ON a dry but bitterly cold morning, the Farnworth Winter Rounders' programme was reduced to two games because Imago could not raise a team and Carl Chapman failed to turn up because they rashly assumed opponents Bolton Motor Bodies would not.

Bolton Motor Bodies did turn out eight players who augmented a depleted Tonge Fold XI to play a close match against Hanson.

The other match should have been a good one between the top two sides in Section B, but several of The Grapes players had gone down with flu. With only five regulars and a youngster who had never played before, The Grapes crashed to an innings defeat and lost top spot, but they have a game in hand and may still claim the championship.

Halliwell League leaders Darcy beat Farmers XI by an innings, but second placed Smithills Coaching House dropped a point when they drew 113 each with newcomers HBOS. Ironically, Smithills allowed one of their players to play for another side, and turned down a "do you need any players" request, before ending up playing with just 10 because one of their key players didn't turn up.

Westhoughton & District kept up the pressure in third by declaring against Pineapple XI (eight actually) after requiring just four runs in the second innings to win.

Victory for Lower Pools over Bolton Lads & Girls Club put them in fifth place, two points clear of Boundary Ladies who were surprisingly beaten by Hulton Lane Ladies.

Dale XI's win over second placed Heaton XI in the Eagley League made them champions, eight points clear with just two fixtures remaining.

Eagley leads a group of three in joint third place (on alphabetical order), but Freedom Ladies and Pure Asphalt both have two games in hand.

RESULTS:

John Smiths Farnworth League - Section A: Hanson 159 Tonge Fold XI 145.

Section B: Capital 107 (I) The Grapes 91.

Eagley League: Eagley 136 Pure Asphalt 153; Heaton XI 115 Dale XI 133; Freedom Ladies 185 Royal Bolton Hospital 162.

Halliwell League: Farmers XI 62 Darcy XI 64 (I); Hulton Lane B 72 Cheetham Ladies 87 (D); Hulton Lane Ladies 138 Boundary Ladies 128; Lower Pools 126 Bolton Lads & Girls Club 87; HBOS 133 Smithills Coaching House 133; Pineapple XI 111 Westhoughton & District 142 (D).

JOHN SMITHS FARNWORTH LEAGUE

SECTION A

P W D L Pt

Darcy... 14 11 1 2 23

Hanson... 14 7 2 5 16

Siddons... 12 7 2 3 16

Adlington... 13 7 1 5 15

Tonge Fold XI... 12 1 3 8 5

Imago... 13 0 3 10 3

SECTION B

Capital... 13 7 3 3 17

The Grapes... 12 6 4 2 16

Advance Computer Systems... 12 5 2 5 12

Bolton Motor Bodies... 13 5 2 6 12

Carl Chapman... 14 4 2 8 10

Church Inners... 12 4 1 7 9

EAGLEY LEAGUE

Dale XI... 12 12 0 0 24

Heaton XI... 12 8 0 4 16

Eagley... 12 6 0 6 12

Freedom Ladies... 10 6 0 4 12

Pure Asphalt... 10 6 0 4 12

Royal Bolton Hospital... 11 4 0 7 8

J&P Ladies... 10 3 0 7 6

HALLIWELL LEAGUE

Darcy XI... 17 13 4 0 30

Smithills Coaching House... 17 11 5 1 27

Westhoughton & District... 18 11 4 3 26

HBOS... 18 8 5 5 21

Lower Pools... 18 8 4 6 20

Boundary Ladies... 18 7 4 7 18

Hulton Lane Ladies... 18 6 4 8 16

Bolton Lads & Girls Club... 18 4 5 9 13

Cheetham Ladies... 18 4 4 10 12

Farmers XI... 18 4 4 10 12

Pineapple XI... 18 4 4 10 12

Hulton Lane B... 18 1 5 12 7