ACCRINGTON'S clash with Burnley at Thorneyholme proved to be a valuable lesson in timing in more ways than one, writes ANDY NEILD.

There was nothing wrong with the timing of Burnley's professional Anthony Botha and skipper Andy McLeod in an exciting third wicket partnership which reaped 83 valuable runs.

But Mcleod's timing was not quite as impeccable when it came down to deciding when to declare.

With 16 overs lost to the weather at the start of this match the Burnley skipper opted to bat for 50 overs - five overs too long in many observers' eyes - leaving his bowling attack with just 34 overs to bowl out the home side.

And despite the valiant efforts of Botha, who gave every last drop in snapping up all seven of his team's victims, their time finally ran out.

"I suppose we could have declared a little bit earlier but it is always very difficult when the other team has a batting pro," said Botha.

"You'd rather be safe than sorry in a sense because Ryan is reknowned for hitting the ball hard. We knew that if we got in amongst them early then we had a great chance to win.

"But as it turned out we could have done with another five or six overs. Yet they also had a good chance at one stage. "It is very hard to manufacture a result in an 85 over game."

The visitors had 25 on the board before opener Chris Swift was run out.

And Peter Brown (23) suffered a similar fate soon after he and Botha had brought up the 50.

That brought McLeod and Botha together and the runs started to flow despite an outfield saturated by the weather. The South African played quite beautifully before perishing for a 96-ball 57 when Mick Demaine held onto a catch on the boundary.

And Steve Juliff then took a caught and bowled chance to dismiss McLeod four runs short of a deserved half century to leave Burnley on 150-4.

Ian Whitehead and Ben Law eeked out a further eight runs before McLeod belatedly called a hault, setting the home side 159 from 34 overs.

If Accrington were going to pick up maximum points then all hinged on professional Ryan Campbell.

He and fellow opener Stefan Heins made serene progress early on until the Australian upped the tempo with successive square cuts which raced to the boundary as Botha struggled to find his length.

Heins also got in on the act with the first of three glorious drives through extra cover off Steve Holden at the opposite end.

But just as Accrington started to look likely, Campbell (31) nicked a delivery from Botha and McLeod held onto a sensational catch.

That was a hammer blow.

Heins struck two more elegant boundaries before an ugly looking shot to a straight full toss gave Botha his second victim.

And two balls later Kaz Shazad chipped a simple catch to David Connolly in the covers as Accrington slumped to 58-3.

Mark Stevenson thumped a meaty blow through extra cover for four but went for one big hit too many not long after, pulling a delivery from Botha straight down the throat of David Brown at deep square leg.

From there on in only one side could win as Botha took centre stage.

Sajid Sadiq was completely bamboozled by one that turned.

And Mick Demaine departed in similar style soon after he had smashed Botha out of the ground to bring up the 100.

Paul Barratt and Steve Birtwistle put up the shutters hoping to bat out the remaining five overs.

But Botha grabbed his seventh wicket - just in the nick of time - when Birtwistle was caught in close off the penultimte ball of the match to give his side the consolation of an extra bonus point.

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