It was a grim weekend results-wise for Greenmount’s first and second teams who both suffered double defeats including disappointing losses in the Lancashire League’s knockout competitions.
On Saturday, in the league, the first eleven entertained a strong Norden team who boasted former Log Cabin professional Ash Zaidi in their ranks.
The Rochdale club restricted the Mount to 163 all out, a total that would have looked far worse without Andy Kerr’s good innings of 81.
That target was never going to be enough to deter the visitors who cruised to a seven-wicket victory inside 28 overs for the loss of only three wickets.
Opener Josh Tolley top-scored for Norden with an unbeaten 69.
The second team made the trip to Great Harwood and went down to a 44 run defeat.
Batting first, the home side posted a total of 210 for 7 from their 45 overs with Muhammad Shakeel and Christian Oddie both hitting half centuries.
For Greenmount, Ryan Edge took 4 for 72 from 12 while Max Birtwistle took 2 for 51 from 8 and skipper Ollie Dixon 1 for 31 from 12.
The writing looked on the wall when openers Kieran Edwards and Leigh Dickinson were both back in the pavilion with ducks but sterling work from Jay Ahmed (63) and Danny Creer (43) steadied the ship somewhat.
Nevertheless, it was never going to be enough to pass the home side’s total and they fell well short on 166 for 7 at stumps.
The much-anticipated return of local rivals Ramsbottom to the Log Cabin following the Mount’s league victory over them two weeks earlier was a massive disappointment as the firsts were given a hiding and bowed out of the Worsley Cup competition at the first hurdle.
Although skipper Ryan Senior again won the toss and elected to bat, there was to be no repeat of the previous encounter when the villagers ran up a total of 287.
Indeed, as middle order wickets fell with alarming regularity, it appeared as if Mount might struggle to reach 100 and it took a superb last wicket partnership of 47 between Sam Greenhalgh (28 not out) and Matthew Senior (15 not out) to give the score a more respectable appearance.
The Rams’ sub-professional Samit Patel took three wickets while there was a brace for both skipper Kieren Grimshaw and Joshua Dentith.
Some early wickets were imperative for the Mount and although Alex Olpin was dismissed with the score on 13 and Patel followed him on 52 the visitors were comfortably in control of the result.
Jonathan Dack (44) and then Grimshaw (51 not out) were the pick of the Rams batsmen as they eased to a six-wicket victory inside 26 overs.
Meanwhile,down at Acre Bottom in the corredponding Junior League Knockout Trophy clash, Rammy made it a satisfying double when they saw off Mount’s second eleven in a five-wicket triumph.
Greenmount won the toss and skipper Ollie Dixon elected to bat and his side ran up a total of 200 all out from 47 overs.
Andy Bowker rolled back the years with a great knock of 67 ably assisted by Kieran Edwards (60) but there was little in the way of run-scoring support from the rest of the team with no-one else breaking the double figure barrier.
With the home side 116 for 5, the Mount may have had thoughts of reaching the second round but Rammy judged their winning response to perfection and unbeaten knocks from Brad Wilson (56) and Ryan Storey (31) saw them home with five balls to spare.