A MAIDEN was knocked for six after cricketers formed a special guard of honour at her wedding.

Lucy Cunliffe, aged 23, of Belmont Road, Astley Bridge, walked under raised cricket bats with new husband Australian cricketer Michael O'Rourke, aged 24.

The pair were married at Christ Church in Walmsley, Egerton, on Saturday watched by family and friends.

The guard of honour was formed by fellow cricketers from Egerton and Greenmount Cricket Clubs.

Unfortunately, the family of professional Michael could not make it to Bolton for the ceremony, but his parents toasted their wedding at 11.30pm in Australia -- just as the pair tied the knot at 1.30pm our time.

Lucy, a former Canon Slade pupil, is used to wearing white -- she plays for Bolton Ladies Cricket team. The couple made the perfect love match after teaming up almost a year to the day when they met at a cricket function in Bolton.

After a whirlwind romance involving hundreds of long-distance phone calls and trips half way around the world, the pair are now looking forward to making a home in Sydney, New South Wales, near where Michael hails from.

They are spending their honeymoon in Paris before flying out to Australia to spend a week on the idyllic Gold Coast. Michael will then play cricket for a Sydney team and Lucy will take up a teaching post.

They will have a second "wedding" Down Under in December to allow Australian friends and members of his family to celebrate.

And Lucy and Michael will be coming back to Bolton in April for another happy occasion when her mum Lorraine is marrying fiancee Patrick.