ADLINGTION finally ended their four match losing run with a little help from a returning former player.

Andrew Robinson left the club at the start of the season to play for Golborne but rejoined his former team-mates in time to stop the rot that has seen them plummet down the table.

Astley and Tyldesley set them a target of 131 to win but reaching three figures recently has been something of a problem for Adlington.

Robinson quickly sorted that out with an unbeaten 83 off 88 balls and although there was a worry when the teams came off at 114-2 for the rain, they managed to get back on to score the winning runs.

In Astley's innings of 130-9 Jimmy Cutt top scored with 40 with pro Nigel Doyle 23 and Simon Nicklin 21 with Adlington pro Matthew Taylor picking up another six wickets for 48 runs and Graeme Hurst 2-10.

Weather hit

Terry Southworth did his utmost to earn Blackrod a win at Darcy Lever only to be foiled by the weather.

First he hit 48 not out, a score matched by Peter Morris while David Morris added 44, in a Blackrod total of 154-4.

Southworth then took control with the ball taking 4-54 and with Andy Cumberbatch picking up 4-39 Darcy did well to hang on at 109-8 at the end after being 50-7. Their top scorer was Jason Whittaker with 48.

Adam Syddall and Graham Beswick did their best to earn Lostock a win at Spring View.

They both took four wickets to put the Wigan side on the ropes at 117-9 chasing 156 when the game was called off for bad light.

Earlier Wayne Harper had hit 38 in Lostock's 155-8.

Elton held Edgworth to 120-7, a total that was never enough to trouble the Bury side. They went on to win by five wickets, Edgworth's only consolation being Chris Locke's haul of four wickets. Little Hulton won again to keep Walshaw on their toes at the top of the table.

In the end they may be too many points adrift to trouble the leaders but until then they are determined to make a fight of it.

They went to Daisy Hill on Saturday, restricted the home side to 105-9 then dodged the showers to pick up a three wicket win.

Pro David Parkinson was a major influence taking 6-52 before scoring 22 with the bat while Rushton top scored with 28 not out.

For Daisy Hill, pro Chris Jones had 5-33 and earlier Mark Buckley continued his good form with 27. Walshaw marched on to their 13th win of the season getting the better of Atherton by six wickets.

Barry Hamilton destroyed the visitors' batting with a haul of 6-51, the last four batsmen all returning to the pavilion without a run going on to the total.

Earlier Philip Wakefield's 39 and Ian Nuttall's 32 had taken them to 116 but Brett Collins and Gary Dyson quickly knocked those off with identical scores of 37 not out - both of them scored off 38 balls.