greenmount’s sub professional for the day, Abid Ali, a former Pakistan Test cricketer, now plying his trade at Egerton Cricket Club.

Ali started positively, dispatching anything loose and shared a 57 run second wicket partnership with Daniel Stevens before Stevens was dismissed, caught at point chasing a wide delivery for 20.

Andy Kerr joined Ali and provided support whilst the very classy Ali continued to score freely displaying fantastic technique and timing.

The partnership reached 66 before Kerr was harshly adjudged LBW for 12.

With rain clouds looming a further four balls were bowled before thunder intervened. This resulted in fairly long delay and early teas were called.

Upon returning from teas with the rain halting for a brief moment, play resumed with Greenmount needing to bat for a further 11 overs. Townsend perished for 12 in pursuit of quick runs and unfortunately only one further ball was to be bowled which Kieran Edwards duly dispatched for four through the slip cordon before the heavens opened.

No further play was permitted with Greenmount finishing on 163 for 4 from 30.5 overs. Abid Ali finishing on a splendid 90 not out from 98 balls which included 12 fours and two sixes.

Greenmount will have the task of travelling up to Bacup next weekend knowing that victory would result in a top four finish.

TRAVIS TOWNSEND

Second team report by LEIGH DICKINSON

Rain and Duckworth Lewis prevented any chance of defence for Greenmount second team when they travelled to Accrington.

It is always an advantage batting second in a rain-affected match and today was no different.

Greenmount were put in to bat and after a shaky start posted a respectable 158.  This was mainly thanks to a fantastic knock of 84 off 89 balls by Toby Leach who continued his great form.

As the overs reduced, Toby tried to reach his century with some serious bludgeoning towards the end, only to fall foul of the conditions slipping in the mud and unable to reach safety. 

Rion Dalugoda again showed promise with the bat scoring 18 and there was a senior debut for Greenmount Junior Edward Cunnington who scored eight off seven.

As the rain poured throughout tea the team eventually took to the field and Accrington took a strong hold of the game through some very aggressive batting. 

Ed Wackrill had a very strong leg before appeal turned down and Dexter Crowther came close to a catch off Adam Clarke, which meant that Accrington were well ahead of the DL par score. 

With more rain the game was suspended and as the clock ticked away the fixture came within ten minutes of being abandoned. 

With a revised score Accrington ended up needing nine runs off nine overs which they achieved easily.

Third team report by WES YOUNG

Greenmount third eleven came out on top in a closely fought encounter against Norden at Stag Park on Saturday afternoon to extend their lead at the top of the Division Two in the JW Lees Lancashire League Third XI League.

With both teams fielding a similarly talented young line-up, captain Mark Crowther lost the toss and Greenmount were put into bat on the edge of the square with short boundaries and windy conditions to consider.

The Mount lost two early wickets to put the pressure on but a partnership of 57 between Toby Leach and Harry Nuttall moved the score onto 64 for 3 before young Harry was caught out trying to increase the run rate.

Leach continued his recent impressive form finishing top scorer with 57, the villagers moving the score on well in the last few overs helped by unbeaten scores of 21 each from Liam Riley and Ben Clarke.

The score of 153 looked like it could have been a couple of dozen light but the Mount bowling attack got to work early and often taking regular wickets to break up any rhythm the Norden batsmen tried to impose.

Adam Clarke crucially grabbed an excellent catch on the boundary for the fourth wicket to dismiss Thorpe who had come out swinging with two sizes in the previous over.

Norden veteran Alan Howard kept his side in the game top scoring with 21 and the home side only needed 25 runs from six overs before Liam Riley bowled him then had Norden captain Jimmy Drury trapped in front of his stumps in the same over to seal the 12 points for Greenmount. Riley finished on 5 for 14 from seven overs with Dexter Crowther taking 3 for 16 and Ben and Adam Clarke taking a wicket apiece.

With Nelson – losing to Rishton – slipping to third behind Middleton in the process, Greenmount move 14 points clear albeit having played two games more than both rivals beneath them.

With uncertainty surrounding available dates to fit in their other fixtures before the league season end cut-off, a final game away at Towncroft against Middleton looks like it could be a title decider. Can Crowther’s Kids secure back to back titles?

A dour weekend for Greenmount’s first and second teams – along with the weather – failed to dampen the third eleven’s charge for the title writes SAM CHADWICK.

After beating Church by seven wickets in a 20-over encounter on Thursday, Mark Crowther’s thirds travelled to Todmorden on Bank Holiday Monday looking to stay top of their division. What ensued was a lively affair, overcoming their hosts by 22 runs.

Mark Crowther

The Mount were asked to bat first, and they made the most of their opportunity, going on to accumulate a score of 181 for 3 in their 40 overs.

Tom Clarke’s resurgence in form meant he compiled an excellent innings of 60 from 85 balls, before Toby Leach added to his recent exploits with 65 from 101. They still also allowed time for Adam Clarke to smash an unbeaten 42 from just 23 deliveries.

It was scoreboard pressure that told in the second innings, as Todmorden struggled to keep up with the required rate, despite having wickets in hand. Dexter Crowther’s effort of 3 for 26 with ball in hand, along with a scalp each for Noah Birtwistle and Liam Riley, meant that the home side ended 159 for 5.

Elsewhere, the first eleven’s loss to local rivals Ramsbottom at the Log Cabin on Saturday meant that the visitors wrapped up promotion from JW Lees Senior Division Two this weekend.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, the away side weren’t messing around in pursuit of their goal, as they posted 264 for 8. Hareen Buddila and Joe Holderness passed fifty, with sub-pro Dom Bess’s excellent figures of 4 for 56 somewhat coming in vain.

Tom Heaton

In reply, Tom Heaton’s 51 from 42 balls got Greenmount off to a decent start, but they never showed the firepower required to chase down such an imposing score.

Ramsbottom needed just a point to seal promotion after that victory, getting what they required on Sunday at home to Colne.

Everyone at Greenmount would like to congratulate the Rams on their well-deserved success.

With rain washing out all fixtures on Sunday, the only other game to be played this weekend saw the Second Team travel to Rochdale on Saturday, losing by 45 runs.

After choosing to bowl first, Greenmount limited their hosts to a chaseable score of 164 for 9 as the weather shortened proceedings to 40 overs a side.

Ed Wackrill and Liam Riley both stood out with the ball, taking three wickets each, while Rion Dalugoda also picked up two for his efforts.

However, the batting fell well short in the second innings. Despite Harry Nuttall’s defiant 26 from 77 deliveries, they ended 119 for 7 in their chase.

As a result, the seconds now sit in a disappointing tenth spot, while the firsts drop to fifth in their division.

Everyone, I’m sure, will be shouting for the thirds, though, as they enter the final stretch in their search for the title. They currently lead second-placed Nelson by eleven points.