Weather-beaters

ATHERTON CC continued their excellent start to the Bolton Association season on Saturday with a comprehensive seven wicket victory away at Edgworth, but it was a win that was always under threat from the weather.

With skipper Rob Clews unavailable, vice-captain Dave Charlson took over and made an excellent start by winning the toss and elected to field.

The game got underway 45 minutes late after mopping up operations had caused a reduction in over to 41.

Untroubled

The Atherton attack was opened by Greg Dimery and Ian Nuttall but the Edgworth openers made untroubled progress until, with the score on 25, Dimery, who because of the damp conditions was bowling medium pace of a short run, had Mike Davies caught for eight, Fellow opener Dave Critchley soon followed, lbw to the same bowler with the total on 40.

After he had bowled eight over Nuttall was replaced by Charlson and in tandem with Dimery the pair bowled out the home side for 135 off the last ball of the 41st over. The only batsman to offer any prolonged resistance was Nick Kernick with a hard earned 56.

Dimery finished with 4-62 off 21 while Charlson took 6-39 from 13 including the prize wicket of new Edgworth pro, Janisar Khan.

Phil West and Nuttall opened the Atherton reply and all went well until the score had reached 29 at which point Nuttall was caught for 11 while trying to force the pace.

Dimery then joined West and the pair looked likely to see the visitors to victory. But when the stand had reached 40 West was run out while attempting a second run. He had made 32.

Charlson helped Dimery to raise the score to 93 but then fell in similar fashion to Nuttall.

Productive

Paul Walsh was next man in and together with Dimery raised the most productive partnership of the match. Walsh was particularly positive in his stroke play, hitting Khan, who was bowling fast in poor light, for a couple of fours in one over. He finished on 19 not out from 17 balls while Dimery completed a second successive undefeated half century.

This Saturday Atherton take on local rivals A&T at Higham Park.