A CRICKET match was abandoned after an umpire collapsed when he was hit in the face by the ball.

Alan Chisnall was taken to hospital after being injured during the final over of a semi-final match in the Rawtenstall Floodlit Festival last night.

Ramsbottom's Lee Daggett hit the first ball of the final over back towards the Haslingden bowler and it took a deflection before hitting the umpire. An ambulance was called and Mr Chisnall was taken to hospital. He was later released and was today recovering at his home in Swindon Hall Road, Nelson.

Ramsbottom needed three to win in their final over in the match, at the Worswick Memorial Ground, Bacup Road, Rawtenstall, and secure a place in the final.

Officials awarded the match to Ramsbottom because they had scored 23 off the previous eight previous balls and had five wickets remaining.

The four-team tournament also included teams from Rawtenstall and Bacup.

Mr Chisnall is well-known umpire in the Lancashire League, which includes teams from Accrington, Bacup, Burnley, Church, Colne, Blackburn, Enfield, Lowerhouse, Nelson, Ramsbottom, Rawtenstall, Rishton and Todmorden.

Peter Daggett, coach and manager for Ramsbottom and also Lee's father, said: "My son, the batter, hit a really fast straight drive back to the bowler, it caught his finger tip and it just flicked into the umpire's face.

"It hit him right between his eyes. It was awful.

"When we left, one of his eyes was completely closed and there was a lot of blood.

"Lee was quite upset because he had hit it and he had never seen anything like that before."

Mr Daggett, 48 of Woodhill Road, Bury said: "We were only three runs off winning as well."

Mike Ingham, a batsman at Haslingden said: "It all happened in a flash, he just couldn't have moved out of the way in time.

"He should be fine today. I had a similar thing happen to me and he'll need quite a few stitches."

Mr Ingham, 47 of Holcombe Road, Helmshore said: "The lighting isn't the best there but I don't think it would have made much difference.

"He's in his 70s but it happened so fast no-one could have got out of the way of that."

Umpire secretary for the Lancashire League, Peter Hargreaves, who had officiated during Tuesday's other semi-final match, won by Rawtenstall, said: "This is very worrying because it is the first time I have heard of an umpire being taken to hospital.

"I have been told Mr Chisnall was released from hospital at around 1.45am today and has a black eye, which is closed, and is very sore at the moment.

"I have known umpires being hit by a ball during a match but they have always been well enough to carry on.

"The game is played under floodlights and a while ball is used with black screens at each end but towards the end of a game the ball can get discoloured making it harder to see.

"I've had a few close calls and you have to be on your mettle in that situation."

The Rawtenstall Floodlit Festival follows similar rules to the national Twenty20 competition played between England's county clubs, in which each side has just 20 overs to score as many runs as possible.

Due to rain, last night's game was reduced to 10 overs each, and Haslingden had made 122-7.

Mr Chisnall was today back at his home today but declined to comment.