Millennium bid (25 August 1999)

25 August 1999

Millennium bid

Lancashire Evening Telegraph

Wins for Millennium and Peel Park mean that the championships of both divisions in the Accrington and District Cricket League will not be decided until the final round of matches on Saturday.

A 52-run victory for Millennium over Attock moved them to within one point of their close rivals. Former Attock player Khizer Hayat scored 50, his first league innings of the season, in Millennium's 161-8, a score which proved to be out of reach for the current league leaders due to tight bowling by Matloob Khan, who took 4-37.

Whalley Road stayed in contention with an easy eight wicket win over Taverners A, whose form has dipped since winning the Harry Wood Cup two weeks ago. Andy Walsh took 6-23, his best return of the season for Whalley Road and former Bacup player Peter Nicholson (27 not out) helped skipper Mick Johnson (30 not out) to knock off the runs.

Manchester Road climbed off the basement by beating Haslingden Methodists at King George's. David Heys again starred for Manchester Road, scoring 45 and taking 6-30 bowling in tandem with Mark Saulle who took 5-40 in their team's 44 run win.

Simon Lord (31) gave Methodists a good start but they collapsed from 44-2 to 49-8. A last wicket stand of 18 between 11-year-old Gary Sudworth (nine) and wicketkeeper Chris Chaplow gave the score a touch more respectability. Peel Park shot to the top of the B Division with a 69-run win over Everest at Bullough Park.

Mark Barnes hit 67 in Peel Park's total of 195-8 and Ian Jackson took his finally tally of wickets for the season to 30 with another five-wicket haul. Accrington A maintained their challenge with a 51-run win over eight-man St Phillip's at Highams. The league's best number nine Mark Croasdale hit 30 not out and Mark Booth, a league best 30 as Accrington piled up 177. Alistair Dormer kept the game interesting with 52 but it was not enough.

Saturday's match between Accrington A and Taverners B which will decide the destiny of the B Division title will be played at Thorneyholme Road and will have neutral umpires. In the A Division all three matches have an interest in the title.

Whalley Road play Manchester Road at Bullough Park, Attock play Taverners A at Wilsons, and Millennium play Haslingden Methodists at King George's. What price at least one end of season play-off being required.

Results - A Division: Whalley Road 77-2, Taverners A 76; Attock 109-8, Millennium 161-8; Haslingden Meth 77, Manchester Road 121- 5.

B Division: Accrington A 177, St Phillip's 126; Everest 126, Peel Park 195-8.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)