CRICKET: Roger's Harping on!

FOR ALL Roger Harper's heroics at Bacup in a eight-year stay that yielded 8,600 runs and 610 wickets, the Lancashire League title never returned to Lanehead during his tenure of office, writes PETE OLIVER.

In his first season at Nelson, the West Indian all-rounder could at last capture that elusive championship winners' medal.

Harper has guided Nelson to the top of the table and extended their lead when spinning Burnley to an 89-run defeat at Turf Moor yesterday with figures of 6-20 from 17 overs.

He plays down title talk at this early stage of the campaign but with 41 league wickets in the bank already he looks certain to take Nelson close.

"I am very pleased with the day's work, especially because we got the right result.

"It's pretty tight at the moment and the pressure is on us to keep winning. It's early days and we are happy with our position but the pressure is on to keep performing. There is still a long way to go," said Harper.

Set a victory target of 172 in 47 overs Burnley were unable to cope with Harper on a difficult wicket enlivened by recent heavy rain.

Two overs were lost and Harper acknowledged that the weather can play a big part with no re-arranged fixtures and no reduced targets catered for under the rules this season. Yesterday that had no bearing as Harper exploited the helpful conditions which saw him bowl five straight maidens at one point, three of which yielded wickets.

That gave him figures of 4-3 after eight overs and the contest was over.

"When we looked at the way the pitch played we thought it would be difficult for them to get that score," added Harper who earlier weighed in with 41 including two huge sixes.

"It turned quite a bit but it was really the unpredictable bounce. There was also some excellent close catching. All in all our catching and fielding was excellent."

Nine of the Burnley batsman perished to catches, the pick of which was a diving effort by former Burnley YTS goalkeeper Marcus Phelan close in at backward square to remove Peter Brown.

He took a further tumbling effort to account for home skipper Andy McLeod, who stood his ground obviously disappointed at the bat-pad decision. And in all six of the Burnley batsman were snaffled up by fielders around the bat as the ball spun and bounced prodigiously for Harper.

Most disappointing for the hosts, however, must have been the dismissal of professional Anthony Botha who sold his wicket cheaply when pulling Danny Kegg straight down the throat of Duncan Spencer who had positioned himself at deep square specifically for that piece of misjudgement.

That reduced Burnley to 25-4 and without the necessary application, admittedly in trying circumstances, the draw was never an option either as Burnley's run of successive wins was brought to an abrupt halt.

Nelson had no such problems with the bat, even though boundaries remained scarce because of the soft outfield and Botha also got some lift with his left-arm spin.

His only wicket, though, was that of Spencer after the Nelson skipper marked his return to Turf Moor with a half-century. He laid the foundations for victory with a 77-run opening stand with Craig Walton.

That brought Harper to the wicket in the 28th over and the Guyanan added a further 72 before Spencer went at 149.

Harper twice hit David Connolly for six over wide mid-wicket as Nelson pushed on towards their declaration after 51 overs.

That gave them more than enough time to register their fifth win of a season that promises to add some silverware to Harper's enjoyment in his new surroundings. "I am very comfortable with the players I am playing with and thoroughly enjoying it. Everybody is chipping in and playing to their strengths," he added.

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