THE phoenix continues to rise at Saddleworth after they secured a third promotion in four years in the Greater Manchester Cricket League.
The Well-i-Hole side is back in the championship, the level which it was at in 2018 when, after an exodus of players, they voluntarily dropped two divisions.
Saddleworth finished runners-up to Edenfield but would have been crowned division one champions had they not lost to third-placed Hadfield St Andrews in their last match.
They were four points behind champions Edenfield who Saddleworth had beaten twice in the season.

“We set out at the start of the season to be promoted, and it was job done,” explained captain Steve Howard.
“We are back in the third tier, where we were in 2018, but in a much stronger position.
“Everyone is staying and there is no reason why we cannot push on and have another good season.”
Howard pointed out since their voluntary demotion, they have won promotions in 2019, 21 and 22.
“We have been promoted in every competitive season, 2020 obviously wasn’t a full season through Covid,” he continued.
Howard added there were some outstanding individual performances, Nauman Akram scoring 900 runs and claiming 50 wickets, Mohammed Shakir taking more than 70 wickets, Asad Ali among the runs as opening batsman while 17-year-old opening bowler Jacob Holt also shone.
The feel-good factor extended beyond the first team and the second and third also won promotion from their respective leagues to make it a hat-trick of teams going up.

AUSTERLANDS took their division one promotion push to the last game, but narrowly missed out as they finished sixth.
Promotion would have been the highspot of a special year as the Thorpe Lane side celebrated its 150th anniversary.
There was a frustrating finish as Austerlands went into their last match at Thornham still with a slim chance of a top-three finish had they won and other results gone their way.
But there was disappointment – an understatement – that the GMCL refused Austerlands permission to play a deputy pro after Imran Rafiq was summoned back to Pakistan to prepare for the start of his first-class season with Southern Punjab.
Rafiq, the former Pakistan U19 captain, scored more than 1,500 runs in all competitions and claimed about 80 wickets.
“Not having Imran for the last match knocked the wind out of our sails,” admitted captain Andy Young.
“Southern Punjab initially wanted him back in mid-August but we pushed his return back as far as we could.”
Young added overall it was a successful season, saying: “Let’s focus on the positives. In our last game, nine of the 11 players had come through our juniors, something we were very proud of.
“We have not gone out and cherrypicked players from other clubs and spent money. We have tried to do things the right way.
“We have also had a lot of good feedback about our facilities and ground.”
GREENFIELD’S woes continued as they suffered back-to-back relegations to plummet from the premier league to the championship.
But they displayed spirit and went down fighting, winning their last three games and went into the last game still with an outside chance of staying up.
“We gave it our best shot, but in the end it was too little, too late,” explained chairman Jason Taylor.
Mr Taylor admitted planning has already begun in readiness for the 2023 season.
“We have put out offers to two or three individuals as we look to rebuild,” he explained.
Greenfield were also having an inquest (week commencing October 10) into what went wrong and how they can be rectified.
The problems began before the season began when they were unable to get a visa for the professional so played without one for more than half the season before they eventually recruited Zimbabwean Charles Kunje.
The first team’s inability to field a settled side also impacted the seconds who were also relegated, but there was success for the third team which won its cup competition and finished third in the league.
But on a positive note, the newly formed team finished runners-up in division three of the Cheshire Women’s Cricket League and won the Development Cup.
The junior section continues to flourish in terms of participation and many of the young players are playing regular senior cricket which bodes well for the future of the club.
MOORSIDE, who had been the highest placed local club, was relegated from the GMCL’s premier division after a challenging campaign.
“It was a disappointing season in which we lacked class, lacked depth, lacked teamwork and our bowling was horrendous, and I include myself,” admitted Rick Harrington, senior player and former captain.
“We needed our pro (South African Stuart Els) to pull us through and, unfortunately, he didn’t set the world alight.”
Harrington explained Moorside have already signed a professional for 2023, Namibian international JJ Smit who is currently playing in the T20 World Cup.
Smit, a left arm quick bowler and right-arm bat, has come on the recommendation of former Moorside pro Gerrie Synman who is also an ex Namibian international.
Moorside also have a couple of other new signings in the pipeline.
“There is no point letting relegation defeat us. I am sure we will come back strong next season in premier two,” said Harrington.
SPRINGHEAD recovered from a terrible start to the season to finish sixth in division three east.
Chairman Craig Simpson put the improvement down to being able to field a settled side in the second half of the campaign.
Springhead broke new ground by engaging an overseas player for the first time in the club’s history and were delighted with the displays of Isthmael Peters who is from Antigua in the West Indies.
The club is in a health state as they fielded five teams this season as hope to do so again in 2023.
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