HASLINGDEN run machine Mike Ingham shows no sign of slowing down as he drives the Bentgate outfit to another title challenge in the Musbury Fabrics Lancashire League.

The league's most prolific ever scorer may now be 47, but is still one of the hardest batsmen to shift, as he underlined with his second unbeaten half-century in as many days yesterday to lead Haslingden to a seven-wicket derby success over Ramsbottom.

Having helped secure a Worsley Cup semi-final spot on Saturday, Ingham followed up his 55 against Church with an unbeaten 59.

His innings, which included eights fours and a six, took his league run tally for the summer to 326 and also, it's believed, enabled him to equal his father John's club record of 126 career not outs.

"People were on about me retiring, but I've still got a hunger for it and I'm still scoring runs. You're a long time retired," said Ingham, whose 104-run partnership with substitute professional Pasan Wanansinghe took Haslingden to the brink of victory.

Haslingden are looking to sign a replacement for the injured Andrew McDonald - with Franklyn Rose one possible name in the frame - but in the mean-time are keeping a twin hunt for honours alive with stand-in pros.

"A lot might depend on whether we can get a pro full-time," Ingham said. "That might be the key. Having someone down here on a Tuesday and Thursday as well is much better. We did the double (in 1997) with sub pros so it is possible, but it's not ideal."

And Ingham believes a title tilt is a realistic target.

"Week-in, week-out, teams are losing at the top. Every weekend something seems to be happening," he added. "We have said that if we can put together a run of eight to 10 wins, it's there for the taking."

Haslingden were happy to be chasing just 162 for victory yesterday after injury-hit Ramsbottom failed to build on a promising start as Michael Blomley pegged them back with a seven-wicket haul.

Openers Keith Webb and professional Murali Kartik had put on 72 inside the first 16 overs before Blomley struck in his first over, removing Kartik and triggering a collapse that saw the visitors slump to 98-5.

Ramsbottom were becalmed although a 46-run partnership between Mark Gowers and Bobby Horrocks, whose 26 included two sixes, edged them towards respectability before Blomley mopped up the tail to finish with 7-43.

Haslingden's reply was always likely to depend on how they dealt with the slow left-arm of Kartik, who headed the league's bowling averages going into the game.

The Indian international removed Barry Knowles and Liam MacIntosh to take his wicket tally to 32 and reduce the home side to 36-2. But a rejected appeal for leg before against Ingham, when the batsman played no stroke to his first ball, signalled almost the end of his joy.

Kartik did claim the wicket of Wanansinghe to a catch in the deep to finish with 3-56, but by then Haslingden were within 22 runs of maximum points and Kartik's frustration had boiled over into an exchange of words with Ingham and a ticking off from umpire Clifford Ashworth after another rejected appeal against Wanansinghe.

Ingham later put it down to derby tension which ended with handshakes all round, and the Haslingden batsmen certainly had little to get upset about.

Neither took liberties against Kartik, apart from a straight six apiece, but feasted on anything over-pitched from the other end.

Wanansinghe's 50 came off 87 balls with a six and six fours, while Ingham faced nine balls fewer for his half-century, and typically saw the job through to the end.