THE boys from New South Wales decided the outcome of the Worsley Cup semi-finals in emphatic style.

Ramsbottom's professional Michael Clarke plundered 178 as their opener in a 182-run win over Todmorden, while Church's paid man Mark Higgs set a new club record with his 163 as they notched a 187-run win over Lowerhouse - recording a club record score of 325 into the bargain.

Ramsbottom supporters are getting used to seeing Clarke hit centuries as the incredible young Aussie has now notched five tons.

However, it's debatable if any of the others were quite as good as the 178 he hit to win the semi against Todmorden yesterday and guide the cup holders into this year's final.

It was an innings of poise, purpose and ultimately power. Clarke lustily middled every shot and the ball never beat his unerring bat.

The first over of the day set the tone for what was to follow, with 13 coming off Mark Clayton's bowling.

With Clarke finding his touch straight away the Ramsbottom innings proceeded like the steam trains which rattle past the ground.

His opening partner Nick Riley was given a life on eight but that was a rarity - though it proved a very costly miss.

Clarke playing correctly and efficiently kept the scoreboard ticking over. The first 10 overs went for 59. It was 143-0 when the drinks came out at the 25-overs mark and by then the collection boxes were being rattled for both men!

Riley was eventually caught by Jamie Summerscales off Nigel Hunter in the deep for 61 (his 50 came offer 62 balls and included nine fours) and at that stage the score was 150.

Clarke had time to ease into three figures (his second cup century of the season came off 103 balls) before starting to accelerate.

When he was finally out for 178 he had taken Ramsbottom to 290-4. His stay at the crease was 148 balls in total and he had 21 fours and two sixes to his name.

At the 50-overs stage Ramsbottom were 307-4 and Todmorden knew that they faced a tall order if they were to deny their hosts the final spot.

Losing opener Richard Baigent for just one with the score on four was not what they'd planned and their reply fizzled out before it ever threatened to get going.

Substitute professional Clinton Peake made 26 and Summerscales 33 but the result was never in doubt.

Mark Price's 10-over allocation cost just 19 and he collected four wickets, while a bruised foot suffered when fielding off his own bowling couldn't spoil Riley's day. He added to his half-century by grabbing 3-43 as Todmorden crumbled.

Fittingly, Clarke had the last word taking the final wicket as Todmorden were bowled out for 115.

For Church's Higgs it was a case of battering Lowerhouse -who won the toss and skipper Matt Hope opted to field - into submission.

Church skipper Phil Sykes gave them the perfect start as he notched 54, almost at a run a ball, as he set an opening partnership of 68 with Craig Fergusson.

Higgs then came to the fore and marked his blitz with a stunning show in the 42nd over of the innings when he blasted the second, third, fourth and fifth balls for sixes in an over that recouped 26 runs for Church.

Having set 325 Church then set about Lowerhouse's order with Thomas O'Neill leading the way.

He ended with figures of six wickets for 46 runs as Lowerhouse were ousted for 138 - and their challenge could have been ended far more cheaply had not middle order batsman Gavin Shields provided some stunning resistance with an unbeaten knock of 63.

RAMSBOTTOM 307-4

TODMORDEN 115 all out

RAMSBOTTOM

Clarke c Brierley b Clayton...178

N Riley c Summerscales b Hunter...61

K Webb lbw Hunter...6

J Harrison b Peake...28

A Bell not out...12

L Daggett not out...3

Extras...19

Total (4 wkts, 50 overs)...307

Bowling: M Clayton 6-0-46-1; S Oddy 10-2-38-0; D Parker 7-0-57-0; Peake 10-1-53-1; N Hunter 10-1-50-2; G Weir 7-0-54-0

TODMORDEN

R Baigent c Clarke b S Read...1

G Weir st Hevingham b Price...16

Peake c D Bell b Price...26

J Summerscale c Hevingham b D Bell...33

M Brierley c D Bell b Riley...3

N Hunter c R Read b Riley...9

D Parker c R Read b Riley...0

S Oddy c Harrison b Price...3

P Brierley st Hevingham b Price...0

D Whitehead c Harrison b Clarke...12

M Clayton not out...0

Extras...12

Total (35 overs)...115

Bowling: L Daggett 7-3-6-0; S Read 6-1-22-1; N Riley 10-3-43-3; M Price 10-3-19-4; D Bell 1-0-8-1; Clarke 1-0-12-1

CHURCH 325 all out

LOWERHOUSE 138 all out

CHURCH

P Sykes b Bleazard...54

C Fergusson c Entwistle b Bleazard...18

Higgs c and b J Hope...163

M Aspin b Rudolph...7

J Seedle b Russell...13

T O'Neill lbw b Russell...11

S Tucker b Rudolph...18

N Westwell lbw b M Hope...4

A Bentley run out...1

E O'Neill not out...4

K Fergusson run out...6

Extras...19

Total (37.5 overs)...328

Bowling: J Hope 8.5-1-33-1, Rudolph 10-0-82-2, M Hope 9-0-61-1, C Bleazard 10-0-63-2, J Russell 10-0-70-2

LOWERHOUSE

Rudolph lbwe b S Seedle...23

S Heaton b T O'neill...2

C Bleazard b T O'Neill...1

F Entwistle c C Fergusson b T O'Neill...11

D Whalley c K Fergusson b T O'Neill...0

C Cotton c Higgs b Seedle...2

M Hope lbw b T O'Neill...0

G Shields not out...63

J Benaducci c Tucker b T O'Neill...3

J Hope c Higgs b Westwell...9

J Russell c T O'Neill b Aspin...10

Extras...15

Total (25 overs)...138

Bowling: T O'Neill 10-1-46-6, J Seedle 8-1-18-2, A Bentley 2-0-24-0, N West well 1-1-0-1, K Fergusson 2-0-20-0, C Fergusson 1-0-5-0, Aaspin 3-0-19-1.