ATHERTON CC got back on the title trail last Saturday with a six-wicket victory over Spring View.

The match developed into what was essentially a contest between the respective professionals, the home side's Greg Dimery and View's Arindam Sarkar.

Dimery came out on top.

Steve Walsh called correctly and asked Spring View to bat first and by the 12th over Dimery had accounted for both openers. His caught and bowled dismissal of Stuart Williams was a particular smart piece of work, stretching to clutch the ball way above his head.

The score was then on 34 with Sarkar on 10 and looking in ominous form. Helped by Ian Murphy, he passed 50 in a stand of 69. A fourth successive four took him to 70 and his own century and a Spring View total in excess of 200 looked a certainty.

Lurking

But then he flicked a ball from Steve Walsh off his toes and over mid-wicket for what looked like a six. But lurking on the boundary was Dimery, running round to take a superb head high catch that required a hop, skip and jump to prevent him stepping over the rope.

Sarka's dismissal with the score on 128 in the 36th over put the brake on the visitors. The remaining 12 overs produced just a further 37 runs and the innings closed on 165-8, Dimery picking up two more wickets to finish with 4-43 from 18 while Steve Walsh took 3-24 from eight.

The home side's reply got off to the slowest of starts and after 11 overs just six runs were on the board.

Paul Walsh's dismissal in the 12th over brought Dimery to the wicket and together with Chris Partington they produced the best partnership of the day, 84. When Partington was out for a painstaking 35 in the 33rd over, a further 76 runs were required at the rate of five an over.

Phil West went for four and Phil Wakefield played some beautiful shots before he was unluckily run out for 14. But all the time Dimery was keeping the score ticking along and eventually the winning runs came off the fifth ball of the penultimate over with his own score on 80.

It was Dimery's match with both bat and ball and also in the field.

Tomorrow Atherton travel to Walshaw where they meet last season's champions.

All the cricket news is in tomorrow's 20p Journal. ATHERTON CC got back on the title trail last Saturday with a six-wicket victory over Spring View.

The match developed into what was essentially a contest between the respective professionals, the home side's Greg Dimery and View's Arindam Sarkar.

Dimery came out on top.

Steve Walsh called correctly and asked Spring View to bat first and by the 12th over Dimery had accounted for both openers. His caught and bowled dismissal of Stuart Williams was a particular smart piece of work, stretching to clutch the ball way above his head.

The score was then on 34 with Sarkar on 10 and looking in ominous form. Helped by Ian Murphy, he passed 50 in a stand of 69. A fourth successive four took him to 70 and his own century and a Spring View total in excess of 200 looked a certainty.

Lurking

But then he flicked a ball from Steve Walsh off his toes and over mid-wicket for what looked like a six. But lurking on the boundary was Dimery, running round to take a superb head high catch that required a hop, skip and jump to prevent him stepping over the rope.

Sarka's dismissal with the score on 128 in the 36th over put the brake on the visitors. The remaining 12 overs produced just a further 37 runs and the innings closed on 165-8, Dimery picking up two more wickets to finish with 4-43 from 18 while Steve Walsh took 3-24 from eight.

The home side's reply got off to the slowest of starts and after 11 overs just six runs were on the board.

Paul Walsh's dismissal in the 12th over brought Dimery to the wicket and together with Chris Partington they produced the best partnership of the day, 84. When Partington was out for a painstaking 35 in the 33rd over, a further 76 runs were required at the rate of five an over.

Phil West went for four and Phil Wakefield played some beautiful shots before he was unluckily run out for 14. But all the time Dimery was keeping the score ticking along and eventually the winning runs came off the fifth ball of the penultimate over with his own score on 80.

It was Dimery's match with both bat and ball and also in the field.

Tomorrow Atherton travel to Walshaw where they meet last season's champions.