First Team - Littleborough Home - 15th June

From the Oldham Chronicle (Monday 16th June)

Boro are shellshocked as Royton roar back

ROYTON dragged themselves up by their bootlaces to secure a remarkable victory over Littleborough at the Paddock yesterday.
Teetering on the brink of disaster on 55 for seven after taking first guard, Royton somehow battled their way to the relative riches of 157 for eight off their 50 overs.
And they completed the second half of their Houdini act with a bowling performance which saw them reduce Littleborough to an unlikely 150 all out after the mid-innings comfort of 61 for one.
Instrumental in the Royton cause were four men – Mark Woodward, Paul Hughes, Dion Taljard and Guy Lovell.
Woodward and Hughes shared a stand of 102 which gave Royton hope from a position which, quite frankly, seemed hopeless.
And Taljard and Lovell bowled unchanged throughout the Littleborough innings of 150 all out, picking up four and five wickets respectively, the other wicket to fall being a run out after a huge Taljard appeal for leg before.
After the game, there were murmurs from the Littleborough camp that the umpires had succumbed to what the visitors believed was excessive and intimidating appeal from Royton . . . and Taljard in particular.
But Littleborough only have themselves to blame for letting Royton off the hook. They offered the home side a glimmer of light and by early evening the glimmer had turned into a beacon.
The early dismissals of key batsmen Warren Teall, Matthew Ward, professional Iqbal Imam and England-based South African Taljard seemed to have spelled an early bath for Royton.
When Denny Hulme and skipper Lee Gibbons went after early promise, the situation looked hopeless and David Wilson’s dismissal did nothing to lift the gloom.
But Woodward, who hit an unbeaten 49, and Hughes, with 44, took the game by the scruff of the neck and gave Royton a fighting chance.
The fact that Royton were able to use their full quota of overs was another plus and Littleborough must have been disappointed at their inability to see off the tail.
Chris Dearden was the biggest wicket-taker with three for 52, but Brendan Miskella was perhaps the most impressive bowler, picking up two for 29 from 14 accurate overs.
Littleborough suffered an early setback to their reply when Nigel Hunter was caught behind by Denny Hulme off Lovell with only 10 on the board.
The batsman was not impressed with the decision and many away supporters were convinced Hunter had missed the ball.
But they had little complaint with the dismissal of professional Clinton Perren with the score on 61 and the visitors apparently heading for an easy victory.
Steaming in under a burning sun, Taljard had a massive appeal for leg before turned down, but the umpire’s finger was raised in the next over to send Perren back to the pavilion.
Lovell, bowling with nagging accuracy, and Taljard, with menace and many a word for the batsmen, gradually turned the screw, but Littleborough looked to have weathered the storm when they reached 123 for four with 10 overs remaining.
But Alex Collins’ run-out and a hotly-disputed leg before decision to remove stubborn opener Phil Deakin changed the whole complexion of the game and the visitors visibly crumbled.
Lovell took two wickets in as many balls and Taljard the last wicket of Aussie David Downing as Royton secured a thrilling, if unlikely victory.
It was a win which they deserved for their refusal to lie down and one which lifts them to a healthy position in the CLL table.

From the Oldham Advertiser (19th June)

Fightback secures points

A STUNNING comeback helped Royton secure an unlikely seven-run CLL win over Littleborough at the
Paddock on Sunday.
A poor batting performance saw the home side reduced to just 55-7 before an outstanding 102-run
partnership between Mark Woodward and Paul Hughes helped them bat out their full 50 overs, posting
157-8. Chris Dearden returned impressive figures for Boro with three for 52 while Brendan Miskella was
unfortunate not to do better than take 2-29 in his 14-over spell.
Littleborough's reply was swift and, with the visitors on 61-1, ominous-looking. But Royton bowlers
Dion Taljard and Guy Lovell bowled unchanged throughout the Littleborough innings - snaring five victims
each - and capping the fightback in impressive style. With 10 overs left, Littleborough were still well-placed
on 123-4 before eventually being dismissed for 150 from 47.2 overs.
 

Pictures from the day

The Team celebrate the fantastic win

  5 Wicket Lovell celebrates with a beer

Bowling hero Taljard (4 w) and Batting hero Woodward (49no)

  Batting hero Hughes (44)

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