LAST weekend was an important one for various players for various reasons.

Shahid Mahboob's third wicket against Astley Bridge saw him go past Jack Rogerson's 57-year-old amateur club record at Eagley, while during his innings at Piggott Park, Brad White became the first batsman to hit 1,000 runs this year.

Little Lever's pair of teenage bowling brothers, Paul and Neil Tong, shared seven wickets for 46 runs as Farnworth were bowled out in the villagers' fifth win of the season. Between them Neil and Paul are rapidly approaching 50 first team wickets, and the question has to be asked -- if the club had been allowed to import a top overseas amateur bowler, would the two lads have been given the opportunity to gain such invaluable experience?

Nigel Franklyn's unbeaten 104 for Greenmount against Egerton was his first 100 at senior level. For each of his two previous Bolton League clubs, Farnworth SC and Eagley, Nigel had recorded a match-winning Hamer Cup Final innings, and for a player with so much natural ability, his maiden century has been a long time in the pipeline. Perhaps he suddenly got the taste for it two years ago, when he hit five for Eagley 2nd!

Another rather more unlikely player who got the taste for runs on Sunday was Ian Taylor, who went in first for Tonge and got 41 of them. All he needs to do now to prolong his active life is to cultivate a leg-break over the winter months and buy a pair of pads, and he can go on for years!

Above all others though, the weekend belonged to Tim Barrow. On Saturday he hit 74 against Westhoughton, and then went on to complete a thoroughly satisfying double with 36 and nine for 69 against Kearsley the following day. It was the first "9-for" of the season.

Four other amateurs, Mahboob, Taljard, Ingram and Stewart, had already taken eight, but now Tim has put himself firmly in line for the Best Bowling Performance award, and, equally important, has put his club in with an even chance of the sixth Lancs KO place in 2002.

Indeed, Tim should have been the toast of Walkden on Sunday night! Over the weekend Circle restricted Kearsley and Westhoughton to five points apiece in their two games against the championship contenders as Mike Bennison's side took full advantage moving into pole position in the title race.

Walkden lost only three wickets as they disposed of Bradshaw and Eagley, thanks to excellent individual performances from Smith major, Smith minor, Bernard Reidy and particularly Mike Watkinson. If the championship race is to go all the way, then Horwich will have plenty to say in the matter. They are the club in contention with Circle for that last Lancs KO place, but with matches against Walkden (today) Westhoughton (tomorrow) and Eagley to come, life isn't going to be easy for White, Long and Co as the season draws to a close.

If, perish the thought, the season was to come to an end with two clubs tied in first place, then I have good news for Walkden, provided, of course, that they are one of the two teams in question. With regard to "merit average", as described in Rule 23(c), they are so far ahead of their main two rivals that, barring hugely unlikely results all round, they cannot be overtaken.

Before today's games, Walkden's merit average stood on 22.69, Kearsley's on 11.82 and Westhoughton's on 11.09. I mention all this, partly because it might just prove necessary, but mainly because it took me about three hours to work out, and I didn't want all that time and effort to go to waste!

At Second Team level, no such calculations need enter the equation, with Astley Bridge requiring just five points from today's game against Little Lever to clinch the title. So, then, slightly premature congratulations to Paul Burton and his talented side!