WORSLEY CUP SEMI FINAL

Ramsbottom 213 for 9

Church 158 all out

There will be no Worsley Cup Final for Church after Ramsbottom deservedly won by 55 runs.

Jamaican Brenton Parchment has had half a season to get used to Lancashire League ways and condtions and how it showed as the home pro made a match-winning 76 - in truth if he hadn't got out with 14 overs to go the margin could have been more emphatic - as Luke Woodcock struggled after being thrown into such a massive occasion within days of his arrival.

There were the usual spirited comebacks and impressive pockets of resistance from Philip Gilrane's never-say-die side who reduced the hosts from 149 for two to 192  for 9 at one point but a  late rally from the last Rammy pair followed by a desperate start to the Church innings meant that we were pretty much always second favourites to go through.

Ramsbottom, put in, lost Alex Bell superbly run out by Wolfenden just before an early rain stoppage but the contrast in their score after 10 overs -56 for one - with Church's difficult crawl to 13 for one at the same stage tells its own story.

Parchment laid into us from the off and if it was a relief when Keith Webb went for 27 (86 for 2) there was unconfined joy when Parchment chopped on - now it was a different game.

Assisted by some lemming-like suicidal middle-order bating - three totally barmy attempts at clouting Sam Holt into the paper mill in the same over ended up pouched with grateful thanks by fieldsmen - the brakes were applied and the target at least kept within reason.

But the loss of Alec Holt second ball of the innings followed by Phil Sykes' departure in the face of hostile spells from Haslam and MacLean meant  that Luke simply could not afford to get out and was unable to bat with any freedom.

When he edged Parchment to give Hevingham a third catch it looked like game over at 36 for three off 18.

Adam Greenwood and Levi Wollfenden did a decent rebuilding job but MacLean in his second spell got Levi and then bowled Sag Hussain when it needed a good half-hour of Sag's strokeplay at least to worry the home side.

Adam's brave effort ended when he lofted one to extra cover which Parchment chased and hung onto off his own bowling.

Some lusty blows from the captain and Andrew Bentley gave the Church support some hope but both inevitably perished as the asking rate was just a bit much even for this determined outfit.

No time for feeling sorry for ourselves though - how often in your career, on losing a semi-final, will you get an opportunity to play another big semi-final next time out ? -

And that's the case for Church who will be looking to banish the blues by beating Burnley in the 20-20 semi-final at home on Friday.

 Sam Holt 10-2-46-4

Phil Gilrane 10-0-41-2

A Bentley 10-1-32-1

A Greenwood 37

P Gilrane 25

L Wolfenden 24