Ramsbottom hit
●● Main picture picture, Accrington star Ockert Erasmus LANCASHIRE LEAGUE ROUND-UP SHELDAN KEAY
RA M S B O T TOM Cricket Club finally suffered their first loss of the season after a narrow five-run defeat to Accrington.
It was Ramsbottom who won the toss and decided to field at Thorneyholme Road, and it looked to be a wise decision when they took a number of early Accrington winners.
Kieren Grimshaw (2), Jake Clarke (8), Graeme Sneddon (7), professional Ockert Erasmus (7) and Andy Greenwood were all dismissed for single figures in the opening stages to leave the team 45-5.
Accrington managed to put up some resistance after Jonathan Hayhurst (23) and Simon Hanson (15) came to the crease, but once both of those men fell it didn’t take long for Accrington’s innings to come to a close.
The team were eventually bowled all out for 105, with Mike Haslam finishing as the pick of the Ramsbottom bowlers with figures of 4-33, while Tom Booth (3-36) and Daryn Smit (2-23) also chipped in.
A rain delay meant that Ramsbottom’s target was reduced, with the team required to reach 90 runs in 40 overs.
It still seemed like an easy task for the visitors, but an extremely poor start put the team in a precarious position.
Openers Tom Parton and Will Turner could make just three runs between them, while Michael Howarth went for a duck.
Professional Smit went for 11 off the bowling of Erasmus, with Dale Gabriel also going for a duck to leave the team 39-5.
Callum Kay and Fraser Kay tried to see their team over the line when they finished on 28 not out and 12 not out respectively, but Ramsbottom couldn’t reach the total, ending five runs short on 84-5.
It means that their unbeaten run the league has come to an end, losing their first match of the season after 22 games.
Ramsbottom were set to play twice over the weekend, but their scheduled match with Todmorden on Saturday was rained off
ne team that did manage to pick up a win on Sunday was Rawtenstall, who defeated Rishton by seven runs at Blackburn Road.
Rishton won the toss and decided to field in a game that was reduced to 48 overs per side, but Rawtenstall were impressive during the start of their innings.
Opener Daniel Southworth passed his half- century and finished on 52, while professional Nick Maiolo made 32 alongside him.
Rawtenstall struggled to maintain that good start when those two men fell, with Nick Payne (21) and Sam Excell (17) serving as the only other batsmen who managed to reach double figures.
The other six batsmen that came to the crease made just 24 runs between them, meaning that Rawtenstall finished on 152-8 at the end of their innings.
Shaun von Berg (3-42) and Bradley Boddie (3-43) were the top bowlers for Rishton, with Danny Briggs also getting in on the act by taking 2-30.
Rishton got off to a poor ●● Haseeb Azam
It seemed like an easy task for the visitors but an extremely poor start put the team in precarious position
start in their response, with openers Chris Lambert (9) and Matthew Nuttall (5) both dismissed cheaply.
Professional von Berg picked up where he left off with the ball by performing with the bat, hitting an unbeaten 61 as he tried to get his side back on track.
Bradley Boddie made 14 while Jon Dobson was two not out when the