Category: Club news

Despite another Tom Heaton hundred, Greenmount’ First Team’s first eleven fell 26 runs short of
victory at home to Walsden in a high-scoring contest. Elsewhere, a youthful third team
proved a shining light with a convincing win over Church and Oswaldtwistle writes SAM CHADWICK.

Starting on Sunday, the first eleven were looking for an upturn in fortunes after a string
of disappointing results in recent weeks. However, they were made to toil by Walsden’s
batters despite winning the toss and electing to field.

The visitors’ opening partnership was a solid one, worth 96 runs, with Josh Gale and
Nick Barker hitting scores of 49 and 56, respectively. This set the platform for their
middle order to kick on later in the innings, and it was their professional, Jameel Stuart,
who capitalized, coming in at number four to blast 73 off 51 deliveries. The result was an
imposing total of 277 for 6.

Greenmount began well in the chase, with the familiar opening partnership of Tom
Heaton and Jacques Snyman proving fruitful yet again. Snyman hit 52 in typically brisk
fashion, but once he was removed, Heaton stepped up to the plate. His measured
innings of 109 off 124 balls kept the hosts well in with a shout, although the regular fall
of wickets at the other end would prove to be their downfall.

The next top scorer was Kieran Edwards with 30 off 20 balls. He was one of six victims to
fall to the off-spin of Stuart, who capped off a fine all-round display with figures of 6 for 59.
Similarly, in the reverse fixture, the second team would also fall short in their chase as
they lost by 90 runs to cap off a difficult Sunday. Walsden chose to bat on their home
ground and ensured a tiring afternoon for Mount’s bowlers. Fiaz Khan top-scored with
71 from 67 balls, while Leon Bailey hit 65 from just 53. A cameo of 46 not out from 33
deliveries by Majid Khan compounded the hosts’ dominance as his efforts took them to
255 for 4 from their 45 overs.

Ed Wackrill’s head could at least be held high in the second innings, as he hit 45 from 55
balls to continue his excellent form with the bat, but the away side was eventually
bowled out for 166 in 42.2 overs after Chris Lord took figures of 5 for 36.
In contrast, the other game to take place at The Log Cabin brought a welcome
Greenmount win, as a particularly young third team brushed aside Church on Saturday.

After being asked to field first, the hosts’ familiar pace attack soon went to work,
applying constant pressure on their visitors. It was George Kenyon who particularly took
the eye with ball in hand, picking up his first-ever five-for in senior cricket in an
impressive effort. The other five scalps were shared around the rest of the bowlers, with
the away side ending on a below-par total of 112 all out in 32.2 overs.

Wickets fell in the reply, but scoreboard pressure was never on Church’s side. Wackrill
again top-scored with an eye-catching innings of 34 from 52 balls before Adam Clarke
finished the game off in style, hitting three fours and two sixes on his way to 28 not out
from 21 deliveries. All in all, the win came by five wickets in just 28.1 overs and was a
pleasing watch for stand-in captain Wesley Young.
Results leave the first team in fourth place, 13 points behind Crompton in third. The
second team sit in eighth in their division, while the third team sit in second place in
theirs, 22 points behind leaders Nelson.

A much-improved on-field performance from Greenmount’s senior teams this weekend saw two wins from two for the twos but the firsts fell just three runs short of a double! writes JOHN STEVENS

With Euro football fever gripping the nation probably the last thing anyone wanted was a double header but this weekend incorporated the first of the early season postponements.

On Saturday, the first team travelled to Rawtenstall and completed a comfortable win by nine wickets.

Fresh from his exploits with South Africa in the World Legends championship, professional Jacques Snyman starred with 4 for 29 and a typically belligerent unbeaten 64.

The second team match at home followed a similar pattern with the added interest of the first use of a hybrid pitch at the Mount.

Noah Birtwistle starred with 5 for 31 ably supported by Ed Dickinson with 3 for 26 and Matthew Gilmore with 2 for 21.

The runs were knocked off for the loss of Ed Dickinson for 36, Nigel Franklin was stranded on 49 not out and it was good to see a cameo unbeaten 18 from Max Birtwistle.

On Sunday the seconds continued their momentum with a tense one wicket win against a decent Crompton team.

Batting first Crompton made 177 , Ed Dickinson was among the action again with 4 for 37. After the last few games some may have been sceptical about our ability to chase.

Indeed after a shaky start losing four quick wickets things looked tricky. However partnerships continued to build with Chris Sherrington, 40 , Mark Crowther 23 and Liam Riley with an excellent unbeaten 29 being the main contributors.

