Greenmount firsts consolidated their position in the middle of the JWL Premier Division of the Lancashire League with a victory over bottom club Enfield at Dill Hall Lane on Sunday.
Captain Travis Townsend’s decision to bat after winning the toss proved the correct call as the Mount rattled up 287 for 6 from their 50 overs with the skipper putting in a superb batting display with a knock of 113 not out including 12 fours and six sixes.
Professional Jacques Snyman also hit 73 (seven fours and three sixes) to give the home side something to think about.
Enfield made a decent fist of their reply in the early stages and were 111 for 2 in the 27th over when opener Lewis Wright was dismissed for 52 – caught by Callum Hunter off the bowling of Noah Birtwistle.
As the home side continued to add to their total the turning point came when captain and danger man Adam Bracewell was adjudged LBW off the bowling of Jacques Snyman.
From then on, Greenmount took complete control and the final four wickets fell for 32 runs leaving Enfield 39 short.
In the wickets for the Mount were Callum Hunter (three), Jacques Snyman and Noah Birtwistle (both two) and Amal Dalugoda and Ishy Patel (one each).
Another 12 point victory leaves the club in seventh position in the table with 66 points. Twenty-two points behind leaders Walsden and 27 in front of bottom clubs Enfield and Clitheroe who are the visitors to the Log Cabin on Saturday.
ENFIELD v GREENMOUNT SCOREBOARD
The flickering hopes of progress in this season’s T20 competition were well and truly extinguished when Greenmount – who included a sprinkling of the club’s emerging young players – were defeated by visitors Rochdale on Friday evening.
Batting first, the Mount scored 167 for 2 with Max Birtwistle top-scoring with an unbeaten 57, while Jacques Snyman hit 48; Tom Heaton 40 and Cameron Mapstone 17 not out.
Rochdale’s reply was pretty much a one-man affair with sub-professional Anmolpreet Singh hitting an unbeaten 136. The talented Indian, who plies his trade for Denton West in the Greater Manchester League, took advantage of a few dropped catches to blast nine fours and an amazing 13 sixes in his total as Rochdale reached their target for the loss of five wickets in the fifteenth over.
GREENMOUNT v ROCHDALE SCOREBOARD
While the firsts were winning at Enfield on Sunday, the second eleven were going down to a five wicket defeat at the Log Cabin.
On a miserable day for the batsmen, only Nigel Franklin (32) and Dexter Crowther (30 not out) reached double figures as they slumped to 81 all out in 21 overs.
It was a target the visitors reached in the 25th over for the loss of five wickets.
Skipper Oli Dixon took 3 for 26 and Liam Riley 2 for 48.
GREENMOUNT II v ROCHDALE II SCOREBOARD
In the only other senior game at the weekend, the third team went down to an eight-wicket defeat when Clitheroe thirds were the visitors.
Winning the toss and batting first, skipper Mark Crowther top-scored with 36 as his side reached 139 all out from their 40 overs.
Son Dexter Crowther (27), Jake Riley (15), Harry Nuttall (13) and Ewan Malone (10) also chipped in with runs albeit not enough to secure victory.
Clitheroe cruised to victory for the loss of two wickets in the 24th over with Jack Dawson unbeaten on 78 and Sam Dugdale adding 52.