IT took longer than expected, but that didn't lessen the pleasure when Ramsbottom retained the Lancashire League's Worsley Cup on Tuesday night.

The rain-affected showdown began on Sunday with the Rams winning the toss and electing to bat.

The visitors had brought five coachloads of supporters and they soon made their voices heard when Nick Riley was bowled by John Seedle for six.

Skipper Mark Price then joined his professional Michael Clarke and slowly but surely the runs started to flow.

Price seemed to have played himself in and a big partnership looked on the cards when he flashed at a wide delivery and was brilliantly caught by the Church wicketkeeper who was standing up.

David Bell soon followed, unluckily run out, and then short afterwards the large Church contingent erupted as their professional Mark Higgs snared Ramsbottom paid man Clarke, caught at point getting a top edge while trying to slog sweep.

When Read fell with the score in the 90's things looked bleak for the Acre Bottom side but John Harrison and Lee Daggett set about repairing the damage, picking up quick singles and punishing the odd bad ball.

The score had reached 120 when Daggett was comprehensively bowled by veteran Nick Westwell who exploited plenty of movement off the pitch.

In the same over Alex Bell was brilliantly stumped by Tucker and Bobby Horrocks joined Harrison who began to play some excellent shots.

The pair were together when, at 149 for 7 with five overs of the innings remaining, the rains came and prevented any more play for the day.

Under normal circumstances that would have meant the game resuming the following Saturday but with both professionals leaving to join the Australia A squad on Tuesday it was decided by the league executive that the match would continue on the Monday night at 6.30pm.

Monday heralded a better day conditions-wise and both Harrison and Horrocks set about the bowling in determined fashion with the former looking to take most of the strike.

Fittingly Harrison was rewarded with an excellent half century only perishing, like his fellow tailenders, in the search for quick runs.

A total of 177 was always going to prevent a big challenge to Church but the Rams know they had to get the opposition professional early doors or it could be game over!

After four overs Ramsbottom's worst fears looked like being realised as Church had raced to 32 without loss and Higgs had smashed the new ball into the River Irwell.

The defining moment of the game came in Riley's third over. He managed to get a ball to leave Higgs late and found the edge of the bat.

The ball flew to slip and veteran skipper Price took a magnificent diving catch.

Ramsbottom then started to put the brakes on the scoring and when bad light stopped play Church had progressed to 73 for 2 off 24 overs, O'Neill being the other batman to perish.

Tuesday's pleasant evening brought out another large crowd to watch what appeared a well-balanced game.

However, Ramsbottom had a fresh 19-year-old in Lee Daggett ready to rumble.

Within his first three overs he changed the whole complexion of the game having Sykes brilliantly caught at mid-off by Eardley then clean boeling Aspin and Holt.

He finished off his spell by bowling the experienced Seedle and posted the wonderful figures of 4 for 19 off his 10 overs.

Bowling in tandem with Price (0 for 19 off 10) they put a complete stranglehold on the Church batting to ensure the famous old cup went back into the Ramsbottom trophy cabinet.

All that was left was for Riley and Eardley to mop up the tail end before the celebrations could begin in earnest.

In a close run contest Harrison just pipped Daggett for the man of the match award.

RAMSBOTTOM v CHURCH

RAMSBOTTOM

M. Clarke c Aspin b Higgs...40

N. Riley b Seedle...6

M. Price c Tucker b Westwell...16

D. Bell run out...0

S. Read c Holt b Higgs...10

J. Harrison run out...53

L. Daggett b Westwell...17

A. Bell st Tucker b Westwell...0

B. Horrocks b Westwell...9

R. Hevingham not out...1

C. Eardley run out...2

Extras...23

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Total 177

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50 overs

T. O'Neill 10-0-37-0; J. Seedle 9-1-44-1; N. Westwell 10-2-21-4; Higgs 10-3-20-2; C. Fergusson 6-0-16-0; P. Gilrane 5-0-26-0.

CHURCH

Higgs c Price b Riley...20

P. Sykes c Eardley b Daggett...23

T. O'Neill c D Bell b Clarke...8

M. Aspin b Daggett...11

A. Holt b Daggett...4

S. Tucker run out...11

J. Seedle b Daggett...15

N. Westwell c Riley b Eardley...1

A. Bentley c Read b Riley...2

P. Gilrane not out...0

Extras...19

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Total (for 9) 114

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44.2 overs

M. Clarke 10-3-19-1; S. Read 8-1-25-0; N. Riley 6-0-27-1; M. Price 10-1-19-0; L. Daggett 10-2-16-4; C. Eardley 0.2-0-0-1