ATHERTON CC got back to winning ways with a vengeance last weekend with back-to-back victories over Adlington and Daisy Hill earning them a maximum 40 points in their quest for Redmayne Bentley Bolton Association championship honours.

Adlington visited Higham Park on Saturday and with Steve Walsh continuing his now familiar habit of losing the toss, the home side found themselves having to field first.

The opened the bowling with Greg Dimery and Ian Nuttall and by the 10th over they have taken a wicket apiece, but the score had reached a comfortable 31.

It was at this point that skipper Walsh decided to ring the changes, replacing Dimery with the leg spin of son Paul and Nuttall with the off spin of Dave Charlson. The pair immediately dropped on a length and exerted a stranglehold on the Adlington batting.

They bowled unchanged to reduce the visitors to 107 all out at the end of the 45th over; Walsh finishing with 3-37 off 15 overs and Charlson a magnificent 4-16 off 12 with 10 of the 16 runs he conceded coming off one over.

They were helped by some excellent ground fielding and catching, one catch of particular note was taken in the slips by an athletically diving Rob Clews.

The only Adlington batsmen to make any impact was Scott Henderson with a top score of 36 from 199 balls and professional Matthew Taylor with 27 from 37.

The Atherton innings opened with both Chris Partington and Greg Greenough treating the accurate bowling of Mark Rawlins and Taylor with great respect but by the 13th over both had been bowled by Rawlins, Partington for 12 and Greenough for 14.

Enter Dimery and Phil West - Higham Park's classy pair. Between them they knocked off the remaining 68 runs with 26 overs to spare. Dimery finished unbeaten on 48 with West 31 not out.

The following day a large group of Atherton supporters made the short trip to Daisy Hill for the derby clash.

Walsh again called incorrectly and Atherton were first in the field.

Jamie Birch and Duncan Brooks set off at a rare pace, Birch in particular looking in good nick as most of his runs came in boundaries.

Brooks was the first to go for 12 in the 13th over and when the total had reached 41. Birch was the second wicket to fall for a joint top score of 36.

Although there were solid contributions of 33 and 36 respectively from John Norburn and Chris Jones, tight bowling by Dimery (2-57 off 20), Charlson (2-27 off 11) and Steve Walsh (2-29 off 8), held the innings in check and the final score of 167-6 fell some 30 short of what Daisy Hill would have expected at the start.

Atherton had a new opening partnership in Greenough and 17-years-old David Marsh, promoted from the second team on the back of an unbeaten 98 the previous day.

Greenough was dismissed for seven in the sixth over but the youngster, after a nervous start, grew in confidence and went on to share in partnerships of 39 and 38 respectively with Dimery and West.

When he was unluckily run out for an excellent 32, West was joined by Paul Walsh and the pair put together the best partnership of the day, 57. Walsh batted positively and most of his 33 came off Jones' bowling. When he was out in the 42nd over, 25 were needed for victory.

A partnership of 27 between West and Clews did the trick. West was unbeaten on 49 and Clews 14 not out.

Tomorrow Atherton are at home to Darcy Lever.