It was a genuine team effort and an exciting prelude to the football. With captain Oliver Dixon away and pressure on availability with several young players absent, it was a brilliant club effort.

Thanks to Leigh Dickinson and Mark Crowther for stepping up to captain and lead from the front, two excellent days which offer signs of genuine progress and further potential.

The first team had a delayed start in their top four clash away at cloudy Crompton. Their opponents had first use of tricky batting conditions in a game where no player passed 50, finishing on 165 for 9.

Wickets were shared between Jacques 3 for 56, Amal Dalugoda 3 for 42 and Callum Hunter 2 for 42 with Jack Thomond taking the other.

The run chase followed a similar pattern to the seconds with four quick wickets tumbling after Jacques and Tom Heaton had reached an opening stand of 50.

Both fell for 28 and 22 respectively but when Andy Kerr and Gav Nicholl followed we were 68 for 4. Skipper Travis Townsend and Dan Stevens set about a rebuilding stand of 30 before Travis was bowled for 20 by a ball which kept low.

Kieran Edwards and Dan then combined for another stand of 30 before Kie was bowled for 18. Then with the score  at 146 with 19 to win Dan Stevens was caught and bowled for a fine 35 and Callum Hunter was caught for 7.

There was still belief that we could get over the line between Jack Thomond and Sam Greenhalgh but Sam was run out in very unfortunate circumstances leaving six to win from the last over. Jack was bowled from the last ball to leave us three runs short.

The result sees Greenmount in fourth place but only 15 points separate the teams so every game is going to be vital – starting next Sunday when league leaders Walsden visit the Mount.

Lots of cricket to be played yet , nine more exciting games to come – don’t miss it!

Unfortunately Harrison’s will not be serving food today (Friday 12th) as the function room is being closed off for a funeral. 

On Sunday England are playing Spain in the Euro 24 Final at 8pm. 

The football will be shown on the club’s eight TVs but we again ask that any children under 18 are sat with their parents and NOT allowed to roam around the club, inside or outside, on their own.

Additionally children are asked not to come to the bar as per licensing laws which we have recently been made aware of. 

These arrangements have been well received and respected, making the club a safer and more enjoyable environment for people, so thank you. 

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Greenmount CC Directors

There were two great performances from our professional Jacques Snyman who played for the South Africa Champions team in the World Championship of Legends this week at Northampton.

On Tuesday against Pakistan, Jacques scored an unbeaten 82 while on Wednesday against India he blasted 73 runs and bowled 1 for 30 from four overs.

The performances earned him the Meethi Sweet Moment of the Match against Pakistan and he picked up the Player of the Match accolade for his efforts against India.

Congratulations to Greenmount legend Jacques Snyman who has been called into the SA Champions team for the World Championship of Legends.

South Africa play Pakistan today at 4pm then India tomorrow (Wednesday) also 4pm. Games will be played at Edgbaston and will be shown on TNT Sports.

Then it’s back to the high life for the Mount in fixtures against Rawtenstall and Crompton at the weekend.

Go well pro!

Greenmount’s first eleven crashed out of the Worsley Cup at the semi-final stage during a weekend where the senior setup lost all four of their respective games writes SAM CHADWICK.

 On Saturday, hopes were high as the villagers travelled to Todmorden in a bid to reach the final of the prestigious competition.

After choosing to bat, they lost opener Tom Heaton early, leaving them at 9 for 1. Jacques Snyman’s brisk 36 from 31 balls offered some hope, but his dismissal triggered a collapse from 47 for 1 to 57 for 4.

It was battling middle-order contributions from Dan Stevens (26 from 47 balls), Gav Nicholl (31 from 64), and Callum Hunter (21 from 37) that helped Greenmount reach a somewhat competitive total of 153 all out in 44.5 overs.

Harry Rickard was the standout bowler for Todmorden, taking 4 for 14 in seven overs. In response, Snyman removed opener Noah Priestley early, leaving Todmorden at 14 for 1. However, consistent scoring from Edward Moore and Rickard, who both scored unbeaten 50s, saw Todmorden comfortably chase the target in just 22 overs with eight wickets to spare.

Sunday brought another disappointment with a 67-run loss to local rivals Ramsbottom. Tom Parton starred with the bat for The Rams, hitting 84 from 139 balls to help his side to 195 for 6 in their 50 overs.

Snyman (3 for 56) and Hunter (2 for 42) took wickets to at least continue their wicket-taking form. Greenmount’s reply never really got going, especially after Heaton and Snyman were removed early, leaving the score at 9 for 2.

