AN evening full of sunshine and promise ended at 9.15pm, with rainbowls and the blackest clouds imaginable resulting in an abandoned match and another Under 15 game consigned to the rained-off bin, unlikely to be recycled.

Skipper Ishtiaq Ahmed of Nelson, won the toss and chose to bat and, in the absence of regular opener Lewis Bradley, also offered his services as stand-in opener, along with Raza Ali.

A good tight four-over spell from Church skipper Sam Holt, ensured a slow Nelson start and once Ali's wicket had been surrendered to Holt, a bowling return of four overs, one wicket for nine runs, with no extras conceded was a fair indication of the Church skipper's potential.

Ahmed was joined by Sean Lemon and a stand of 25 followed before Ahmed's painfully slow innings was ended by young Brankin, another Church bowler to return excellent figures of 4-1-5-1. Neil Thompson joined Lemon at the wicket and those two enjoyed the best partnership of the Nelson innings (30) before farce took over.

Thompson was caught out of a no-ball and Lemon decided to run. The taker of the catch, upset at not getting the wicket of Thompson, then had a direct hit at Lemon's end, running him out for 16.

Tom Lord added five and Shamshir Hussain 12 before the Nelson innings closed on 101 with Thompson 28 not out. During the latter stages of the Nelson innings, rain clouds encircled the group with nearby Brierfield being flooded and next door Barrowford swathed in sunshine.

The Church innings started in light rain, and with the Nelson bowlers rushing to get their overs in, Holt was able to feast himself on some fairly erratic bowling before heavy rain followed.

Play resumed and luckily Ahmed and Hussain's opening spell was ended, having conceded 34 runs in four overs.

This allowed the introduction of Jamil and Ali into the Nelson attack, ending both Beaghan's innings of 15 (at the hands of an excellent one-handed catch by Thompson) and Holt's innings of 31. The game ended with a cloudburst with both sides claiming to be in a winning position.

NELSON

R Ali b Holt...2

I Ahmed lbw Brankin...4

S Lemon run out...16

N Thompson not out...28

T Lord b Aspin...5

S Hussain not out...12

Extras...34

Total (4 wkts, 20 overs)...101

CHURCH

S Holt b Jamil...31

L Brankin lbw Ahmed...0

C Beaghan c Thompson b Ali...15

L Aspin c Ahmed b Jamil...1

M Higson not out...9

S Berko b Ali...0

T Laws not out...1

Extras...16

Total (5 wkts, 14 overs)...73