IN my review of the Association, this week I look at the bowlers. Who are the leading wicket takers over the years? The bowlers prospered in the 1940s to the 1970s and were undoubtedly beneficiaries of the less well-prepared pitches of the time.

Again I refer the Association Handbooks and find that William Hough held the record with 1,427 wickets taken over a span of 29 seasons to 1929. As a professional he represented Farnworth, Radcliffe and Social Circle. Mr Grant’s records credit him with a final average of 9.50.

The cricketer’s double is normally 1,000 runs and 100 wickets so I have used last week’s criteria to the batsmen, 10,000 runs, and settled on those bowlers who have topped 1,000 victims. Again, only League wickets have been taken into account.

Thanks to the initial spadework by Terry Casey of Astley and Tyldesley, that club laid claim that Ralph Livesey had exceeded the accepted record in his career lasting from 1949-1997.

Ralph helped A&T to three league titles and a Cross Cup triumph in 1971, but his best year was 1980 taking 89 wickets. He received the bowling prize six times between the years 1971-1991 and now is the accepted record holder with 1,657 victims.

However, there was one possible flaw in the Association records. Between Hough and Livesey, there is no mention of Bob Walmsley. From 1946-1964 with Adlington and later with Walker Institute, he recorded 1,413 wickets. If the R Walmsley who played pre-war for Adlington is the same player, he would have topped Hough and run Livesey close.

It is impossible in connection with Walmsley, not to mention Fred Wilkinson. In the immediate post-war years, they were surely the most productive partnership in association history. Having left Adlington in 1950, they both joined Walker Institute. Wilkinson added 953 to his 234 for his former club. Wilkinson retired in 1969. Walmsley’s split was 1,109 and 304.

We now move to more modern times and Steve Walsh enters the roll of honour. He spent most of his career at Atherton (1970-2001), captaining the club to five Cross Cup wins and one League Championship, and taking 1,152 wickets. A surprise move to A&T saw him collect a further 230, making 1,382 in total before injury forced retirement in 2009. He collected the bowling prize three times while at Atherton.

A bit further back brings the present Association chairman, Frank Jackson, into the picture. His total of 1,176 was obtained in a long career at Little Hulton (1957-1991). Another multi-winner of the Cross Cup, four times, Frank played in Championship winning sides in 1966 and 1977.

A player who spanned the war years was G T (George) Seddon (1932-1958) of Walkden Moor Methodists. Together with his brother, J T (Jimmy) Seddon, he was the backbone of the Methodists side which claimed League Championships in 1940, 1942 and 1951. His total of 1,084 included a best of 79 in 1942, also taking the bowling prize on three occasions.

Jack Iddon, (1906-1929) Adlington’s first professional, is recorded as having 1,029 wickets sharing his favours with Egerton, Halliwell, Heaton and Kearsley. His total may well be more as some years are incomplete and for some seasons he played outside the Association.

One final note of interest is that of the sixteen players who have taken all ten wickets in an innings, only Walmsley of the above figures in the list, Daisy Hill being the unfortunate opponents in 1960.