THE annual curtain raiser to the Lancashire League season surrendered to the weather with the match finely poised after Worsley Cup winners Rawtenstall were well placed chasing league champions East Lancs' score of 220-4 at Alexandra Meadows.

A fourth wicket stand of 153 between sub professional James Franklin, of Rishton, and former skipper Mark Lomas lit up a cool grey afternoon with some fine strokes after the home side had struggled to 55-3.

Left-handed New Zealander Franklin was the senior partner, hitting seven boundaries and five huge sixes in an unbeaten 97.

Lomas struck three boundaries and four sixes to lift East Lancs to 220-4 after 50 overs. Both batsmen faced 88 balls.

The first wicket of the season had fallen in spectacular fashion with Peter Seal running out opener Phil Bolton with a direct hit from mid-wicket.

Rawtenstall professional Andrew Payne then entered the fray, dismissing Paul Turner with a ball that kept low and then running out Andy Clague for a well made 32.

Franklin and Lomas led the recovery which was slow at first, but the tempo increased with the introduction of spin at both ends.

Lomas eventually fell, caught behind by skipper Peter Hanson off Keith Roscoe with the score on 208.

Rawtenstall set a cracking pace in reply with openers Payne and Chris Cook-Martin taking boundaries off the East Lancs opening attack.

Cook-Martin survived a strong appeal for a catch behind when he had made 16 before Hugh Doyle joined the attack and removed the young opener for 25 with the score on 64.

The handy medium pacer picked up another vital wicket when Payne holed out to Clague on the mid-off boundary just four runs short of his half century, 13 runs later.

Skipper Hanson picked up the mantle and he was going great guns along with Peter Seal when the rain came with 27 overs bowled.Hanson had already hit two sixes in his innings of 24 and was threatening to take the match by the scruff of the neck at this point.

Both captains received the Ron Singleton Colne trophy, which has been renamed after the late former Assistant League secretary.

SCORECARD

East Lancs

A Clague run out...32

P Bolton run out...4

P Turner lbw Payne...3

J Franklin not out...97

M Lomas c Hanson b Roscoe...67

P Mercer not out...2

Extras...15

Total (4 wkts)...220

Bowling: P Seal 10-1-44-0, R Shafiq 10-3-35-0. A Payne 7-3-25-1, A Clough 10-2-23-0, K Roscoe 10-0-53-1, A Riley 3-0-16-0

Rawtenstall

A Payne c Clague b Doyle...46

C Cook-Martin lbw Doyle...25

P Seal not out...9

P Hanson not out...24

Extras...6

Total (2 wkts)...110

Bowling: J Franklin 7-0-34-0, N Iqbal 6-0-25-0, P Kelly 6-0-15-0, H Doyle 8-0-34-2