ON Saturday, for the second season in succession, Atherton CC's local derby against Daisy Hill was abandoned without a ball bowled.

Indeed, Saturday's weather was so poor that the Bolton Association matches were washed out with only one actually getting underway before going the way of the others.

It was a different story on Sunday when Read of the Ribblesdale League visited Higham Park in the first round of the LCB Thwaites KO competition.

After early morning rain the weather picked up and with a bright sun and drying wind it was obvious that the toss would have a crucial bearing on the result.

This went the way of the visitors and Atherton found themselves having to bat on a difficult track.

Karl Brown and Paul McLoughlin opening against Read's Andy Bennett and pro Peter Sleep, the former Australian Test player.

Simple catch

McLoughlin was soon on his way, bowled by Bennett before scoring. In the absence of the unavailable Phil West, Phil Wakefield took the number three slot but soon became Bennett's second victim, bowled for one. Pro Mihir Diwakar tried to flick the same bowler off his toes but the ball popped and he offered a simple catch having made just five. When Karl Brown became Bennett's fourth victim, harshly adjudged caught behind for eight, the total stood at 22.

Paul Walsh became the fifth wicket to fall when he was well caught and bowled by skipper Warren Eastham for eight and half the side were back in the hutch for 30 in the 18th over.

At this point Phil Williamson and David Marsh came together and with the wicket beginning to dry out they applied themselves with some careful batting and exactly doubled the score by the 35th over. When Williamson was caught and bowled for 12 Marsh, with the help of Ian Nuttall and skipper Brown, guided the home side to a final total of 103-8 off the statutory 45 overs.

For Marsh, his 32 not out followed his undefeated 29 in the previous match. Bennett, who normally plays at second XI level, finished with figures of 9-6-3-4.

When the visitors batted the wicket had eased considerably and their openers had little difficulty in raising the half century by the 13th over. David Baines got rid of both in the space of six balls but Sleep and Craig Walton easily took their side to within two runs of victory before Diwakar had the consolation of clean bowling the former Aussie Test man.

The Ribble Valley side ran out easy winners by seven wickets with 15 overs to spare.

This weekend Atherton have a busy time, hosting Clifton on Saturday, visiting Standish on Sunday for league fixtures while travelling to Manchester Road on Bank Holiday Monday to meet Clifton again, this time in the third round of the ECB National KO competition.