Lancashire League feature game: East Lancs 55 all out, Nelson 48-1 (reduced target)

EAST Lancs' new professional Claude Henderson has moved to the Meadows in a bid to broaden his cricketing education.

And he couldn't have had a better opening lesson than that handed out by Nelson's veteran spin-king Roger Harper.

The West Indian took 96 wickets to help the men from Seedhill claim their first Lancashire League title in five years last season.

And both Harper and Nelson showed enough in this nine-wicket victory over last season's runners up to suggest they're going to have a major say in the destiny of the championship again.

Harper was far from his devastating best in a 19.5 over spell which reaped 5-18.

But he still demonstrated all the poise and control which have become his trademark to help reduce the home side to a meagre 55 all out. Henderson was suitably impressed.

"We lost wickets very early and in this type of cricket you need to occupy the crease," said Henderson.

"But they bowled very well, Roger Harper in particular.

"He's a good, experienced cricketer who uses his head and you can see why he's so well respected in this league."

Henderson will be hoping some of that Harper magic will rub off on him during the coming months.

In his brief spell in this match, the South African slow left armer did enough to suggest he'll cause one or two batsmen plenty of problems this summer.

And East Lancs are certainly going to need him in what looks like being a transitional season.

The Meadows seemed strange without the likes of Phil Mooney, Mark Lomas, Ian Haworth and David Pearson who all quit last year.

But Henderson insists he can help mould the club's young guns into a major force, even despite this early set-back. "I haven't seen the players we've lost, I'm only interested in the players we've got now, and I'm sure we can definitely go places with this side.

"The spirit is right and we've got good players throughout the team.

"We've just got to do the right things at the right time." On a damp track, East Lancs made heavy weather of it in the opening stages as Harper and Danny Kegg turned the screw.

That pressure eventually told and openers Andy Clague and Phil Bolton were both run out trying to accelerate the run rate.

Once Henderson was fourth man out - caught at silly mid-on off Harper for six - the tail collapsed in dramatic style, losing six wickets in the space of 14 runs, to set Nelson a paltry 56 for victory.

That target was reduced to 47 when 10 overs were lost to rain and things might have been more interesting had Chris Walton not been dropped close in with the score on 10.

A superb slip catch from Jan Van Boeckel did account for Duncan Spencer with 25 still needed.

But that only brought Harper to the crease and he immediately upped the tempo by straight driving Nassar Iqbal for four off his first delivery.

And he wrapped up the match in typically cavalier style with a steepling straight six onto the bowling green a couple of overs later to seal a very comfortable nine-wicket win with more than 20 overs to spare.

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