IF, prior to the start of the season you had placed a bet on Horwich, Heaton and Astley Bridge being in the top four after five programmes had been completed, you would doubtless have got very long odds indeed.

And yet there they are, with Horwich having already established a one-match cushion between themselves and second-placed Heaton, having dropped only five points out of the first 100 on offer.

However, those people at Horwich who divide their sporting hours between the Recreation Ground and the Reebok (not least their new chairman!), will not need to be reminded that, at a similar juncture in the football season just completed, Sam's lads were top of the Premiership. They were never destined to stay there of course, not even in the top half, but Grant's lads should be an entirely different proposition.

They are thoughtfully led and have arguably the best all-round professional in the League (1,500 runs and 150 wickets in the last two years). Each of their first six batsmen is capable of playing an important innings, and, likewise, each member of their five-man attack has already produced a match-winning bowling performance.

Wicketkeeper Jon Partington, who seems to have been allocated the number five spot, now has the opportunity to establish himself as a front-line batsman rather than a late middle-order hitter. With a current average of 42, so far so good.

Heaton's high position owes much to Narendra Hirwani who has averaged over five wickets per game. He has taken 26 from 114 overs, and has yet to be taken off, although curiously enough in view of that, the Lower Pools side is the only one of the top 10 teams yet to bowl a side out.

Taking 10 wickets in a game has, surprisingly enough, been something of a problem for champions Walkden, although with five bowlers of the calibre of Ingram, Reidy, Parkinson and the Smith brothers, the problem shouldn't be a long-term one. I went to see them last Saturday, and was more than impressed with their South African professional Douglas Watson, a first-class batsman in every sense of the expression. The only time he looked ill-at-ease was towards the end of his side's innings, when he was forced by circumstances to get the slog out, a situation that is obviously not his strong point. Until then his judgement and shot-selection had been well-nigh perfect. He plays superbly through the V, while his general play in both attack and defence is the MCC Coaching Manual personified. If, at this point, I had to forecast the League's leading run-scorer and wicket-taker in 2002, I would name Watson and Hirwani.

David Smith played well for his 59, and the thought struck me that when Watson's season comes to an end, he'll go back to South Africa a very tired man having been partnered for most of the time by Smith, Bennison and Parkinson, all of whom run between the wickets at the drop of a hat and at the speed of light!

I thought that Kearsley were somewhat let off the hook after Phil Ingram and John Smith had seemed to have them tottering at not-so-many for seven, but the double bowling change didn't really work and Jordan Thornley and Rick Hamblett managed to steady the innings.

I'm a bit worried about Matt Parkinson, though. Not about his batting, I hasten to add. He came in on Saturday and played like David Gower from ball one as, I'm told, he has been doing all of the season. His only bad moment came when his limbs almost needed untying after he had attempted a rather undignified reverse-sweep against Mel Whittle! No, it's his bowling. I'm no spin-bowling coach, but whatever has happened to that lovely teasing flight and tantalising spin which used to be so much a part of his technique. An occasional quicker ball is all part of the act, but not at the rate of six an over!

All of these on-the-field activities paled into insignificance, however, on Monday afternoon, when I got the numbing phone call from Simon Thomson. On Saturday I had spent some time with Gary Thornley. He was in good form and seemingly recovered from his recent hospitalisation, all of which made the news that much harder to take in.

During the last 10 years, Gary had devoted a large slice of his life to the well-being of the Bolton League in general, and to that of Kearsley in particular. In so doing he made a multitude of friends in the area. He was the best of company, honest and straightforward, and, in common with all those cricketing friends, I shall miss him very much indeed.