ASTLEY & Tyldesley are no longer the Bolton Association pushovers they've been for years.

The evidence was there for all to see on Saturday as the newlook A&T prevented old rivals Atherton from gaining a third successive league victory.

During the close season A&T have recruited wisely with the likes of Pankaj Tripathi, ex-Atherton stalwart Steve Walsh and have got the services of an excellent professional in Bazid Khan. All three played their part in Saturday's drawn game at Higham Park.

Skipper Rob Clews again won the toss and asked the visitors to bat.

For once professional Greg Dimery, while bowling tightly, could not get among the wickets and it was opening partner Ian Nuttall who took the first wicket to fall, courtesy of a stunning diving catch by 13-year-old Karl Brown playing in his first league match.

The total was then on 24 in the 11th over and although wickets were hard to come by, runs were equally slow in coming. It wasn't until the 24th over before the third wicket went down. This brought Bazid Khan to the crease and for the next 10 overs he almost single-handedly more then doubled the score.

He had made exactly 50 off 53 balls when he became the first of three late victims for Dimery.

Seven consecutive maidens followed the fall of Khan's wicket. The remaining six wickets yielded just 21 runs and the visitors were all out in the 48th over.

Dimery bowled throughout to finish with 3-50 while David Baines bowled an excellent 15.3 overs and took 4-40.

Victory target

A victory target of 138 looked well within Atherton's capability but with old boy Steve Walsh opening the bowling and reeling off five consecutive maidens while at the same time accounting for Philip West, the target suddenly looked more formidable.

With Khan joining Walsh in the attack, Atherton limped to 38-2 at the halfway stage.

The stranglehold that Walsh and Khan had on the match finally proved too much for Dimery and he was run out for a top score of 23. The rest of the innings capitulated to 73-8 in the 39th over and it was left to Paul McLoughlin and young Karl Brown to see out the remaining 10 overs.

Brown showed great maturity beyond his tender years as he guided Atherton to safety at 81-8.

Walsh finished with 2-36 from 20 and Khan 5-20 from 16.

This weekend Atherton meet Little Hulton in a double-header. The visit Little Hulton in the league on Saturday and then it's back to Higham Park on Sunday for a Cross Cup tie.