IAN Taylor had the last laugh when his Tonge team-mates tried to wind him up last weekend.

Taylor, the club's leading strike bowler had just taken a shower between innings when his skipper Simon Anderton told him he could open the innings.

But while the Tonge lads were waiting for the protestations from the man who nornmally bats about seven or eight, Taylor calmly padded up and headed for the crease.

Anderton and cricket manager Ray Eccleshare didn't have the heart to call him back so they let him go on and Taylor responded with a sparkling 34.

"We have played the same trick on him before but it never went as far as it did last week." said Eccleshare. "To be fair, though, Ian has always thought of himself as a better batsman than people give him credit for. Perhaps he's right."

RALPH Livesey is still providing sterling service for Astley and Tyldesley.

The 60-year-old can still trouble the batsmen with his spin bowling although he has decided to take things a little easier, playing only one match at weekends.

Even so the wickets continue to fall. Against Atherton last Saturday his first ten overs contained seven maidens and he finished by taking four wickets for 31 runs off 16 overs.

THERE'S Lancashire Knockout action tomorrow when Kearsley meet Manchester Association side Ashton on Mersey and Westhoughton go to Widnes in the third round of the competition.

For Westhoughton fans wanting to cheer the side on, a coach leaves for Widnes at 12noon, price £5.

THE Bolton Association still has two representatives in the Lancs Knockout. Golborne are away to Northern League side Chorley and Clifton are away to Denton.

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