RADCLIFFE were celebrating a tremendous victory over Central Lancashire League champions Rochdale at the weekend.

Three fine innnings' of 41, 24 and 23 from Bruce Cruse, Michael Ramsbottom and Steve Dearden, backed up by a great knock that yielded 27 more runs from Graeme Simpson steered the Racecourse men to a superb two-wicket win.

Substitute professional Danny Marsh from Todmorden, standing in for Rochdale's regular paid man, South African Dirkie de Vos, was the star with the ball for Rochdale, taking six wickets for 65 runs from his 22 overs.

Earlier, Dearden with a haul of three wickets for 35 runs from 15 overs, five of them maidens, and Chris Garner, with four for 85 from 25 overs, three of them maidens, had restricted Rochdale to 182 for seven.

Paul Butterworth, with a fine unbeaten knock of 58, and Lee Cryer, who hit 54 runs, were the stars of the Rochdale innings.

Rain stopped play during the Radcliffe innings briefly, but certainly nowhere near long enough to put a dampener on what turned out to be probably one of the best performances of the season so far from Radcliffe.

Radcliffe entertain Walsden at the Racecourse Ground on Saturday before travelling to take on Crompton on Sunday.

STAND opener Steven Capron broke his sternum during the home match against Werneth, but carried on batting and then fielded.

Despite his heroic efforts though, Stand still crashed to a nine-wicket defeat.

Capron suffered the painful chest injury after a collision with Stand professional Brad Flegg. Those two batsmen were the only ones to score any runs, with Flegg smashing an impressive 72 and Capron reaching double figures as Stand were bowled out for 117.

The damage was done by Werneth all-rounder David Lees, who finished with excellent figures of 8 for 46.

Stand never really worried Werneth's batsmen and the visitors cruised to victory, opener Entwistle hitting 62no and Australian Brendan Nash 34no in the winning total of 118 for 1.

UNSWORTH suffered a heavy defeat at Oldham, skittled out for just 68 in reply to the home side's total of 153 for 9.

Unsworth started well in the field, with Warren taking the wicket of Odham's pro Brandon Nash for just four.

Warren was the pick of the bowlers, ending with fine figures of 5 for 51 off 17 overs, with professional Wanansinghe taking two for 45 off 18.

But Unsworth batted poorly, only wicketkeeper John Harrison putting up any serious resistance with a battling 19, and they collapsed to deafeat in 35 overs.

Nash and Andrew Shadford were the best Oldham bowlers, picking up three wickets each.