ATHERTON AND WESTLEIGH, LANCASHIRE- KARL, FAROKH AND A FAMOUS CANEL

By Peter Davies,

A pair of clubs in South Lancashire on a sunny afternoon.

ATHERTON ; THREE OF A KIND.

First up, Atherton , five miles from Wigan and two from Leigh.Avery busy boundary edge , especially in front of the pavilion.Loads of people milling about in the nice weather. Went inside the pavilion and met three nice tea ladies.So had some sandwiches, pasta and cakes.Sat outside and had a drink of tea also.

INDIAN SUMMER

5 facts about Atherton CC

1.The earliest record of cricket in Atherton was in 1872.

2. The club was known as Howe Bridge CC and has aslo been known as Atherton Colliersies CC.

3.The present pavilion was opened by Farokh Engineer in 1974.

4. A professional was first employed in 1921,Harry Tyldesley of Lancashire.

5. Current Lancashire batsman Karl Brown hails from the club.

The popultion of Atherton is 22,000 and the town is known for its mining heritage.

WESTLEIGH CC ; CANAL LIFE.

Then Westleigh CC, not far away. A few people on the boundary edge and a friendly guy sitting next to me who filled me in on life at his club. He also pointed  to the Leeds-Liverpool Canal , which runs just beyond the boundary edge. The place, Westleigh, part of Leigh, is noted for cotton and coal mining.

LEAGUE SWITCH

Westleigh CC are a new members of the Bolton  @ District Cricket Association for 2015.They have two senior teams and three junior teams,all in the BDCA. The club is also a member of the Wigan @ District Development Group.The club have previously played in the Southport @District Cricket League, winning the 1st X1 Premier Division B league title , Sandhurst Shield cup competition and the 2 nd X1 Pochin Cup.

FRIENDLY CLUB

The club states ; " We are a friendly clu who are always welcoming to new members. Simply come down  to raining on Tuesday evenings or enjoy watching quality senior league cricket on a Saturday afternoon throughout the  summer.Fin us on The Pingot, at the junction of Firs Lane and Wigan Road "