CUP fever returns to the Greater Manchester League this weekend with eight local sides facing double-headers.

As well as a full league programme on Saturday, there will be second-round matches in both the Derek Kay First XI Cup and the First XI Championship Cup.

In-form Elton are the lowest-ranked of the four local teams left in the GMCL’s top cup competition.

But after going five games unbeaten in league and cup, Dave Murray’s Division Two outfit will relish the chance to host Premier Division strugglers Denton West on Sunday.

While the majority of matches across the GMCL programme were rained off on Saturday, Elton managed to get a third straight league victory under their belts with a 29-run win at South West Manchester.

Solid knocks from their top three batsmen – Mike Bryan-Jones (43), Mike Hall (34) and Tom Booth (33) – helped Elton post 175-8 from their 50 overs.

And the home side were unable to match that effort in soggy conditions, with Gareth Edwards taking 5-61 and Steve Filkins 3-48 as South West Manchester were bowled out for 146.

Elton were not so lucky with the weather on the Sunday, when their game at home to Edenfield was rained off, but they will hope to better their league standing of sixth when they host bottom side Hindley St Peters on Saturday.

Brooksbottom played two games to the finish in Division Two at the weekend, following up a rain-affected victory at Westleigh via the Duckworth-Lewis method on Saturday with a six-wicket defeat at home to Glossop seconds on Sunday.

Despite that loss, Richard Ernill’s side are fifth in the table and face local rivals Edenfield at home in the league on Saturday before travelling to Division Four East outfit Forthergill and Harvey in the Championship Cup the following day.

Walshaw were the only local side in the top two divisions to play to a finish last weekend, losing at Clifton in a rain-affected game on Saturday.

Their sixth league defeat of the Premier Division season was settled via the Duckworth-Lewis method, after Clifton set a target of 228-9 and Walshaw made 90-7 from their reduced 20 overs. Shabnan Ali (3-36) and Stephen Holt (3-59) did their best to restrict the home side, but Saif Bhojani (25) and Liam Riley (29 not out) were the only Walshaw batsmen to spend time at the crease.

The result left Walshaw second bottom in the table, 10 points from safety, but with still more than half of the season remaining to make up ground on their relegation rivals.

Mikey Watt’s men will be hoping to make inroads on Saturday when they host fourth-bottom Denton West, while bottom side Bury travel to second-placed Flixton before welcoming Division Two Westleigh in the Derek Kay Cup on Sunday.

Elsewhere in the Derek Kay Cup, Woodbank travel to Premier Division rivals Denton St Lawrence and Unsworth are at Stretford in an all-Division One affair.

ELPM host South West Manchester, Tottington St Johns entertain Thornham and Elton Vale are at home to Springhead in the Championship Cup, for first teams in the lower divisions.