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.
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.