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FAMOUS MATCHES OF YESTERYEARFINAL 1ST XI LEAGUE MATCH OF THE 1980 SEASON Played at Greenmount on Sunday 1st September 1980 against our local "rivals" Unsworth CC , in front of a large crowd basking in the late , hot Summer weather . Both Clubs had been contesting the League Championship all summer and indeed a few weeks earlier had met each other in a Lancashire Knockout Quarter Final tie , in which Unsworth came out on top . By the time of this final League match Greenmount had edged in front of Unsworth and a win would secure the League title for them , whilst Terry Stewart , Greenmount's Professional , required just 4 more wickets to reach the milestone of 100 wickets for the season . Greenmount batted first and did not make the best of starts , losing a couple of early wickets before David Kay came to the crease and saved his best performance of the season for this particular match . In good stands with his team-mates he saw Greenmount to a final score of 180 , by scoring 72 himself . Against Greenmount's bowling attack that score would be difficult for Unsworth to achieve , and so it proved . Unsworth started steadily before Terry Stewart trapped Ken Bowles LBW and wickets began to fall steadily . With the score at 100 for 7 , Terry Stewart dismissed theUnsworth wicket keeper Mark Hall and achieved the superb milestone of 100 wickets in a season . Shortly thereafter the Unsworth last pair got themselves in a running tangle that saw both batsmen at the same end and the ball was dollied into the wicketkeeper for a run out and the League Championship Trophy was presented to Greenmount .
In the final match of the 1971 season Greenmount were due to play at home against the already crowned League Champions , Denton CC . Unless Greenmount could win the match they would be relegated into the 2nd Division for the following season , and Denton boasted the ex Lancashire player , John Sullivan , as their Professional who in the earlier fixture against Greenmount had scored a very fine century . Greenmount's Professional was injured and unavailable for this match , therefore a Deputy was required and after much chasing around one was secured - West Indian Joel Garner from the Central Lancashire League . Our Club Chairman went to collect Joel in his car to bring him to the ground - as he arrived on the Club Car Park in his Mini , out from the back seat started to appear this enormous man - left leg , then right , body , head - it was unbelievable how Joel at 6 feet 8 inches had managed to squeeze himself into this Mini car !! Greenmount won the toss and decided to bowl first - the Denton openers , a little nervously walked to the middle . Joel's reputation as a fast bowler with steepling bounce was beginning to invade their thoughts , particularly as Greenmount's wicket had the reputation of a "ridge" running through it . Fieldsmen took up their positions , with the wicketkeeper almost on the boundary and the match began . It was almost an anti-climax as Joel bowled within himself for the first few overs and , to be fair , the Denton openers looked very assured in compiling a stand of 50 . Talk about stepping up a gear - Joel then went into overdrive . At the fall of the first wicket , their Professional John Sullivan strode to the wicket . We had of course told Joel of his previous "ton" and as Sullivan took guard , Joel said "Is dis de man you want out ?" . As he set off from his bowling mark , Sullivan tapped the crease , the fielders waited , and Joel unleashed a fast yorker straight at Sullivan's toes - before the batter had even moved , the ball smashed into his boot and as he crumpled to the ground in pain all the fielders bellowed an appeal for LBW . The Umpire raised his finger , Sullivan limped off - out 1st ball - and Joel was grinning from ear to ear . The rest , as they say , is history . Denton collapsed to 76 all out and Joel "Big Bird" Garner had a final bowling analysis of 9 wickets for 10 runs - and for good measure he caught the other batsman in the slips off Ted Foster's bowling . Greenmount duly won the match comfortably , staved off relegation , and the League quickly altered its Rules regarding who was allowed as a Deputy Professional .
Greenmount had progressed to the Final as an unstoppable force - scoring over 400 ( yes , 400 ) against Farnworth and defeating the previously unbeaten Kearsley in the Semi Final by over 120 runs . The Final would be against the formidable Tonge CC , including their record breaking Professional Iqbal Sikander , at Horwich CC . We were supremely confident - a marked change from our 3 previous appearances in the Final - we knew we had a very good side led by the experienced Gary Chadwick and containing Mickey O'Rourke as our Overseas player , Andy Williams , Jimmy Horrox , Mark Fallon , Mark Stewart , Anthony Smith , youngsters Bobby Horrocks , Andy Bowker and James Sharples , not to mention our Professional Saeed Anwar Junior ( unfortunately Keith Webb missed the Final due to Holiday ) . We were confident to either bat first or bowl first - suspecting that Tonge would not be so confident about the toss . As it transpired Tonge won the toss and elected to bat - we were delighted , as we knew Tonge wouldn't score 150 and therefore we would not be under massive pressure to score off Sikander later on . The match was , in my opinion , very nearly decided in the first 2 overs as Jimmy Horrox took 2 superb catches at short leg and silly point off Mark Stewart and Saeed respectively to dismiss arguably Tonge's best batsman with only 1 run on the board . Thereafter Saeed bowled unchanged throughout the innings to claim 6 for 49 off 25 overs and take his Cup tally in just 4 matches to 24 wickets as Tonge could only muster 136 . Greenmount stuttered in reply losing 3 early wickets for just 19 runs
off 15 overs before Saeed announced himself . In one over he scored 17
runs to release all the built up pressure and , finding a batting ally
in Jimmy Horrox , never looked likely to lose his wicket . Without taking
any risks Jimmy & Saeed took the score ever nearer to the win and
when Saeed was confident the win was secure he swept Sikander into the
adjacent beer tent for 6 .
