MATTHEW Mott's Rawtenstall side were at one stage up there challenging for the title but the weather had hindered their progress and they are currently in sixth spot in the Transco Lancashire League.

Their games during the last two weekends have been washed out and before that they slipped to a loss at title challengers East Lancs.

They are still hoping for a top three finish but face third place Todmorden this weekend -- they trail them by 13 points -- and the current pacesetters Bacup on Sunday.

THE last few weeks have been so frustrating with the weather.

I had thought this season we had a big chance to show some sides Rawtenstall meant business and we could finish in the top three.

But the weather has made is difficult especially over the last few weekends.

We were going along all right before that but at the end of the day we need to play.

We have lost four games to the weather and you cannot make that up.

The teams that are up there deserve to be up there but we can't catch them up now.

But there is still plenty to play for.

We face two good sides this weekend, if the games are on, and that will be a test for us.

It does seem a two horse race for the title between East Lancs and Bacup.

There is just four points between them (Todmorden are 39 points adrift of East Lancs) and it will be a real battle between them.

It does all depend who East Lancs get in as their sub pro.

And it will be interesting to see how Bacup bounce back after getting beat in the Worsley Cup. At one stage they looked on course for the double but now there is a threat they could end up with nothing.

It should go down to the wire.

Saying that, it was nice to see my Victorian team-mate Brad Hodge come up with the goods in the Worsley Cup final with Ramsbottom.

I went along to watch him and there was a couple of the Australian Test players, like Shane Warne, taking a break from from the international stage.

We all met up, had a good day, and watched Brad do the business.

I rang Brad up afterwards as I had to leave early and he wasn't overly happy as he felt he hadn't performed as well as he might, despite winning -- and making an unbeaten 86!

Brad is always hard on himself though!

It was nice to see a mate do well although I must admit it was tinged with jealousy as I would have liked to have helped Rawtenstall to the final.

And it would have been even better to be up against Brad.

But it was his day.

At Rawtenstall, it looks like I won't be able to break the club batting record because of the weather although it was never at the forefront of my mind.

I've got about 850 (he topped the averages with 1317 last year) but I am a long way off now.

It just seems everyone has been able to put a run together except us, especially those near the top who have been putting winning runs together.

We seem to win a game here and there but it has been so disjointed.

Still we'll keep trying.