ATHERTON started and finished Saturday as Bolton Vimto Association leaders - but not without a scare!

Chasing only 125 for victory, thanks mainly to Jonathan Fearick's 5-42, they slumped to 60-6 as Tom Elliott opened with 4-30.

Pro Andy Hall (62) and Phil Wakefield (32) then came together and their unbeaten partnership clinched a four-wicket win.

Ewan McCray dominated for Golborne in their seven-wicket victory over Standish.

He took 5-50 as Standish were held to 131-8, and then hit 66, which, along with Tony Kelly's unbeaten 44, took them to 134-3.

Simon Nicklin and Charles Dagnall both hit half centuries in Astley & Tyldesley's 156-4 total.

But big-hitting Darren Foy hit back with an unbeaten 75 to clinch a last-over, six-wicket win for Elton.

On Sunday McCray enhanced his reputation as the Association's best all-rounder in Golborne's emphatic 10-wicket win at Adlington.

He took 6-33 to restrict Adlington to just 101, and then hit an unbeaten 62. Andy Batterley added an unbeaten 28 to move them in to second place, six points behind Atherton with a game in hand.

Atherton drew against British Aerospace.

They slipped from 103-2 to 153-9, but the last pair managed to take the score to 178-9. Andy Hall top scored with 39.

British Aerospace finished on 135-9.

Karl Gorse and Charles Dagnall helped Astley & Tyldesley to a six-wicket win at Walshaw.

Gorse took 5-27 and Dagnall 3-45 to restrict Walshaw to 120 before Dagnall hit an unbeaten 72 in a total of 123-4.

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