ATHERTON CC picked up the pieces from last week's abandoned match and posted their third 40-point back-to-back weekend with convincing victories over Standish and Golborne.

But their quest for Redmayne Bentley Bolton Association championship honours did not come without a little help from their Aussie ace Greg Dimery who again starred with bat and ball.

On Saturday Steve Walsh won his second successive toss and asked the home side to bat. The bowling was opened by Dimery and Ian Nuttall and after five overs the only runs on the board were two wides, one off each bowler.

By the 11th over Dimery had removed both openers for one and six but by then Standish professional Pankaj Tripathi was at the crease and well into his stride. He scored freely all round the wicket and after facing 25 balls he had 41 to his name with six 4s and two 6s.

Walsh replaced Nuttall and in his second over had Tripathi well stumped by Rob Clews who was standing in for the holidaying Phil Williamson. The score was then on 63 and when John Waddington became Dimery's third victim with the total on 67, the visitors looked to be on their way to an early tea.

Best partnership

But two of Standish's longest-serving players, Simon Maiden and Ian Bowden, had other ideas and put together the days best partnership, 87. When both were out for 44 and 43 respectively the score stood on 164.

The remaining four wickets fell for an addition of a further 14 runs to set Atherton a challenging 179 for victory.

Dimery, who bowled superbly for 19 overs, finished with 7-59 while skipper Walsh had figures of 3-47 from 16. Clews had two catches and two stumpings to his name.

Dave Charlson was again given the nod to open the Atherton batting with Chris Partington but with Partington going for 13 it was left to Charlson to again partner Dimery in the best partnership of the innings, 63.

He seemed well set for a half century when he was bowled by Maiden for a positive 46.

Dimery was then joined by Phil West who struggled to 10 from his first 40 balls. He was just beginning to open up when he mistimed one from Maiden and offered a simple catch to Tripathi for 20.

Paul Walsh then joined Dimery with 45 required for victory and the pair saw their side home with 10 overs to spare. The youngster struck the winning runs with the sweetest of reverse sweeps for four.

Walsh's share in a partnership of 48 was 17, scored off 11 balls with three 4s. Dimery finished on 83 not out during the course of which he passed 100 runs for the season in all competitions.

Sunday saw skipper back into his old ways by losing the toss, Atherton finding themselves batting on a wicket that had been covered but with an outfield saturated by morning rain.

Partington and Charlson were again given the job of opening but by the 10th over both had been dismissed for eight and 12 respectively, bringing together Dimery and West.

Wet outfield

The two proceeded to put together the best partnership of the day, 67. Neither found batting easy with the wet outfield turning fours into twos.

By the 35th over both had gone, Dimery for a polished 41 while West completed a tough half century. The total then stood at 124 but was given a timely boost two two excellent cameos of 20 and 23 respectively by Clews and Nuttall which allowed the Higham Park side to close at a highly-respectable 186 all out.

The best of the Golborne bowling came from professional Ian Critchley who returned excellent figures of 6-54 from 15.

The Golborne innings began in greatly improved conditions as the misery of the morning rain had given way to a glorious evening. But Dimery soon made it a miserable time for the Golborne batsmen by taking the first five wickets to fall at a personal cost of 20, reducing them to 52-5 in the 23rd over.

Paul Walsh then removed the dangerous Graham Marsden for 21, well caught in the deep by Partington. After a late flurry by Mike Cullen and Ian McMillan, two wickets by Charlson and a sixth for Dimery polished off the visitors for 113 to give Atherton a 73-run victory.

Atherton face another double-header this weekend, travelling to Elton tomorrow before facing Clifton at home on Sunday.