Finally, just 27 years and another 400 innings after making his first appearance for the club, Denis Hobson, an almost unique one-club man, walked from the wicket appropriately enough on his own ground, for the last time, having 7,516 runs, 218 wickets and 96 catches under his ample belt.

In the New Year of 1980 it was becoming more and more apparent the wise choice the Cricket Club had made in electing David Farnworth as its President. Only the sixth in its 100-year history, he had brought a different kind of Presidency, than the Club had enjoyed from his distinguished predecessors, unobtrusively and gradually taking over the guidance and direction of the club. With the help of a superb team of workers he had gathered round him, more improvements were on the way. Through the introduction of ambitious, enjoyable and successful entertainments, the club had begun to reap both financial and social benefits.

There were high hopes for the 1980 season. Duncan Worsley stayed with the club, and played as an amateur, and Jim Mitchinson, after years of professional cricket, which had included two with Bradshaw, returned to the club. With a new professional in John Hemstalk, and Phil Isherwood, who had shared almost equally with Duncan Worsley 109 of the 130 wickets to fall in 1979, the side appeared to be better placed than ever for bowling. The batting that had been able to take care of itself in recent years, would also be strengthened by two new additions.

Even allowing for the loss of captain Mike Hardcastle through injury, finishing in the league fourth-position was a disappointment, that was exceeded only by that in a fantastic Hamer Cup semi-final at the Rigbys, when Horwich needed more than 50 runs off the last four overs, still had the luxury of a ball in-hand when the winning hit was made.

There had been a record-breaking match at home against Tonge earlier, when the game ended with Bradshaw 254 for 6 yet three runs behind Tonge's score, the total runs being 30 more than the highest aggregate previously recorded in a Bolton League match. Housley with a century, and Engineer 57, had led the way for Tonge. Paul Sharrock launched a savage attack on Hohns the Tonge professional, in Bradshaw's reply, before leaving 122 runs later with 77 runs to his own name including 5 sixes and 7 fours. Brian Cole and John Hemstalk also scored half-centuries.

There was no such luck in the Hamer Cup final at Eagley. The sun did shine this day but not on Bradshaw. In trouble at 33 for 4, the situation had hardly improved at 109 for 9, when an exciting last wicket stand by John Hemstalk and Phil Isherwood added 54 valuable runs. The damage however had been done and the batting of Egerton's professional, Mir, unbeaten with 72, was far too good for the bowling.

On the credit side Dave Edmundson shared the League catching prize. The debit was a farewell to Duncan Worsley, who, back to his best bowling form, left the club to take up a professional engagement with Heaton.

In the early eighties the club, enriched by the services over many years of four of its members, had chosen to honour them by bestowing life membership. The first was Mrs. Nellie Ward, who, in over a quarter of a century's association with the club, had, in addition to the work done in the tea room, been secretary of the Ladies Committee for twenty years, before serving five years as its Chairman or Vice-Chairman.

Mr. Albert Kay and his wife Connie, were elected in 1981. Albert, who has held most of the important club offices, started with Bradshaw as a player in 1950, after having been with Westhoughton. He captained the first team in 1957-58 and three times won the club batting prize, before retiring from playing in 1960, by which time he had already served 5 years on the Cricket Committee, of which he became Chairman in 1962.

By 1966 he was combining this duty with that of Club Chairman, holding both positions until 1971. From 1973-75, he was one of the cricket club's representatives on the Management Committee, and in 1976 he accepted an invitation to fill the vacancy left by the death of Mr. Fred Lomax in the required number of four Trustees.

Irrespective of the above services the Club could with justification have similarly honoured Albert for the work done over most of these years in his capacity as voluntary-groundsman.

Connie Kay, from the beginning, involved herself in the club's affairs, working each home Saturday in the tea-room, whilst acting as the Ladies Committee's Vice-Chairman for seven years, its Treasurer for three, and Chairman for two, before taking the onerous responsibility of Cricket Club Treasurer, and holding the position for five years.