The youngsters beat Unsworth by six wickets in a compelling Taylor Cup final at Crimble in a fine advertisement for the game.

The 30-year-old from Delhi agreed his new deal at Crimble on the back of an impressive debut season, which has seen him score more than 850 runs and take 74 wickets despite missing the first four games of the season.

But their efforts went unrewarded when they slipped to a four-wicket defeat in a 30-overs-per-side clash, which leaves the locals now looking at third or fourth place at best in the Second Division.

Milnrow are favourites to end up as runners-up, but they entertain Heywood in a penultimate match of the season showdown at Ladyhouse on Sunday (12.45).

The 30-year-old Indian professional, who smashed an unbeaten 155 the previous week at Radcliffe, made a determined 55 not out at Oldham on Saturday then crashed 127 the following day at home to Crompton.

The 30-year-old from Delhi smashed an unbeaten 155, the highest ever score by a Heywood professional, beating the 152 made by Australian Steve Wundke against Hyde in 1985.

The youngsters trounced their big rivals Rochdale , whom they had pipped to the league title, by eight wickets at Crimble.

Biwater Heywood Cricket Club’s captain needed 33 to pass the landmark at Radcliffe, and made 47 in the record score of 312-4.

Heywood went down by 43 runs to the Central Lancashire League’s second-placed team, who were without their New Zealand professional Craig Spearman.

The side who recently pipped Rochdale to the Whittaker Cup title face the same team in the last four of the Taylor Cup, with the winners favourite to lift the knockout trophy in the final on September 4.

The highly-promising Naeem claimed 5-35 off 12 overs against Rochdale, but could not stop the league leaders from edging to a three-wicket win at Crimble.

The 30-year-old from Delhi turned in a devastating spell of seam and swing bowling to claim 8-26 from one ball short of 13 overs as Walsden were routed for 57 at Crimble.

Ross Zelem, the 15-year-old who joined the club from Woodhouses this season, has been part of the North of England squad for the annual Bunbury Festival.

The seasoned all-rounder had been out for five weeks with a back complaint, but showed no ill effects in an eight-wicket win at Ashton on Saturday, returning the remarkable figures of five wickets for eight runs off 14 overs, which included a dropped catch.

The pacesetters coasted to an 80-run victory at Woodhouse Lane to establish a 17-point gap over Heywood with 10 games of the season left.