Because of the intervention of the next week's League night matches, followed by the Bolton Holidays, the match is picked up three weeks later with Hindle now 63 and Walch 31. Joe Walch went on to score his first half century for the club, and, when he was out for 64, he had hit 12 fours. Arthur Hindle was then 85 and the stand had realised 94 match winning runs. The next batsman failed to make any contribution, and still 16 runs were required from the last pair. Joe Gerrard, who had played and sat whilst 548 runs had been scored, being Hindle's nervous partner. "Amidst wild excitement the match was won, one more over enabled Hindle to reach 100, both batsmen, being carried off shoulder high".

Although Arthur Hindle could not claim the privilege of scoring the first Hamer Cup century, the honour going to Metcalf, Walkden's professional, who had made 117 in their innings, at least he holds the distinction of being the first amateur centurion of the competition.

Perhaps unfortunate in their choice of professional in their second year, Bradshaw finished next to the bottom of the league but after a further season in the wilderness in 1932, the period to the outbreak of the second world war was to be particularly fruitful. It was no coincidence that these were the halcyon years of Joe Gerrard, a slow left-arm bowler, who in 1931 to 1939 captured 544 wickets, and by the time of his retirement in 1943 had totalled a prolific 643, over 200 more than his nearest amateur challenger. They were also the years of an exceptional wicket-keeper in Kenneth Holding. The Mitchell brothers, Harry and Norman, together with Bill Fletcher and Johnny Isherwood, were the batsmen of the era with support from Harold Shippobottom in the early, and Billy Baines and Billy Cunliffe, in the late thirties.

A young Bobby Rae was the club's professional from 1933 to 1935 and he certainly played his part with both bat and ball, taking 256 wickets and scoring 1233 runs. In his first season the club struck a purple patch, with a glut of run scoring. Mid-way through June, Harry Mitchell made a club highest League score of 122 not out against Eagley at home, during which innings with Rae (54 not out) he created a club record 4th-wicket stand of 157 unfinished.

Two days later, at Westhoughton, in the second round of the Hamer Cup, Harry Mitchell scored 84, this time setting a club Hamer Cup opening-partnership record of 153 with Billy Fletcher 65 not out. Mitchell had also scored 80 in the first round at home to Eagley. Less than two weeks later Rae, 82 not out was making the club's best last-wicket stand of 72, with Ken Holding at Farnworth. Then came a quiet spell to the end of July. (If Mitchell's 88 against Radcliffe on the 15th is discounted), before W. Fletcher (74 not out) and Rae (107 not out) broke the seven-week-old 4th wicket stand by adding 162 runs against Egerton at Bradshaw. Another century by Rae at Heaton the next week, means the he, in splendid isolation, is the only player ever to score successive hundreds for the club.

Bradshaw won the Hamer Cup this season of 1933 when Joe Gerrard had 9 wickets in the semi-final at Astley Bridge against Heaton.

Little Lever's all out total was 87. A thunderstorm the next night halted play at 5 for 0, but this was enough time for the unfortunate Hampson, fielding at short square leg to receive "A vicious pull" from Motchell in the chest. "He was carried off in great pain and taken home in a motor car".

Although on the third night Bradshaw slumped from 70 for 2 to 71 for 5, losing both Mitchell brothers, who top-scored, and Rae for 0, the result was never seriously in doubt.

Two years later Bradshaw were again the cup winners. Heaton again suffered in the semi-final at Astley Bridge, this time falling to Rae's 7 for 18 in a total score of 35 all out.

When Billy Fletcher won the toss at Astley Bridge in the final, it must have started to become more like a second home ground to Bradshaw. Wickets had fallen too quickly and regularly, when Ken Holding joined Rae at 26 for 6, and just when matters were improving Rae went with the score at 57. So in the circumstances, when the score stood at 91 for 9, it was better than could have been anticipated.

Frank Atkinson, who had joined Bradshaw after the Bolton Holidays, had played the first half of the season at Egerton. Now, after clawing his way up the batting order to number 10, by virtue of the 17 runs he had scored in his six innings for the club, he had this day had to bow to the greater experience of Joe Gerrard, and was again down to number 11, but cometh the hour... Frank was 30, and full of runs, when Ken Holding was out for 54, with the score a respectable 154.

At the close Radcliffe were 54 for 7, a predicament similar to the one Bradshaw had been in hours earlier. There were, however, to be no heroics like those performed by the Bradshaw tailenders. The following Saturday Frank Atkinson, used in the match as only third-change bowler, quickly brought the game to a close with final figures of 6 for 11.

A coach laid on by the club, then rushed the triumphant team to Burnden Park, where, with 20,000 others, they saw goals by Milsom and Cook beat Everton by two goals to nil. Returning the players to a celebration tea at the cricket pavilion, the coach was first driven round the village, with skipper Fletcher holding the cup aloft through the sunshine roof.

In 1936 professional Billy Allan, signed as an all-rounder, took only 23 wickets, and yet the club remarkably won it's first Bolton League Championship. Billy Baines and Frank Atkinson played supporting roles to Joe Gerrard the main wicket-taker, whose haul included all ten when Astley Bridge visited Bradshaw. Ken Holding also excelled, stumping 22 of his 36 league victims. Both players walked away with the League prizes, Ken Holding's second success, and for good measure, Norman Mitchell won the catching prize.