ATHERTON CC and Spring View must do it all again after the two tied their Cross Cup second round game.

Although the match started on Sunday, it was Monday before the game finished because of bad weather.

Skipper Rob Clews won the toss and took first knock. He opened alongside Paul McLoughlin but after putting on 17 both were dismissed in quick succession.

Greg Dimery and Phil West also put on 17 before Dimery pulled a ball from Jack Green onto his stumps. West then added 28 with Phil Wakefield but when both had been dismissed for 27 and eight respectively, the score stood at 81-5 in the 31st over and much work was required if the home side were to post a challenging target.

Carried out

This work was carried out by Dave Charlson and Paul Walsh who took the score to 134 by the 46th over. When Walsh was run out for 27 while backing up, Charlson picked up the pace with 20 off 17 balls to allow his side to close on 161-7, finishing unbeaten on 43.

Because of a 45 minute break for rain the visitors did not start their reply until 6.15pm and with Ian Nuttall and David Baines bowling superbly they held Spring View in check.

Tony Kelly and Martin James laboriously added 64 from 21 overs before Kelly was run out by a fantastic direct throw from Phil West. When rain finally called a halt for the day, the visitors needed a further 79 from 14 overs.

The game restarted at 11am on Monday morning and the overnight pair of James and Williams took the visitors to 132 before Dimery had James lbw for 44. Two wickets for Charlson and with 12 required from the last over, the odds were on a home victory. But Spring View youngsters Steve Williams and David Gornall managed 11 to send the teams into a replay at Spring View on a date yet to be decided.

In their league game against Blackrod on Saturday, Atherton were soon in trouble. They were 2-2 having lost Charlson for one and Dimery for a duck.

Batting wasn't easy on a drying wicket but the reliable Phil West joined McLoughlin and the pair set about a rescue act.

Over the next 28 overs they raised the score to 88 before McLoughlin was stumped for an excellent 40. Wakefield came and went for three before Paul Walsh joined West and the pair added a further 31 before West was out for 65.

Quick succession

Paul Brown added a further 20 and when he and Walsh were out in quick succession the innings fell away to close on 156 all out. Blackrod pro Terry Southworth bowled straight through for 5-63.

When Blackrod replied the wicket had eased and the openers made untroubled progress to 32 by the 14th over before they were separated.

Wickets began to fall at regular intervals and with the ninth going down to the last ball of the penultimate over, Atherton were left with six balls to prise out the last man. But he held firm and the innings closed on 111-9.

Dimery also bowled unchanged, producing astonishing figures of 5-19 from 24 overs.