WHEN Iqbal Sikander left Castle Hill at the end of the 2000 season, Tonge's immediate problem was to find the 122 wickets that Iqbal had taken during his final term at the club writes Peter Stafford

Adil Nisar was signed as replacement, Dion Taljard was recruited, and I recall team manager Ray Eccleshare telling me that together, Nisar and Taljard would take the 100 or so wickets that Sikander usually provided.

Ray couldn't have known at the time just how uncannily prophetic those words would turn out to be.

In their first season together Taljard's 88 wickets broke Billy Balshaw's 70 year-old record, while Adil's 34 boosted their joint tally to precisely the 122 that the manager was looking for! It didn't secure the championship, but Tonge did, of course, enjoy the huge consolation prize of the Thwaites LCB Trophy.

This season they have managed to regain the title for a record fifth time in seven years, thus beating their own four in seven between 1967 and 1973, and Farnworth's similar achievement which stretched from 1959 to 1965.

Adil Nisar's form has been phenomenal. His early days at the club in 2001 were occasionally marred by the odd bout of irresponsibility when he would get himself out needlessly, but this season he has put all that firmly behind him. At Little Lever in late July he sailed past Grant Long's professional record of 1,023, and a further 34 runs this weekend would take him beyond Kevin Hayes' 1,406, Tonge's best ever seasonal total. He has exceeded 50 in 14 innings, four of which he has extended into centuries.

But while his figures are impressive in themselves, it is more the manner in which they have been achieved which has attracted the attention. His shot selection, together with his exploitation of gaps in the field is something to behold, as is the placement of those shots, be they guided through the covers, chipped over mid-wicket, or, every now and again, deposited on to Crompton way!

His opening partner, Rick Northrop, must have gained immeasurably in confidence from Adil's presence at the other end, and he too, has enjoyed an outstanding season with the better part of 700 runs and 32 victims to his credit so far. And on the few occasions when both openers have been dismissed cheaply, Tonge's opponents come up against Partington, Taljard, Hallows, Anderton, Kerrigan and Martin. Perm any two from six, and you could be faced with yet another match-winning partnership!

On the bowling side, Taljard's frequent absences have allowed Ian Eccleshare to play a more major role, and, together with Nisar, the trio have combined to take 114 wickets to date. But when you're talking bowling, you're talking Ian Taylor. In the season's first fixture, back in April, he took eight for 35, which, so far as I'm aware, remains the best bowling performance of the season with just a couple of games to go. Since then he has taken a further 75 wickets, which take him above former Tonge heroes Keith Eccleshare and Fred Hartley, and into fourth place in the career list of wicket-takers. Next season should see him into third place, after which, if we're being honest, it all becomes a bit of a struggle.

During his seven years at Castle Hill, Ian has 529 victims at an average of 75 per season with this year's haul his best yet. There can't be too many quick bowlers who, having got past their 40th birthday, still show little sign of easing back in pace and enthusiasm. So congratulations to Tonge. It's nine years now since they ended a season out of the top four, and this season they have thoroughly deserved their success as, by definition, championship sides always do.

The other day I was asked if I had any idea as to how our clubs have fared in LCB knockout matches against clubs from the two county Premier Leagues, the Northern League and the Liverpool Competition. I hadn't, but it didn't take long to find out. I've gone back six years to the time when the Board split their competition into two -- the Cup for the "professional" leagues, and the Shield for the "amateur" leagues. In that time clubs from the Warburtons Bolton League have played 26 ties against Premier opposition, winning 17 and losing nine. This is not inclusive of "bowl-offs". There have been six of those, three of which have been won and three lost, which is about par for the course given the "lottery" factor which is invariably part and parcel of the proceedings.

Last Monday evening provided a "first" in the Bolton League (and in any other league, I would guess!) when the two umpires on duty in the Lyddon Trophy tie between Little Lever and Kearsley were none other than Sajeewa De Silva and Fazal Akber, the competing clubs' professionals, who, by the competition's rules, were debarred from taking part in the game. I'm pleased to report that, sometime in the far distant future, a whole new and exciting career in the game awaits them!