Tons of Fun

Scoring a century has long been one of club cricket's holy grails and one to be cherished by that precious few who reach the landmark. Despite the fact that pitches have undoubtedly improved tremendously, even in my lifetime, it is still a relatively rare achievement. Indeed, we have records of approximately 25000 individual innings for our three senior teams and they have produced just 75 centuries in competitive games plus another couple in friendlies. (Spookily in that same period, and presumably, over a similar number of innings we have also been on the receiving end of 75). Pitches aside, obviously the length of games also affects the opportunity for a long innings and thus reduces the potential for big innings making any ton all the more meritorious. Those centuries have been divided amongst just 48 (or 49 if you count the friendly ones) players of the 600 or more known to have represented us at senior level.

Having been formed in 1938, it is maybe slightly surprising that we had to wait until 1961 until our first ever century was recorded when Geoffrey Lane an apprentice in the Aerospace factory made 103 for the 2ndXI against Silcoms in a Bolton Association game. The 1stXI had to wait another couple of seasons until our first professional Reuben Snape managed to post 116 against Standish in the South West Lancs League in 1963, and the 60's were to see just just one further century when Norman Taylor hit 103* for the 2nds v Heinz 57 in 1967. 

The highest and probably most remarkable of our centuries came in 2009 when our then professional Ather Abid absolutely destroyed the Bolton bowling attack as he blasted 233* in just 138 balls. Having made a more sedate 100 v Brooksbottom earlier in the season nobody was quite prepared for that August day's fireworks. With our then shared home of Haydock unavailable, the game was hosted by Daisy Hill, and Ather made full use of the notoriously short square boundaries there hitting 17 sixes and 18 fours and losing umpteen balls in the process!

Our most prolific century maker has been Akbar Ur Rehman (pictured left) who hit 7 centuries during his two seasons as professional in 2022 and 2023 with four coming in his first season and three in the second. His highest score evoked memories of Ather's innings above as he took Blackrod apart in a T20 game at Chew Moor, making 152 off 77 balls with 5 sixes and 17 fours to his name in making our highest ever T20 innings and, our highest ever made at Chew Moor. He also holds the record for our highest score in the Hamer Cup (123* v Walkden) and highest in the NWCL (141 v Atherton).

Three players have made 4 centuries for the club - Anthony Settle, Dan Cockton and George Jackson - although of the 3 only Tony made all 4 in the first team. Tony set a then 1stXI record of 123* (v Standish) during his second spell as pro in 1997 adding two centuries to the two he had made in 1985 and 1986 in his first spell. Ironically Tony's 1stXI record was to be beaten in 2005 when Dan made the last century on our old Lostock Lane ground as he hit 127 v Astley & Tyldesley. Dan's other 3 centuries were all made for the 2ndXI and included the first Lostock ton on Chew Moor (117 v Little Lever) and the only other double century recorded for the club when he hit 206* v Daisy Hill. George meanwhile has two 2ndXI tons and two 3rdXI tons to his name, including our highest ever score in a cup final (105* for the 2ndxi v Farnworth in 2023) and, being part of the third pair of siblings to score tons for the club after brother Harry had recorded the first and to date highest 3rdXI score of 140 v Bradshaw in 2022 (pictured right).

Other players to record more than one century for Lostock in competitive games see Mike Watkinson making 3 in 1981 and 1982; Les Barlow and Peter Flanagan who are the only amateur batsmen to hit 3 1stXI centuries; Ather Abid who we mentioned above with 2; Adeel Baig who made a ton v Bolton in successive seasons; Nick Jeffs who made 2 in 3 games in a purple patch of form in 2016; Phil Padgett and David France each made two 2ndXI centuries in the 1980's; and Craig Rashleigh two in the early part of the 21st century also for the 2nds.

Peter incidentally is part of the second pair of siblings to score centuries for the club with his brother David adding the record score by an amateur for us in a T20 game with 136* v Moorside in 2018 (just beating Peter's best of 135 by the way). The first siblings to record 100s for the club were the Cregan brothers who both made then record 1stXI record scores for the club  and both came against Westleigh. James became the youngest ever 1stXI centurian in 2006 when he improved the club record set by Dan Cockton to 128*, and then 2 years later older brother Mark eclipsed that by making 138 against the same opponents, an amateur record that was to stand for 8 years until Matt Leach improved it to 141 against Winton. Matt's record only lasted one year before Steve Hood set the current 1stXI amateur record of 158* against Standish in 2016.

In addition to the 3 sets of siblings to score centuries, we also have one instance of father and son both making a century, with Geoff Vose making 107 in 1972 v Standish and then son Stephen 148 v Walshaw in 1990.

Craig Rashleigh, who we mentioned above, has another claim to fame in terms of club centuries being one half of the only occasion recorded in club history of two players making a ton in the same innings. He and Peter Syddall made 110 and 106 respectively for the 2ndXI in a game v Sale Moor.      

In addition to the competitive centuries made above, we have records of two in friendly matches (Conner Hicklin v Haydock in 2013 and Matt Leach v Heaton in 2019), and also again that we are aware of 3 in inter-league representative games. James Cregan's 105* for the Bolton Association under 13s in 2002 remains a record score at that level, whilst Giles Makinson made 100* in 2006 also at U13s, and finally Reece Gray hit 103 for the Bolton League under 15s in 2002.

We currently have no centuries recorded against the club prior to 1976 although that isn't to say that there weren't any - we simply haven't got the information. Mudassar Nazar currently stands as the first player to make a ton against the 1stXI and is still the only player to have been recorded to make three against them. Nazar's record against us also includes innings of  94, 96, 75 and 49 with just one "failure" in 9 innings! Little Hulton's John Wallwork currently stands as the only player to hit two 2nd team centuries against Lostock.Tony Kelly holds the record for the highest score recorded against the 1stXI making 188 for Spring View in 2005, Stephen Marsh (155 for Walshaw) holds the 2nd team record and Adam Knowles (133* for Horwich RMI) the 3rd team.

Hopefully ongoing research over the coming months may well reveeal more information, and as ever if anyone reading this has any old scorebooks or press cuttings etc that they think could add to our knowledge please get in touch with Mitch.