Boxing Day cricket a huge hit (From Bury Times)

Boxing Day cricket a huge hit

11:00am Thursday 3rd January 2013 in Sport By Nick Jackson

BROOKSBOTTOM were the winners of their 50th Boxing Day cricket match.

They overhauled Tottington St John’s total of 67 all out with a score of 70-1 to win the traditional Twenty-20 clash by nine wickets.

But the real winners on the day were the treasurers of both clubs with more than 150 people turning up to watch the festive match.

Alan Fletcher, who started the fixture as a young man when he was a plyer for Bolton Road Methodists in 1963, bowled the ceremonial first ball to Totty stalwart Les Deegan in recognition of their efforts to keep the local cricket clubs alive.

Bolton Road Meths later became Elton Vale CC, but they stopped playing the Boxing Day match in 2006, when Tottington took over.

“We were really lucky with the weather,” said Tottington’s development and child welfare officer, Kieran Coe.

“It was unbelievable, really. It stayed dry and mild until we had finished playing at about 3pm, then it poured down. But we were all in the clubhouse by then.”

Brooksbottom’s Ben Richardson was man of the match, masterminding their run chase and scoring 22.

His team-mates, Julian Marcroft and David Brown, had earlier done the damage with the ball, taking 2-4 and 2-7, respectively.