Wickets fell in chunks throughout, with Nicholl’s score of 23 from 55 balls being the highest. The result was a total of 128 all out.

Elsewhere on Saturday, the third team narrowly lost in a thrilling encounter against Middleton at The Log Cabin. Winning the toss and electing to bat, Ed Wackrill’s excellent 61 from 82 balls helped the home side to an imposing total of 177 for 7 in an innings shortened to 38 overs.

Despite a large target, Middleton chased it down in just 30.1 overs with three wickets in hand, largely thanks to an opening partnership of 84 that took away a significant chunk of their work.

 Finally, Sunday saw a disappointing nine-wicket loss for the second team at home to Rochdale. Batting first on a bowler-friendly wicket, an incredible spell of nine maidens from the away side saw Greenmount fall from 19 for 1 to 19 for 6. Oliver Dixon (24 from 44 balls) and Sam Chadwick (28* from 75) helped their side recover slightly, with George Kenyon also adding an assured 21 from 35.

 Those efforts saw them finish on 96 all out. However, an opening partnership of 63 between Rochdale youngsters Thomas Gilbertson and Haroon Kashmiri quashed any hopes of an unlikely home win.

Kashmiri fell to Gareth Williams, but Rochdale reached the target in 21.4 overs.

Results mean Ramsbottom now leapfrog the first team into second with a narrow four-point gap. The second team drop to a disappointing tenth in their division, while Middleton moved level on points with the third team in second place in theirs.

Greenmount first eleven maintained the pressure at the top of the table to close out June with a fine win over fellow challengers Crompton at the Log Cabin writes JOHN STEVENS.

Conditions were seam friendly after a damp Saturday as skipper Travis Townsend won the toss and invited Crompton to bat first.

Wickets fell frequently with the home side producing a sharp fielding and bowling performance. Crompton eventually moved from 124 for 9 to a slightly more respectable 156 all out thanks to last wicket resistance from opening bowlers Good and King.

Both Travis and Callum Hunter bagged three wickets with professional Jacques Snyman taking 2 for 17 and Amal Dalugoda the prize wicket of professional Jamal who made a fine 54.

Greenmount’s reply merely served to underline the bowler-friendly conditions with both Snyman and Heaton out caught behind early and then Townsend receiving a peach from Adam Good to complete a hat-trick of catches for keeper Kain Dean.

At 32 for 3 Crompton sensed a potential early win in time for the football however Andy Kerr and Dan Stevens put together a match turning partnership of 85 before Dan was unfortunately run out for a fine 33 with three fours and two sixes.

Andy went on to see us through to complete the win with another excellent individual performance, unbeaten on 70 with eight fours and a six.

The win sees Greenmount remain in second place behind Walsden with just 16 points between the top three teams. The coming weeks will see crunch encounters against each of the other three teams from the top four so expect it to be exciting and tense stuff! 

Elsewhere Oli Dixon’s second team suffered defeat in the reverse fixture at Crompton. The hosts compiled a competitive 208 for 9 thanks in the main to 84 from Whittle.

There were three wickets apiece for Dixon, Gareth Williams and Noah Birtwistle who continues his fine run of form in senior cricket. Unfortunately the Greenmount reply never really got moving with both Ed and Leigh Dickinson reaching 26, Ed Wackrill 22 before Dixon with 21 not out and Ben Clarke 14 not out at least ensured that we were not bowled out.

On Saturday Mark Crowther’s third team had posted a decent target of 209 for Todmorden only for rain to intervene and bring the encounter to an early close. Ed Dickinson made a fine 51 with contributions also coming from Nigel Franklin 43, Toby Leach 38, Ed Wackrill 35 not out and Sam Chadwick 26 not out.

This weekend is not all about England’s continued dramatic journey at the Euros as the first team have the Worsley Cup semi final at Todmorden on Saturday followed by the local derby away at Ramsbottom.

The thirds are at home on Saturday against Middleton and the seconds entertain Rochdale on Sunday. And if you don`t fancy any of that, there’s always the footy and Harrison’s on at the Mount!

Tomorrow (Sunday) our first team are playing at home in a top of the table clash against Crompton. Meanwhile, England are also playing in the last 16 of Euro 24 against Slovakia at 5pm. This means the club is going to be extremely busy.

Cricket teas will be taken in the function room between approx 4.15pm and 5pm so we ask that no-one sits in the function room until cricket teas are finished. Once they are finished the football will be put on the big screen.

The football will be shown on the TVs in the other rooms but we ask that any children under-16 are sat with their parents and NOT allowed to roam around the club, inside or outside, on their own. Additionally children are asked not to come to the bar.

