Match Report
Match Report Sun 21 September: 3rd XI vs Whalley Range CC 4th XI (Home)
Tue 23 Sep 2025
"And That's Your Lot!
The Whalley Rangers came to town on Sunday for the season's finale, needing just a point to complete a first Sunday Premier League title having already taken five points away from Manchester Road earlier in the season when they played a ""home"" game at Clifton due to fixture congestion.
After reducing Mac's Men to 15-3, a repeat looked on the cards, but in difficult conditions, Dan Jones (38) and Sam Winstanley (48) put together a match winning partnership of 69 that turned the game. Oz bound Sam rode his luck to some tune as the table toppers lost the plot in the field, dropping him no fewer than four times. Owen (pic) batted sensibly around the tail as they strove manfully to use up the overs, a feat that was achieved with Tom falling to the last ball, with the assembled sunbathers agreeing that 137 was probably above par for the conditions.
'Striving manfully' was not a description that could be applied to the visitors' reply as, despite losing wickets with the score on 3,3,3,5,18,20 and 24, they insisted on coming to the crease and trying to smash the ball into Bolton Town Centre. Chief beneficiary was Oscar Thorpe who must have been pinching himself as they continued to bat blindfolded, handing him three in his second over, two in his third and another in his fifth at which point he was lodging figures of 6-13 and bowling to a field containing a plethora of helmeted close fielders (pic).
The late order batted in a manner that showed quite clearly that the surface was not the demonic place that the earlier batsmen had portrayed it as, and indeed they could and should have won the game, but Elliot nibbled out batsman 10 and thirteen year old Oscar returned to deservedly pick up number 11 to finish with the remarkable figures of 7-21 as the demoralised former league leaders were reduced to 64 all out only to leave the field to lick their wounds and find that Greenfield had picked up the maximum six points to nick the title by a single point. It was difficult to sympathise however, with a team that were absolutely and completely the architects of their own doom.
As for Steve's men, they go again next year for yet another season in the Premier division as the core strength of the club's playing exponents continues to improve at third and second team level, which can only provide a solid base on which the top end of the pyramid can thrive. What a difference to three short seasons ago when the base of the pyramid had crumbled away, leaving skippers scrabbling around for players. Onwards and upwards.
Roll on to April 2026.
"
