THE destination of the Transco Lancashire League championship trophy is back in Ramsbottom's hands after a brief hiccup.

Theirs was the only game to be rained off on Saturday and Bacup seized the opportunity to leap-frog to the top.

But both Valley teams clashed in a low scoring game on Sunday when the Rams took 12 points to Bacup's four and they are six points clear of Bacup and East Lancs with three games remaining.

It was Todmorden's ground which was plagued by too much rain on Saturday and with Bacup taking 12 points from their match with Colne, the Sunday clash at Acre Bottom was a vital one.

But scoring runs was always difficult and painfully slow as visiting professional Adam Dale opened with seven maidens, ending the day on 3 for 46 and claiming his 100th wicket of the summer.

But he couldn't get the scalp of Tommy Read who top scored with 39 invaluable runs which helped Ramsbottom ease their way into three figures, Read eventually bowled by David Ormerod who took an excellent 6 for 55.

Those figures were bettered by home bowler Lee Daggett for the 17 year-old, who had played for Lancashire seconds in midweek, responded with a brilliant return of 6 for 20 of 16.5 overs.

Only one of the Bacup batsmen reached double figures and the challengers were blasted out for 73 with Mike Haslam and Tommy Read each enjoying two dismissals.

GREENMOUNT were on the receiving end of a BOLTON LEAGUE revenge mission at the weekend.

They faced Tonge, the club they defeated in the Hamer Cup final a couple weeks earlier, and went down to a two wicket defeat.

It was meant to be day of celebration for Tonge's star pro Iqbal Sikander but the show was stolen by the supporting players.

The Bolton club laid on a Saturday night bash to mark the pair man's seven year reign but it was Ian Taylor who took the bowling honours with a seven wicket haul.

Greenmount were dismissed for 136, Taylor finishing with 7-89, Sikander claiming the other three wickets to fall for 25.

In reply, Mark Stewart led Greenmount's bowling attack and quickly started to pick up wickets to reduce Tonge to 103-8, which was effectively for nine wickets following an injury to Nigel Hallows.

That brought the best out of Kevin Kirkpatrick but it was a tall order as his side needed 16 off the last two overs to win.

That was redud to seven needed from the last and a six off the first ball of that led the way to Tonge's winning 137-8.

RUNAWAY Bolton Association leaders Walshaw slumped to their first defeat of the season at Clifton.

The Sycamore Road club would have been virtually assured of a second successive championship had they beaten their closest rivals but they went down to a six wicket defeat.

Clifton's heroes were Gary Tonge who picked up 6 for 40 while professional Steve Holt returned 4 for 10 before they knocked off what was required for the loss of four wickets.

However there was something to brighten a miserable day for Walshaw when 16-year-old stumper Anthony Harris broke the Association's wicketkeeping record..

Twenty-four hours earlier Walshaw's game against Golborne was washed out.

Skipper Rob Faulkner hit an unbeaten 86 in the innings of 197-4, while Mark Goddard added 53, but Golborne didn't have the chance to reply.

While Walshaw were washed out local rivals Elton were probably left wishing they had been.

They were on the end of a seven wicket hiding at the hands of Spring View who overhauled their 177 for 7 mainly thanks to a half century from Rob Turnbull.