BACUP had their lead at the top cut down to five points after a 56-run home defeat to Lowerhouse.

After bowling the visitors out for 117, they collapsed to 61 all out as spinner Chris Benbow took 6-31 bowling through the innings.

Bacup player Terry Lord said: "We were confident and thought we'd done a good job bowling them out for 117 but our batting fell apart.

"There were some rank bad shots and it's just one of those days to forget."

after a rain delayed start. Vishal Tripathi (35) and Jonathan Finch (16) put on 49 before Finch was bowled by Chris Simpson. His partner followed six runs later and Chris Bleazard couldn't repeat the heroics of last weekend, making only 4 before being bowled by David Ormerod. Fulton made 28 before being well held by Paul Gallagher off Simpson at deep mid wicket and Matt Hope hit 13 as the visitors struggled to 117 with Simpson taking 5-39 and Ormerod 3-55. The Bacup reply never got going with Gallagher becoming Benbow's first victim at 7 and then Simpson following 2 runs later, bowled when playing across the line to a ball that didn't bounce. Only Matt O'Connor (14) and Chapman (12) made double figures in a sorry display by the league leaders. Bacup stay top by 5 points from Church. Lowerhouse are the first club to win 10 matches this season.

BACUP 61

LOWERHOUSE 117

Lowerhouse 12pts, Bacup 2

LOWERHOUSE

J Finch b Simpson...16

V Tripathi c Killelea b Ormerod...35

Fulton c Gallagher b Simpson...28

C Bleazard b Ormerod...4

C Cottam lbw b Simpson...1

C Benbow b Simpson...4

B Heap run out...2

J Beneduce run out...0

M Hope b Simpson...13

S Riaz st Chapman b Ormerod...1

J Hope not out...3

Extras...10

Total...117

Bowling: T Lord 4.4-1-12-0; D Ormerod 16-2-55-3; Simpson 10.4-4-39-5.

BACUP

P Gallagher b Benbow...7

T Faragher c M Hope b Fulton...2

Simpson b Benbow...2

M O'Connor c Heap b Fulton...14

N Cronshaw c Tripathi b Benbow...9

P Killelea run out...1

T Lord c Bleazard b Benbow...6

A Spencer b Fulton...0

J Chapman c M Hope b Benbow...12

D Ormerod b Benbow...0

D Shaw not out...2

Extras...6

Total...61

Bowling: Fulton 13-5-27-3; Benbow 12.2-5-31-6.