RUTHLESS Middleton continued their excellent start to the CLL season with a superb performance against Oldham at The Pollards.

They dismissed the home side for a paltry 54 and went on to win by 10 wickets.

Steve Davey invited the home side to bat first after winning the toss.

And not for the first time this season he was not to be disappointed as man of the moment Phil Tomlinson struck in the sixth over when he had Fazil caught by Grant Jones with the score on 14.

Tomlinson and Ken Skewes again bowled impeccably, and scoring was slow.

Opener Paul Thompson and overseas amateur Nick Maree found batting difficult as they crawled their way to Oldham’s best partnership of the match – 31 in 18 overs.

It was with the total on 45 that the next wicket fell. Tomlinson had Maree caught at point.

From then on the Oldham innings capitulated.

The introduction of Rick Valentine, pictured right, proved to be the knockout blow for the home side.

With his third ball he removed the steady Thompson, caught by Tomlinson at midwicket for 14 scored off 72 deliveries.

An over later he removed Ian Chadwick, plum leg before for one, and in his third over he had Neil Inkpen caught by Grant Jones in the deep.

To finish the innings off Valentine had Briggs caught behind by Scott Stanworth for a duck, and he finished with the sensational figures of four wickets for two runs from 3.4 overs.

Tomlinson and Valentine were both well supported in attack by Ken Skewes who was virtually unplayable as he bowled a good line and length.

Skewes bowled 16 overs and had only 11 runs knocked off him. He took three wickets in the bargain.

Tomlinson finished with two for 35.

A total of 54 was never going to be enough for the home side, partly because of the fine form that both Scott Stanworth and Steve Davey were in.

The pair milked the bowling as victory was achieved in 13 overs.