LEIGH continue to search for their first league victory of the Liverpool Competition Premier Division season after drawing at home to Bootle.

The Beech Walk men won the toss and put the visitors into bat but Bootle responded with 221-9 from 53 overs on a testing green wicket.

Richard Dempster (3-78 from 18 overs) and Karl Brown (3-48 from 11) combined to reduce the away side to 46-3.

But Bootle responded with a couple of 50-plus partnerships in the middle order to post a competitive total that Leigh were unable to reach.

Ross Zalem (48) got Leigh off to a strong start in reply before being run out just short of his half century.

Captain Matt McKiernan was then joined at the crease by teenager Adam Shallcross and the pair shared 52 for the fifth wicket.

The skipper eventually went for 35 but Shallcross picked up the baton with some well-timed strokes in a mature knock of 60 that secured four points for the hosts.

Our local sides suffered mixed fortunes in the Bolton Association as Astley and Tyldesley beat Winton by seven wickets but Atherton slumped to a nine-wicket defeat against Swinton Moorside.

Travis Wordsworth scored 70 not out as Astley and Tyldesley maintained their 100 per cent record with a third victory of the campaign.

Jordan O'Malley (3-25) and Paul Bennett (3-38) set up the win with three wickets apiece as Winton were restricted to 150-7.

And Wordsworth was supported by Hemant Patel (38) as he led the league leaders to 153-7 in reply.

Jamar Griffith hit 42 for Atherton but saw wickets tumble at the opposite end as the Higham Park men were bowled out for 110.

James Wade then ensured Swinton made light work of their total, scoring an unbeaten 61 as his side cruised to 111-1 inside 16 overs to inflict Atherton's first defeat of the league season.