Bolton League Cricket Legends - Grant Leslie Long
Grant was born into a farming community in Grahamstown, South Africa and played first-class cricket, representing Eastern Province and Border from 1979/80 - 1990/1991. He is an aggressive right-hand opening batsman and right-arm medium pace bowler. On the field Grant is always a very competitive package, while off the field he had a quiet demeanour. He is always well supported by his Bolton wife, Sue.
Grant arrived from South Africa in 1984 to play as an overseas amateur for Kearsley. He returned as the Heaton professional in 1986 and then started his long association with Horwich CC in 1988 as professional and in more recent years as amateur.
His best year in the Bolton League was in 1991 when he narrowly missed breaking the league batting record in a season by one run scoring 1565 runs and taking 82 wickets, while in 1988 he won the Professional of the Year award. Grant has scored 1000 runs in a season 7 times.
1992/3 saw Grant move to Tonge CC as pro, and Astley Bridge in 1994.
A welcome return to Horwich in 1995, where he remained for the four seasons, which marked the end of his professional career.
In 1999, Grant played a season down in Cheshire for Oulton Park CC, but decided that the travelling was too much of an ordeal.
Horwich CC, saw the benefit of Grant's return to the Bolton League, when he decided to return as amateur in 2000 and has remained there as captain ever since.
Grant Long is the leading run-scorer in Bolton League Cricket history and with over 20000 runs and 915 wickets is the biggest legend to have graced our town. Well done !!