IN the Manchester Association, stand-in Bury skipper James Towey won the toss at Hindley St Peter's and elected to field on what looked like a good wicket to bowl first.

Bury's opening bowlers did well in tandem at the right-hand-left hand opening pair and were duly rewarded as Raza dismissed the left-handed Moorfield for just fifteen.

Anderson batted well for St Peters, reaching fifty but lacked any real support from his teammates, in the face of tight bowling from Belston and Metcalfe.

St Peters usually post scores of over two hundred on their home surface so for Bury to restict them to 156 for 8 after their allocated 48 overs was a great effort.

The second innings began with a slow start for Bury.

Mather, for St Peters, bowled well from the top of the hill. Metcalfe batted solidly until Anderson, with his off-spin, dislodged him, having him caught at silly mid off.

Much rested on Kennedy and Mirza who both had starts but who both got out at crucial times.

Chasing 157 for victory, Bury were always in with a shout but lost wickets regularly.

The ninth wicket partnership of Raza and Leach offered much hope to the visitors but Bury in the end were left just shy, losing by 25 runs.

BEFORE last weekend Brooksbottoms' promotion door was nicely ajar.

After Saturday, however, Euxton have slammed it firmly shut, leaving Summerseat with a three-wicket win in the bag.

Brox's big rivals are now just a solitary point behind with two games to go.

The home side batted first and posted a respectable 178 for 9 from their 48 overs.

They will be disappointed not to capitalise more on a solid start with Simon Armsbey again impressive in reaching 53.

Brox's failure to reach a more challenging target was largely due to several players getting set without pushing on to a major contribution as the visitors' bowling combination of Jackson and Millward shouldered the burden between them.

In the field, Brox hit Euxton hard from the start with Josh Pellowe and Richard Ernill leading the way.

At 39 for 3 the Summerseat men were looking good.

However, Jackson also perfomed with the bat. His 48 guided Euxton towards the target before Pellowe claimed his third wicket of the innings.

Another strike from the blonde Aussie kept Brox in the hunt but ultimately it was to no avail as the Chorley outfit eased hom with a couple of overs in the bag.

A miserable weekend was completed for Brox with a second defeat, this time in the cup at Whalley Range.

Once again Brox had enfineered a winning position only to squander it through a mixture of sloppy fielding and some ordinarybowling.

With skipper Ernill leading the way with three quickfire wickets, Range slumped to for 6.

Sadly for the visitors no further wickets fell with Malik and Zafar compiling an impressive partnership.

To rub salt in the Brox wound, Malik, who finished unbeaten on 81, was given a reprieve early in his innings.

The target of 203 in 40 overs was one Brox could not threaten.

While young bucks Hawley and Kannenberg were together it was very much game on, but their dismissal triggered a disappointing collapse and the weakened line-up crumbled to 144 all out.