RAWTENSTALL made one crucial mistake in their match with Rishton at the Worswick Memorial Ground - they wound up the wrong man in Russell Whalley.
The Rishton skipper is at his most dangerous when the going gets tough.
And so it proved when a small shandy-fuelled section of the home support regrettably decided to taunt his every stroke.
Instead of extinguishing the fire in Whalley's belly it only seemed to fan the flames.
The louder they jeered the further Rishton's laughing cavalier appeared to dispatch the bowling.
He smashed a quite superb 61 off just 49 balls, blasting five 6s in the process, to set up his side's five-wicket victory with four overs to spare.
"I felt very good out there especially after also having a bit of an argument with Keith Arthurton," said Whalley.
"Once I'd won the battle with him then I knew we would win."
The Rishton captain's hard hitting heroics might have caught the eye. But it was the more subtle skills of professional Corrie Jordaan which provided the platform for his skipper's fireworks.
The South African conjured up his own brand of magic to leave the home side in a spin.
In an amazing spell he ripped the heart out of the Rawtenstall top order on his way to 4-38 from 28 overs.
He had already bowled opener John Hall (6) when he snapped up the all-important wicket of his opposite number Arthurton, caught at square leg by Jimmy Bibby for 2.
And by the time he had skittled Peter Hanson for 23 Jordaan had reeled off 10 maidens in his opening 12 overs, taking 3-2. Simply incredible.
A 53 partnership between Richard Wood (39 no) and Jamie Carter (20) went some way towards repairing the damage.
But Wood's knock - which lasted 94 balls and included just two boundaries - was an indication of how difficult batting had become.
"Corrie bowled magnificently again," said Whalley.
"I don't think there's many pros in this league that have performed as well as he has this season. He was tremendous."
Rishton had just 33 overs in which to get the target of 133 after the home side used their full quota and 12 were lost to the rain.
Stuart Roberts (24) dominated an opening stand of 28 with Bibby before he was caught at slip.
And Bibby (10) then joined him back in the pavilion as Pat Rush claimed his second wicket following another smart slip catch.
Whalley survived a scare when he was bowled by Rush off a no-ball but he did pick up a third victim, bowling Jonathan Dobson to reduce Rishton to 52-3.
That was Whalley's cue to go on the offensive.
A six over midwicket was followed by an even bigger one over deep square leg.
And the next ball went for four as he smashed 17 off one Rush over.
Two more sixes whistled to the boundary in his next over which went for 15.
While in between, Keith Roscoe picked up the wicket of Neil Wells.
That brought Paul Whalley to the crease who soon got in on the act with two fours through midwicket.
Another fierce four brought up Russ Whalley's 50.
And he followed that up with another straight six and a four from the same Roscoe over.
He was finally caught at backward point, appropriately by Rush, with 11 still needed.
But Paul Whalley and John Wharton saw Rishton safely home with nearly four overs to spare.
"It's all good fun at the end of the day. As long as we win it doesn't really matter," said Whalley in reference to the stick from the crowd.
"I said I would have a pint with them after the game but obviously they all ran off sulking.
"A situation like that brings the best out of me without a doubt especially once I get the pros going.
"I was bowled off a no-ball which is one of those things but after that I didn't give a chance."
Rishton's cavalier had undoubtedly had the last laugh.
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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