ATTOCK A are batting on something of a sticky wicket at the moment.

For the defending league and cup holders are being given a run for their money by surprise package Taverners 'B' -- currently sitting pretty on top of the table.

Attock have already been knocked out of the cup and their league title is now under serious threat.

But hopes of catching the leaders were dashed by the weather as rain stopped play with the game evenly poised with just five overs remaining.

The biggest loser of the no result was Taverners fine all-rounder Shakoor Ali who claimed five wickets and was unbeaten on 45 runs before the heavens opened.

But he was hard pushed for the honours by Attock's Laiquat Khan who smashed a brilliant 57 -- including 20 off one over -- and grabbed a wicket.

Khan was the mainstay of the Attock batting display.

After Nasir Ahmed and Mohammed Ismail, who made 22, were dismissed in successive overs, Khan and Abrar Shah put together a 65 run partnership to put the Haslingden side in control.

The pair took Attock from 33-2 to 95-2 before Shakoor Ali swung the balance in devasting effect by claiming two vital wickets in the 21st over.

Shah was run out for 16 then Ali claimed the all important wicket of Khan who was caught by Anthony Cox. In the last ball of the over Kayber Shah was clean bowled for a duck.

With wickets tumbling, Tanveer Khan added some crucial stability for Attock and batted with a cool head to end up unbeaten on 23.

Ali struck again in his next over to remove Mohammed Sajad without scoring.

Waqar Ahmed then scored eight runs in his first over at the crease before he became Ali's fourth victim in the next over.

Shakeel Khan made a fleeting appearance but added 13 before Ali and the hard working Anthony Cox dismissed the champions for 157.

Taverners response was steady but Mohammed Sajad made a breakthrough in the eighth over to dismiss Dev Ramsing for 14.

Then the struggling Jack Taylor, who injured his back while bowling, succumbed to a low delivery from Sajad in his next over.

John Berko and Ali pushed the Taverners total along but their 50 run partnership was broken when Berko was clean bowled by Laiquat Khan for 17.

Dave Reed looked comfortable when he joined Ali at the crease and hit a tidy 12 before Abrar Shah caught him off the bowling of Ismail.

Big things were expected from the hard hitting Mark Swift but after a mighty four and a couple of singles he departed for seven, caught by Shakeel Khan off Kayber Shah.

But all the time Ali was solid as a rock in the middle and hit four classy boundaries in his unbeaten 45 with Duncan McCormack on 10.

However, after two previous delays, play was finally halted with Taverners 28 runs short of victory with just five overs to play.

SCORECARDS:

Attock 157 (2 pts) Taverners B 130-5 (2 pts)

ATTOCK

N Ahmed b Taylor...4

M Ismail c Singh b A Cox...22

L Khan c A Cox b Ali...57

A Shah run out...16

M Sajad c Swift b Ali...0

K Shah b Ali...0

W Ahmed c M Cox b Ali...9

T Shah not out...23

S Khan c A Cox b Swift...13

T Ahmed b A Cox...2

M Uddin b Ali...0

Extras...11

Total (all out)...157

Bowling: J Taylor 8-2-35-1; A Cox 11-0-53-2; S Ali 10-1-33-5; M Swift 6-1-31-1

TAVERNERS B

D Ramsing c and b Sajad...14

J Taylor b Sajad...17

J Berko b L Khan...17

S Ali not out...45

D Reed c A Shah b Ismail...12

M Swift c S Khan b K Shah...7

D McCormack not out...10

Extras...8

Total (5 wkts)...130

Bowling: S Khan 7-2-21-0; M Sajad 9-2-34-2; K Shah 9-2-30-1; L Khan 3-0-27-1; M Ismail 3-0-12-1