THE closest finish in Sunday's Winter Rounders League programme came in the Breightmet League when CRS, unbeaten in their summer league campaign, played Lower Pools off a scratch start and lost by a single run.

After just two weeks play, only Price's have won both games but they have had to battle for the points on both occasions, winning their first match against Levers XI by just eight runs then beating Norton's XI on Sunday by the same margin.

In the Halliwell League, Smithills Coaching House had a 20-run start against Craven Ladies and won by exactly that amount.

The handicap proved more accurate in the match between top seeds Morris Roofing and Crompton Ladies who had a 40-run start.

Morris Roofing only pulled back a dozen runs in the first innings and despite containing their opponents better in the second innings, went down by four runs at 113-117.

Fox Trots have a zero handicap because they were expected to be in the running for the championship, but crashed to their third consecutive defeat when their played with just nine players against the competent Westhoughton & District side.

BRUFC top the Halliwell table on alphabetical seniority, ahead of Crompton Ladies, after their innings victory over newcomers Bolton Castle.

This match was refereed by Frank Nicholson, former team manager of BRUFC, whose daughter Sue was playing for Bolton Castle.

Section 'A' of the John Smith's Farnworth League saw some sisterly rivalry when Siddons played Imago. Imago won the game by 19 runs to put the sides level in the table.

Adlington and Darcy Lever were pre-season favourites, so their match on Sunday was always likely to be a tight one.

After the first innings, Darcy were nine runs ahead at 60-51 and maintained their superiority in the second innings to win by 19 runs.

Markland and Royal have won one match each so far and their game on Sunday proved they are evenly matched with Markland just winning by 14 runs.

In Section 'B', White Horse (Little Lever) are still looking for their first points, but did well against The Flag despite going down by a 20-run margin.

RESULTS

Breightmet Winter Rounders League (Week 2) CRS 118, Lower Pools 119; Lever Bridge 111, Carl Chapman 70; Levers XI 158, Queen Anne 122; Norton's XI 125, Price's 133.

Halliwell Winter Rounders League (Week 3) Assured Ladies 77, Bury XI 126; Bolton Castle 84, BRUFC 103 (I); L.T.C.E. XI 156, Darcy XI 113; Morris Roofing 113, Crompton Ladies 117; Smithills Coaching House 114, Craven Ladies 94; Westhoughton & District 106, Foxtrots 83.

John Smith's Farnworth Winter Rounders League (Week 3) Section 'A': Adlington 97, Darcy 116; Bradbury 148, The Grapes 116; Royal 106, Markland 120; Siddons 118, Imago 137. Section 'B': Bolton Motor Bodies 113 (I), Harper Green 105; Carl Chapman 117 , Hanson 173; White Horse (Kearsley) 126 , A.S.A.P. Ladies 182; White Horse (Little Lever) 120 , The Flag 140.

FIXTURES

Breightmet Winter Rounders League (Week 3) Carl Chapman v Levers XI; CRS v Lever Bridge; Queen Anne v Norton's XI; Lower Pools v Price's.

Halliwell Winter Rounders League (Week 4) BRUFC v Westhoughton & District; Bury XI v Bolton Castle; Craven Ladies v Assured Ladies; Crompton Ladies v Smithills Coaching House; Darcy XI v Morris Roofing; Foxtrots v L.T.C.E. XI.

John Smith's Farnworth Winter Rounders League (Week 4) Section 'A': The Grapes v Siddons; Darcy v Bradbury; Markland v Adlington; Imago v Royal.

Section 'B': Hanson v White Horse (Little Lever); Harper Green v Carl Chapman; A.S.A.P. Ladies v Bolton Motor Bodies; The Flag v White Horse (Kearsley).