STAND continued their ever-improving season with a nine-wicket thrashing of Crompton last Saturday at Hamilton Road.

But the match was overshadowed by the tragic death of former player Gorden Bryden, following a freak accident. "Doc", as he was known at the club, had played at Stand for seven seasons and had recently left the area due to work commitments.

Despite the sporting of black armbands, and one minute's silence prior to the start of the match, Stand responded with a superb display, which was just what the "Doc" would have ordered!

The home side were fired up claimed four early Crompton wickets by the end of the fifth over with the score on only five.

Things got even better for the hosts as Hegg claimed two more wickets in his third over. Andy Rigby was clean bowled and three balls later, Simon Wright joined him back in the shed after being caught behind by wicketkeeper McLean.

Meanwhile, at the non-strikers end, Crompton professional Saeed Anwar jnr couldn't believe what he was witnessing as the first for batsmen all departed around him, without notching a single run between them.

Anwar was joined at the crease by Whittle and the pair added 22 for the fifth wicket before Dave Foreman got in on the act, removing Whittle lbw for four. In the same over, Foreman claimed his second wicket of the innings after Steele had presented Inman with a dolly of a catch at cover.

The home side then took their foot off the pedal, allowing Anwar to play his way to a well-deserved 50, which included eight fours and one six. Anwar and Taylor formed the highest partnership of the innings (43), before Carl Sutcliffe yorked Taylor to claim his only wicket of the afternoon. Chris Warren then quickly removed Shaw lbw for two, leaving Crompton on 90 for eight, with more than 20 overs of their innings remaining.

Stand knew only too well that the visitors had the ability to post a high target, as long as danger-man Anwar was still at the crease, batting in a rich vein of form, therefore it was vital that he was dismissed as soon as possible. The prize wicket came thanks to Warren, who trapped the Crompton's paid man's leg before wicket for 67. The late order rallied and carried the score along until Warren took his third wicket of the day and the visitors were dismissed for 114, thanks mainly to a solo effort from Anwar, who earned little support for everyone else.

Hegg was the pick of the Stand bowling attack and finished with four for 17 from 10 overs.

Stand required more than two-an-over with a long, experienced batting line-up waiting in the wings.

In his comeback game, Phil Ramsbottom led from the front as he opened the batting with Gary Bond.

Ramsbottom got his innings off to a typical start, weighing up the Crompton attack before doing anything rash.

Ramsbottom played a superb innings (44 not out) and it was as though he hadn't been away as he scored runs in all corners of the ground.

It was fitting that he hit the winning runs as Stand breezed to their target with the loss of only a single wicket.

Martin Hegg was also among the runs as he played his way to an unbeaten 30, including five fours.

It was an emphatic victory and one that "Doc" would have been proud of.

The win lifted Stand off the foot of the table, and the Hamilton Road outfit will be aiming to pull further away from the bottom with a win at local rivals, Unsworth, on Sunday.

RADCLIFFE romped to a seven-wicket win over Werneth at the Racecourse last Saturday.

Professional Steve Dearden, Aussie amateur batsman Travis Birt and pace ace Eddie Shah were the mainstays of this five-point success.

Shah collected handsome figures of five for 39 as Werneth were bowled out for 133 with three balls to spare.

Dearden opened the Radcliffe reply with Damion Keegan and they set a fairly solid foundation, the pair amassing 48 before the first wicket fell.

Dearden hit 36 and Birt was just two short of his half century as Radcliffe reached their target with plenty to spare.

A trip to Walsden is on the itinerary for the cricketers this Sunday.

John Macauley has become only the second amateur player in the history of Radcliffe Cricket Club to pass 6,000 runs. Reg Berry achieved the feat while playing for the club between 1935 and 1957.

STAND v CROMPTON

CROMPTON

G. Dawson c & b Hegg...0

G. Rigby c Ramsbottom b Hegg...0

S. Anwar lbw Warren...67

A. Rigby b Hegg...0

S. Wright c McLean b Hegg...0

C. Whittle lbw Foreman...4

W. Steele c Inman b Foreman...4

C. Taylor b Sutcliffe...4

D. Shaw lbw Warren...2

D. Taylor c Hegg b Warren...18

A. Ravenscroft not out...0

Extras...15

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Total 114

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36.2 overs

M. Hegg 10--17-4; D. Foreman 9-1-36-2; C. Warren 9.2-2-25-3; C. Sutcliffe 8-0-32-1.

STAND

P. Ramsbottom not out...44

G. Bond b Taylor...16

M. Hegg not out...30

Extras...26

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Total (for 1) 116

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32.4 overs

S. Anwar 15-4-36-0; A. Ravenscroft 4-2-9-0; D. Taylor 7-1-26-1; S. Wright 5-0-24-0; C. Taylor 1.4-0-9-0.

RADCLIFFE v WERNETH

WERNETH

J. Foxhall lbw Dearden...0

M. Yearsley c Kennedy b Shah...7

S. Fernando c Simpson b McLean...50

D. Errock b Shah...22

M. Dronsfield c Cruse b Kennedy...8

D. Lees run out...14

D. Ainsworth c Dearden b Shah...0

P. Gill c Kennedy b Shah...4

R. Mills b Shah...0

H. Milling not out...2

Extras...19

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Total 133

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49.3 overs

S. Dearden 8-1-36-1; S. Shah 24.3-8-39-5; N. Kennedy 14-4-39-1; J. McLean 3-0-13-2.

RADCLIFFE

S. Dearden c Gill b Lees...36

D. Keegan b Milling...17

T. Birt c Durose b Fernando...48

G. Simpson not out...18

N. Kennedy not out...0

Extras...16

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Total (for 3) 135

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37.3 overs

D. Lees 12-3-34-1; S. Fernando 18.3-5-50-1; H. Milling 7-0-46-1.