ELTON’S defence of the Cross Cup against Bolton Association title-chasers Atherton fell victim to the weather on Sunday.

Steve Filkins’s side struggled to 82-3 in 32 overs at Darcy Lever’s Hacken Lane ground before the rain washed away any hope of a result and the match was abandoned. The match will now be replayed on August 18.

But there was enough good weather around the previous day for Elton to register a comfortable win, ironically against the host club of the cup final, Darcy, who were dismissed for 80 runs with Filkins taking a superb 5-13 and Kieran Grundy 3-29.

Elton then reached 81 for the loss of just one man, finishing with Mark Goddard (32) and Dave Murray (25) unbeaten.

Bury’s erratic mid-season form continued with a defeat to lowly Blackrod by 39 runs at Radcliffe Road and were left regretting dropping a catch offered by visiting professional Tush de Zoysa when he was on five. De Zoysa went on to score 100, backed up by Zac Burton’s 36 out of a total of 205-7, and starred with the ball, taking 5-44 as the hosts were dismissed for 166. Ammar Baig’s 37 was Bury’s only decent score.

High-flying Walshaw, meanwhile, suffered a reality check at Atherton, who reached their target of 116 reasonably easy for the loss of four wickets.

Tim Murphy scored 29 and Danny Hornby 23 for Walshaw but the star man for the home side proved to be Jamar Griffith, who took 5-51. Griffith, then hit 49, Jimmy Damjanovski 26 and captain Paul Walsh was 18 not out. In the Bolton League, Greenmount enjoyed a 58-run home victory against Tonge, thanks largely to a superb innings of 125 from professional Asif Zakir and a half century from Daniel Metcalf (52no) in a total of 267-6.

Andy Kerr (45) was also in the runs before Tonge were all out for 209, with Ryan Senior taking 3-64, but the pick of the Greenmount bowlers was Phil Heaton with 5-81.