ELTON lost their Cross Cup crown when they were beaten by Bolton Association leaders Atherton in a tense final at Darcy Lever’s Hacken Lane ground on Sunday.

The Higham Park side prevailed by three wickets to lift the trophy they last had their hands on 13 years ago.

Elton, who were looking to add to their Cross Cup successes of 2010 and 2012, got off to a slow start and were 4-2 after 10 overs and just over 40 after 24 overs before numbers seven and eight, David Murray and Adam Stansfield, hit 52 and 25, respectively.

Murray scored his runs in 52 balls and the pair put on 60 in the last six overs to put a veneer of respectability on the innings that did not look possible earlier in the day.

Mark Parry took 4-65, Jamar Griffith 3-55 and Jimmy Damnjanovski 2-14 for Atherton.

Chasing 166 to win, Griffith (41) and Dale Tyrer (39) took the score from 13-1 to 105-1. The next two in, captain Paul Walsh and Greg Greenhough scored 18 and 22, respectively, and, while the following four batsmen scored a combined 16 they did enough to take the trophy.

For Bury’s other clubs in the Association, it was a disappointing weekend as rain wiped out all Saturday’s matches in the league.

Walshaw’s game at Blackrod was abandoned with home side on 61-2, both victims taken off the bowling of Nicky Murphy and caught by wicketkeeper Mickey Watt.

Bury’s Alex Breckin took 2-11 off his seven overs as visitors Little Hulton were reduced to 46-3 before rain stopped play.

In the Bolton League, Greenmount had Farnworth at 27-1 in 6.2 overs at Brandleholme Road before the weather intervened.

The following day, Mark Stewart’s side were the visitors at title-chasing Egerton, and came up 22 runs short in pursuit of Egerton’s score of 145.

Only Asif Zakir (45) and Phil Heaton (21) made notable scores as Amal Dalugoda starred with the ball, taking 6-45 as the Brandlesholme Road men were dismissed for 123.