TEARS OF DEFEAT - 1984 Our first season in the Bolton League , determined to acquit ourselves well and justify our own decision to join , and that of the League in inviting a Bury Club into their ranks . The League programme up to the Cup Final had gone very well indeed - we had more than held our own and were in the top 4 by the time the day of the Hamer Cup Final arrived . Having knocked out Farnworth CC ( who would later go on to become League Champions ) , the red-hot favourites in the Semi Final , thanks to a 5 wicket haul from our Professional Terry Stewart and an unbeaten 50 from Roly Hyatt our Overseas player we were due to meet Kearsley in the Final at Horwich . Unfortunately , Terry Stewart was unavailable for the Final and we secured the services of Murray Bennett a slow left arm bowler and middle order batsman from Ramsbottom CC as our Deputy Professional . Kearsley were very strong - Mohinder Armanath , Indian Test player , was their Professional - Grant Long , South African Overseas Player , Tommy Housley and Clive Varley two local , experienced batsmen . The entire match was to turn on just one ball !! Greenmount were asked to bat and never really got on top of the bowling at any stage , whilst Kearsley never really threatened to dominate either . Thanks to 40 apiece from Roly Hyatt and Murray Bennett Greenmount completed their innings on 164 - maybe 20 runs less than they would have liked against Kearsley's powerful batting line-up , but a competitive score nonetheless . Kearsley replied in great style , the openers Housley and Varley never looked in any trouble and by the halfway stage they had put on almost 100 and things looked bleak for Greenmount . Varley was then dismissed and Armanath came to the crease , only to try and hit a straight six early on which Rick Warburton caught on the boundary edge . Housley meanwhile was nearing his 50 and imperceptibly changed his innings to ensure he reached that milestone and with it a good collection ! Murray Bennett then began to turn the screw - spinning the ball and bowling maiden after maiden . Wickets began to fall and the run rate began to increase - the more Kearsley tried to keep up , the better Bennett bowled - Kearsley tried to keep their wickets intact but in doing so they didn't take risks and slowly but surely Greenmount went from rank outsiders to odds on favourites as the last over approached and 17 runs were required for victory . Murray Bennett to bowl , his figures at this stage being 23 overs 4 wickets for 26 runs - no way could they score 17 off a single Murray Bennett over . Greenmount scattered their fieldsmen to all parts , happy to allow the ones and twos but keen to save the boundaries . After 5 balls of the over Kearsley had scored 11 runs - one ball remained , 6 runs to win . As I settled down as wicketkeeper and Murray Bennett bowled , Nigel Harris swung at the ball . I can see it now , sailing upwards and onwards , to the longest boundary at cow-corner , knowing as soon as he connected that it was gone , out of the park - never will Nigel Harris ever hit a ball as good as that if he lives to be 100 !! Murray Bennett and Roly Hyatt were both inconsolable in the dressing room , tears flowed - Murray actually refused to accept any payment as Deputy Professional and gave his fee back to the Club . I said at the time , and I'll say it again now - neither player had anything to reproach themselves about , Roly was one of the best cricketers I have ever had the pleasure of playing with and Murray Bennett's bowling in that match was a joy to watch . We lost , off the last ball - that's cricket - it is a match I , and everyone else who played in and watched it , will never forget - it's a part of history . Maybe that's why some people say I , or we'll , never be winners , there's nothing for coming second - what a load of tripe !! I wanted to win , we all wanted to win - but I console myself with the
fact that in a 35 year playing career this match above all others - League
titles , Cup Winning matches , 100's scored - this match is the one I
will always remember . LANCASHIRE KNOCKOUT SEMI FINAL AT BLACKPOOL
A Coach was booked for spectators and players , setting off in good time to reach Blackpool CC as the majority of us had pre-booked lunch at the Cricket Ground prior to the start of the match . Perhaps this was to be the start of a disappointing day , as upon arrival at the Ground no lunches were available - their Club Steward , who was responsible for the lunches , had apparently done a disappearing act the night before with the Club's takings !! The Ground was nothing like ours - perhaps being twice the size , with a rock hard wicket and hundreds of benches and seats for spectators . Greenmount won the toss and elected to bowl , Mark Stewart was quick but the bounce was perfect - no movement , no unevenness - and the Blackpool openers built a solid foundation . Jack Simmonds , a legend from Lancashire CCC was the Blackpool Professional , and he batted beautifully to score an undefeated 86 to guide his team through to a formidable score of 199 for 6 at the close . 200 to win , at 5 runs an over to reach the Final at Old Trafford . To be fair we were never in the hunt - Blackpool were simply too strong and too good for us . We could only muster 126 all out , succumbing to Flat Jack's off spinners ( 5 wickets ) as we tried to belt him out of sight . The only highlight in our batting was a brief flurry from John Ashworth who latched onto one Simmonds delivery and smacked it clean over mid wicket , over the stand , and into the road outside the ground - Jack didn't mind because the very next ball John tried to repeat the shot but this time it was bowled slower and higher , bringing John out of his crease , to have him stumped !! Defeat for Greenmount , once again , but nevertheless a terrific achievement in getting so far in this Competition .
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