Out of courtesy we also ask that when you finish your drinks any glasses are returned to the bar, especially if you are sat around the cricket ground as too many are just being left on the floor, which creates a safety issue. If this persists we will have no option to start serving drinks in plastic glasses for those drinking outside.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Tom Heaton plundered an unbeaten 103 off just 62 balls to lead Greenmount’s first eleven to an excellent eight-wicket victory in their final T20 match of the season at Todmorden writes SAM CHADWICK.

After losing the toss and being asked to field, the Mount toiled as their hosts reached 175 for 5. Edward Moore top-scored with 62 from 43 balls, along with Bilal Abbas’s 48 from 32 and Freddie Priestley’s 33 from 28, setting an imposing total at the halfway point.

There was, however, a notable performance from junior left-arm spinner Noah Birtwistle, who took 2 for 25 in his four overs to continue his fine season in senior cricket. Impressively, his two wickets came in consecutive balls during the 13th over, conceding just three runs. Elsewhere, Jack Thomond took commendable figures of 2 for 34, with Callum Hunter claiming the other wicket to fall.

The reply got off to a bang, with the familiar opening partnership of Heaton and professional Jacques Snyman hitting 16 in the first over. However, any fears that Greenmount would crumble under the pressure of a large chase were intensified when Snyman was run out for just 12 in the third over.

The dismissal seemed to prove a catalyst for Heaton, who went wild from then on, hitting 16 fours and two sixes in a fine innings. His effort ended as the highest individual score in the JWL MPA T20 Group, beating his own record of 76. It also secured him the position of top scorer, finishing with 236 runs.

All this, backed up by a useful cameo of 31 from 23 balls by Gav Nicholl, meant that the away side chased down their target in just 17 overs, ending their T20 campaign in fine fashion. The final standings see them finish third, three points off a quarter-final berth.

Professional Jacques Snyman’s good form with both bat and ball continued as he helped the first eleven to a narrow three-wicket win at home to Bacup on Sunday. However, the rest of the senior setup struggled, with the second and third elevens succumbing to losses writes SAM CHADWICK.

The first team’s encounter was a low-scoring affair on a scorching June afternoon at the Log Cabin. Having chosen to field on a bowler-friendly pitch, Travis Townsend’s side quickly got to work, limiting Bacup to 125 all out.

Only four bowlers were needed for the Mount, with all of them picking up wickets. Callum Hunter impressed, taking 4 for 39 in his 15 overs, while Snyman took 3 for 12 with his economical off-spin. Townsend and Amal Dalugoda picked up the rest, taking 2 for 28 and 1 for 33, respectively.

But for a battling innings from Bacup’s Mohsin Iqbal (31 from 69 balls) and Luke Bradford (21 from 80 balls), things could have been worse for the away side, having been reduced to 59 for 6 at one stage.

Snyman’s typically brutal 46 from just 25 balls at the top of the order got Greenmount off to a flier, but they struggled at points chasing the modest target. Townsend’s score of 31 from 41 proved important, before Hunter and Sam Greenhalgh saw the side over the line in the 24th over.

Elsewhere, in the reverse fixture, the second eleven failed in their chase of 205, losing by 33 runs. Bacup chose to bat on their home ground, and a series of useful scores from across their batting order saw them to 205 all out in 42 overs, without anyone passing 50. Alex Shepherd’s 39 from just 20 balls was particularly harmful, given he came in at number nine with his team at 161 for 7.

On the brighter side, Gareth Williams’ return to the Greenmount side was a welcome one, as he took 4 for 47, while skipper Oliver Dixon took 3 for 31.

Toby Leach top-scored in the second innings with 36 from 57 balls, and Rupert Hallows hit 31 from 71, but they always seemed to be behind the eight-ball, finishing up on 172 for 9.

On Saturday, the third team’s result should perhaps be put down as a learning experience for their youthful side. Playing host to Norden, they were bowled out for just 43, having been put into bat in a bitterly disappointing display.

The one shining light was a strong tenth-wicket partnership between Dexter Crowther and George Kenyon, who stood firm for 14 overs to at least frustrate the opposition before the latter was removed in the 34th over. Norden completed the chase in the ninth over with nine wickets to spare thanks to Jozef Gordon’s 26 not out from 25 balls. Pacer Ben Clarke took their only wicket to fall.

Results mean the first team stay second, ten points behind leaders Walsden. The second eleven are now eighth in their division, having been leapfrogged by Bacup. The third team stay second despite their disappointing day out.