HASLINGDEN skipper Paul Blackledge is well aware that Burnley can spring a shock in tomorrow's Musbury Fabrics Lancashire League showdown.

Needing 22 points from two games to clinch the title, the leaders will take on the bottom side at Turf Moor looking to extend their three-point lead over Church.

Blackledge said: "Burnley can quite easily beat us, they have three or four of the top batsmen in the league.

"There's a fine line between success and failure and if we're not on our game we're in trouble.

"But confidence is at a high and, no disrespect to Burnley or Accrington, but we think we can get those 22 points."

Radcliffe's Pasan Wanasinghe, who lives with Haslingden player Alan Howarth, will be the sub pro.

Burnley have promised to do their utmost to spring a surprise and beat Haslingden to take the title race to the wire.

Captain Ben Law said: "I can assure Church we will be giving everything we've got and fielding our strongest possible side.

"There's only two games remaining and we know we need to win both to have a chance of climbing off the bottom."

Burnley make two changes, with Ian Gade replacing Dave Shorrock and Andy Maguire in for Gareth Halley.

Meanwhile, Blackledge insists that he was right to write off last Sunday's title showdown with Church as an abandoned game.

Both sides had to settle for three points, meaning Haslingden kept the destiny of the title in their own hands.

Blackledge said: "The only way we would have played would have been 50 overs, a 25-over game is just a lottery.

"It can rest on something like one bad decision but nine times out of 10, in a 50-over game, the best team wins and that's the way it should be in a game like that.

"But the field wasn't fit anyway. We did our best to mop it up because I really wanted to play but the umpires said it wasn't fit."

CHURCH now know all hope of landing a first title in 42 years is now out of their hands.

Last weekend's postponement of the game with rivals Haslingden put the Bentgate side in control following their victory at Todmorden the previous day.

That game also sparked controversy as Church are openly furious at Todmorden's decision to drop their opening batsmen to nine and 10 in the batting order and hand the initiative to their opponents.

However, Church have not filed an official complaint to the Lancashire League and will now rely on fate playing its course in the remaining two games.

Church representative Jack Houldsworth confirmed: "We are not looking back, we are looking forward.

"We are not prepared to lose our dignity by putting in any objection. We will just take it on the chin and move on.

"Clearly last weekend's events mean things are now out of our hands. But we can only win our remaining games and see what happens elsewhere."

The West Enders are unchanged for the crucial home clash with Worsley Cup winners Lowerhouse.

RAMSBOTTOM lurk on the frame of the title picture, six points behind Church ahead of tomorrow's home meeting with Accrington.

Captain Richard Hevingham, who welcomes back batsman John Harrrison, said: "We have to keep on winning and hope for a slip-up."