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Injured Oldfield set to play

24/ 6/2005

IT PROMISES to be one of the closest title races in the CLL for some seasons, providing the weather relents and games are played to a finish.

Sunshine all week, but some have forecast rain - yet again - for the weekend.

If it does stay fine two matches could give an indication of how the season might unfold.

Littleborough, second in the table, but only by way of less wins than Werneth, travel to Redbrook to face Rochdale on Sunday, while leaders Werneth visit Woodhouse Lane on Saturday for a match against the reigning champions Norden.

Boro will be at full strength, and what strength there is in the team, with plenty of batting and a good variation in attack.

Gary Hulme, Mark Forden, Alex Collins, Chris Schofield, Nigel Hunter, Mohammed Zaman - it's like a run machine.

Rochdale have their own run machine in professional Lou Vincent who appears to have hit a rich vein of form.

Vincent blew away Nelson's hopes of a semi-final spot in the Inter League Challenge Trophy last weekend. The match saw Roger Oldfield dislocate a thumb, but Oldfield is named in the team which starts the weekend with a trip to Walsden.

Oldfield, however, will not be behind the stumps as 15-year-old Craig Dawson keeps the pads on.

Lee Milner is added to the squad for the clash against Boro who entertain Unsworth on Saturday.

Up at Norden, The Stags field a team including Simon North who was missing last weekend due to work commitments. Gugliemo Papa comes into the team to face Werneth in place of the unavailable Phil Collinson, while David Bebb drops down to lead the second team into action.

Norden have another big game on Sunday when they go to Heywood.

Shahid Bux and Peter Decker will replace Simon Egerton and Simon North in the Norden team.

Milnrow go to Oldham today without Mark Wakefield.

Wakefield will be in the second team at Ladyhouse hoping to regain the form he showed a couple of seasons ago.

Also in the seconds will be Andy Butler who has recovered from a broken hand and is set to start his season.

The first team will be back at Ladyhouse on Sunday for a match against Monton and Weaste.