AFTER electing to bat on what looked to be a good wicket, Ramsbottom made painfully slow progress against former Lancashire and England star Ian Austin and former Radcliffe professional Steve Dearden.

They both extracted pace and bounce out of the track and when Austin captured the prize wicket of the Ramsbottom professional, Arnberger, 23 overs had gone and yet the score was only 52.

Attempts to up the tempo resulted in wickets being sacrificed, but Mark Dentith showed how it should be done, playing an excellent innings and falling agonisingly short of a well-deserved half century.

A score of 155 looked woefully inadequate against Haslingden's powerful batting line-up, but to their credit the Ramsbottom bowlers gave it their best shot and the Acre Bottom side may have had a bit more of a shout if Dearden could have been held at slip off the luckless Mike Haslam when he only had three to his name.

As it was Ramsbottom managed to dislodge six of the opposition before Smith ended the game with a monster six with five overs remaining.

Ramsbottom's second eleven enjoyed an excellent weekend. On Saturday David Bell hit 107 not out as they successfully chased a target of 227 to beat Colne and progress to the semi-final of the LET Cup.

On Sunday, Mark Gowers smashed 102 runs off 55 balls as the team posted a mammoth 255 for two against league leaders Haslingden as the rams leapfrogged them in the league.

The shell-shocked opposition offered no resistance and the Rams leapfrogged over them in the league.

HASLINGDEN v RAMSBOTTOM

Ramsbottom

J Arnberger b Austin...26

S Woods b Catterall...24

K Webb c Austin b Catterall...4

S Read c Smith b Dearden...1

M Dentith c Read b Catterall...49

J Harrison lbw Austin...15

M Price b Catterall...6

B Horrocks c Blackledge b Austin...2

M Haslam not out...1

C Eardley not out...0

Extras...27

Total (for 8, 50 overs)...155

I Austin 20-7-54-3; S Dearden 13-2-39-1; S Catterall 17-5-44-4.

Haslingden

G Knowles b Haslam...7

M Ingham c Webb b Price...21

I Austin c Hevingham b Price...27

S Dearden c Price b Read...31

P Blackledge c Haslam b Read...21

S Catterall lbw Price...9

B Knowles not out...4

A Smith not out...13

Extras...23

Total (for 6, 44 overs)...156

M Haslam 15-2-262-1; C Eardley 6-1-14-0; M Price 16-3-48-3; S Read 7-1-22-2.