FARNWORTH Winter Rounders League has now lost four teams since the start of the season.

Royal Hotel withdrew in the early weeks, but since the turn of the year The Volunteer, Tonge Moor Conservative Club and Mytham Ladies have all pulled out. To add to the problem, Bolton Motor Bodies did not turn up on Sunday, leaving just three games.

St Marks Bakery have withdrawn from the Eagley League after struggling to find players and the Halliwell League has lost Morris Roofing but a new team is expected to take their place next week.

In the surviving Farnworth matches, leaders Darcy beat second placed Siddons by 43 runs, after leading by 12 at the interval, and Adlington had a comfortable win over Tonge Fold XI.

John Smith's Farnworth League - Section A: Siddons 123, Darcy 166; Tonge Fold XI 119, Adlington 162.

Section B: Church Inners 132, Advance Computer Systems 126; Bolton Motor Bodies conceded to The Grapes.

Halliwell League: Cheetham Ladies 146, Boundary Ladies 128; Darcy XI 142, Bolton Lads & Girls Club 92; Farmers XI 86, Smithills Coaching House 150; Lower Pools 93, Westhoughton & District 135; Hulton Lane B conceded to Pineapple XI; Morris Roofing conceded to Hulton Lane Ladies.

Eagley League: Eagley 313, Heaton XI 172; Pure Asphalt 207, Freedom Ladies 69; J&P Ladies 97, Dale XI 239.

Section B leaders The Grapes had a walkover when Bolton Motor Bodies failed to show and Church Inners pulled off a six-run victory over Advance Computer Systems, but the win was not enough to lift them off the bottom of the table.

Eagley League leaders Dale XI crushed struggling J&P Ladies to retain their unbeaten record and third-placed Eagley moved two points nearer second -placed Heaton XI with a comfortable win. In the other match, Pure Asphalt moved two points clear of Freedom Ladies after beating them by a massive 138 runs.

The Halliwell programme was reduced to four games because Morris Roofing had withdrawn and Hulton Lane Ladies 'B' failed to turn out a team due to illnesses.

Leaders Darcy XI beat Bolton Lads & Girls Club to stay two points clear of Smithills Coaching House and Westhoughton & District who beat Farmers XI and Lower Pools respectively.

Westhoughton had to bat the final innings needing just one run for victory, a situation which prompted a Lower Pools player to chastise a team-mate for scoring a rounder, saying "If you hadn't got that rounder, we could have gone home!" At least they had retained their sense of humour.

JOHN SMITH'S FARNWORTH LEAGUE

SECTION A

P W D L Pts

Darcy... 10 8 1 1 17

Hanson... 10 5 2 3 12

Siddons... 10 5 2 3 12

Adlington... 10 5 1 4 11

Tonge Fold XI... 10 1 3 6 5

Imago... 10 0 3 7 3

SECTION B

The Grapes... 10 5 4 1 14

Capital... 10 4 3 3 11

Bolton Motor Bodies... 10 4 2 4 10

Carl Chapman... 10 4 2 4 10

Advance Computer Systems... 10 3 2 5 8

Church Inners... 10 3 1 6 7

HALLIWELL LEAGUE

Darcy XI... 13 10 3 0 23

Smithills Coaching House... 13 9 3 1 21

Westhoughton & District... 14 9 3 2 21

Morris Roofing... 14 7 3 4 17

Lower Pools... 14 6 3 5 15

Boundary Ladies... 14 5 3 6 13

Hulton Lane Ladies... 14 5 3 6 13

Pineapple XI... 14 4 3 7 11

Bolton Lads & Girls Club... 14 3 3 8 9

Cheetham Ladies... 14 3 3 8 9

Farmers XI... 14 3 3 8 9

Hulton Lane B... 14 1 3 10 5

EAGLEY LEAGUE

Dale XI... 9 9 0 0 18

Heaton XI... 9 6 0 3 12

Eagley... 9 5 0 4 10

Pure Asphalt... 7 4 0 3 8

Royal Bolton Hospital... 8 4 0 4 8

Freedom Ladies... 7 3 0 4 6

J&P Ladies... 8 6 0 5 6

St Marks Bakery... 9 0 0 9 0