Walkden go top as Heaton turn heat on Circle (From This Is Lancashire)

Walkden go top as Heaton turn heat on Circle

Heaton turned the Bolton League table on its head after sending champions Farnworth Social Circle crashing to their second successive defeat.

Circle topped the table going into Saturday’s games but they could only muster 157 as their inconsistent batting again cost them dear.

David Tonge’s 41 and 35 from Tim Barrow took Circle to respectability after Chris Tye had taken 4-48.

That looked enough when Heaton were tottering at 81-6.

However, a seventh-wicket partnership of 49 between Rick Parry and man-of-the-match Tye turned the game around.

Tye finished unbeaten on 40 as he steered his side home and although Chris Barrow took 5-84 it proved in vain.

That defeat left the way open for Walkden to take top spot as they continued their superb run of form with an 11th successive win at Greenmount.

An impressive opening partnership of 146 between pro Usman Tariq, with 84, and Steve Davies, who hit 68, set the scene and an unbeaten 51 from skipper Mike Bennison took the total to 246-9.

Greenmount were never in the hunt and ended 202-9 with Paul Tonge taking 5-71.

Farnworth also leapfrogged their rivals with a nine-wicket mauling of struggling Astley Bridge. The Bridgeman park outfit skittled Bridge for a measly 94 with Abir Chippa taking 3-11. With such a low total there was only going to be one winner and veteran Paul Rayment ended unbeaten on 62 as the home side lost just one wicket.

Horwich bounced back from last week’s disappointment to crush fellow title hopefuls Egerton by seven wickets.

The visitors could only muster 112 with Nigel Barlow offering token resistance with 28.

Deputy pro David Weise from Todmorden has proven a more than useful substitute for Dheeraj Jadhav in recent games and he did not disappoint again with 5-33 backed up by 4- 22 from Raki Mahmood. In reply Weise shone with the bat ending unbeaten on 82.

Westhoughton’s woeful batting continued at Kearsley where they were dismissed for only 107 with professional Theo Doropoulos contributing 44.

David Mather and Chris Sainsbury took four wickets apiece.

Little Lever eased past Eagley who were bowled out for 132 with Ross Brown scoring 40 and David Smith 35 the only significant contributors.

Pakistani pro Waqar Ahmed did the damage with 7-49.

Lever never looked like losing but pro Phil Ingram’s 6-51 ensured they fought all the way before winning by three wickets.

Tonge’s poor season continued when they were bowled out for 82, losing to Bradshaw by four wickets.