Double headers in Lancs
SHELDAN KEAY IT’S set to be a busy weekend in the Lancashire League as the local sides prepare for a double header of fixtures.
League leaders Ramsbottom will attempt to keep up their extremely impressive unbeaten run when they host sixth-placed Todmorden on Saturday.
Ramsbottom are currently two points clear of Burnley at the top of the table with six games remaining this season as they attempt to go the entire league campaign without defeat.
The side then have a trip to Thorneyholme Road on Sunday to take on strugglers Accrington, who are 12th in the table after winning just five games.
One place below Accrington is Rawtenstall, and they’ll be hoping to leapfrog their rivals in the table when they play Nelson at the Worswick Memorial Ground on Saturday.
They then visit Rishton 24 hours later, who sit in eighth place having picked up 102 points from their 20 matches so far this season.
Rawtenstall are in 13th place in the division, with four wins, nine defeats and two no results from their 20 matches.
Haslingden will hope that they can return to winning ways on Saturday when they travel to fifth placed East Lancashire, knowing that a win would see them leapfrog their opponents in the table.
It’s just one game for Haslingden this weekend though, with both them and Burnley not set to compete on Sunday.
Bottom of the table Bacup will look to capitalise on their win over Haslingden last week when they head to Blackburn Road to take on 11th placed Church.
They then return home to Lanehead on Sunday when they host Enfield, who are ninth in the table after six wins this season.
Bacup are currently 20 points adrift at the bottom of the table. ●● Rawtenstall’s Joe McCluskie LANCASHIRE LEAGUE ROUND-UP SHELDAN KEAY
RA M S B O T TOM Cricket Club kept up their hopes of going unbeaten throughout the entire season after a 51-run victory over local rivals Rawtenstall.
The toss was won by Ramsbottom and they decided to bat first at Acre Bottom.
Tom Parton (17) and Will Turner (23) put on nearly 50 for the first wicket, but the team then went from 49-0 to 51-3.
Professional Daryn Smit managed to temporarily steady the ship when he scored 25, but he was soon dismissed off the bowling of Imran Abid.
Jon Fielding finished as top scorer for Ramsbottom with 28, while Dale Gabriel added the only other significant score when he made 19 before he was bowled by Keith Roscoe.
Ramsbottom eventually finished on 148-8 after their 50 overs, with Roscoe finishing as Rawtenstall’s best bowler with figures of 3-29. Rizwan Shafiq and Abid also chipped in, taking 2-32 and 2-42 respectively.
Rawtenstall never got going in their response, and they lost professional Nick Maiolo for 13 when he was caught and bowled by Smit.
Joe McCluskie (24) and Daniel Southworth (16) tried to hit big scores for their side, but the majority of their teammates struggled to contribute.
Fielding got rid of Dean Barlow and George Bevan for a combined score of 12 to leave Rawtenstall 70-5 at one stage.
Nick Payne (13) and Dean O’Brien (10) were the only other batsmen that managed to reach double figures for the visitors, but they were eventually both dismissed by Josh Dentith.
Rawtenstall then collapsed from 92-6 to 97 all out, with Dentith taking the final wicket to hand Ramsbottom the victory by 51 runs.
Dentith finished as the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, ending with extremely impressive figures of 4-8 from his five overs.
Fielding took 3-24, while Smit (2-25) and Mike Haslam (1-41) took the other Rawtenstall wickets during their innings.
The win means that Ramsbottom are now unbeaten in 20 league matches so far this season, with 12 wins and eight no results.
They stay two points clear of Burnley at the top of the table, while Rawtenstall stay in second bottom after suffering their ninth loss of the campaign.
Meanwhile, bottom of the table Bacup finally brought their poor run of form to an end when they defeated neighbours Haslingden by 48 runs.
Haslingden won the toss and decided to field at Lanehead, and it looked like it may be the correct choice when Lewis McIntosh got rid of opener Adam Highley for just two runs.
Professional Haseeb Azam took charge from there for Bacup, passing his half century and finishing on 52 until he was dismissed by Lee Ingham.
Tim Farragher (23) and Matt Thompson (21) did well alongside him, but a collapse by Bacup soon followed when Chris Gansler came in at number five for the hosts.
None of the remaining Bacup batsmen managed to reach double figures, with the seven players managing just 20 runs between them.
Haslingden were a bit sloppy with their bowling and handed 27 extras to Bacup, so it meant that the home side were bowled all out for 145.
Ingham took 4-37 for Haslingden, with professional Babar Naeem also ●● Bacup professional Haseeb Azam hit a half century against Haslingden impressing with 3-45. Jake Neary finished on 2-3 after just one over, while McIntosh had figures of 1-30.
Haslingden struggled in their response, with opener Phil Hayes finishing