By Neil Bonnar

EIGHT clubs will compete for the Tanner Cup this season.

The competition was historically played in the Saddleworth League with the prize first being on offer in 1925.

When the league merged with the Central Lancashire League to form the Pennine League in 2016 the cup went with it and continued to be played for for two seasons until the latter league also folded at the end of the 2017 season.

Now, eight of the clubs that used to compete for it and are now playing in the Greater Manchester Cricket League, will take part in a knockout competition this summer to win the 94-year-old trophy.

The format will be two groups of four teams followed by semi-finals and a final.

Austerlands, Micklehurst, Heyside and Stayley will form one group, with Friarmere, Uppermill, Ashton and Saddleworth in the other group.

The Tanner Cup was donated to the Saddleworth League in 1925 by Harold Tanner, and the first winners were Saddleworth.

Delph have the most wins with 12 including three consecutive seasons from 1972 to 1974.

The highest team score in the cup's history was Greenfield's first-round 433-4 against Shaw in 2015 when deputy pro Colin Viljoen hit 183 not out.

The highest all-time individual score was 243 by Omar Henry of Micklehurst against Newton Heath in 1979, when the ball hit the wickets without dislodging a bail before he had scored a single run.

The lowest score ever recorded was in a first-round match in 1991 when Droylsden dismissed Hollinwood for eight.

Tanner Cup 2019

Fixtures

Group A

Sunday 19th May

Austerlands v Micklehurst

Heyside v Stayley

Sunday 26th May

Micklehurst v Stayley

Austerlands v Heyside

Sunday 16th June

Micklehurst v Heyside

Stayley v Austerlands

Group B

Sunday 12th May

Friarmere v Uppermill

19th May

Ashton v Saddleworth

26th May

Uppermill v Ashton

Saddleworth v Friarmere

16th June

Ashton v Friarmere

Saddleworth v Uppermill

Sunday 7th July

Semi Finals. (two group winners

Final date to be confirmed