CRICKET: Golden Brown!

ALTHOUGH he failed to make a deserved century, Michael Brown may yet look on his innings against Colne as a coming of age.

There have been better batting performances perhaps by the 17-year-old Burnley opener, who is now clearly prospering after being introduced to the Lancashire League at a green 15.

But he has never led from the front, gutted it out when it was needed to transform an increasingly bleak situation, quite like he did yesterday at The Horsfield.

It was an innings Colne captain Gary Hunt graciously described as "class" and one Burnley fans will know brought them back into a game they looked likely to lose.

The Colne total was hardly overwhelming on a good, fast track, about 20 short of what Hunt would have been completely satisfied with though he declared himself "happy enough".

But he would have been delighted when Burnley were curtailed to just 36 in the first 18 overs and by the stark statistic that, with 25 overs remaining, the visitors required six an over to take the game. He might have been less optimistic if he had been aware of the fact that, as a raw 17-year-old, Michael Brown's great uncle, Fred, took 66 wickets in the Lancashire League for the Turf Moor club before giving up cricket to become a virologist (studying viruses and the diseases they cause).

For Michael was about to follow in Fred's footsteps - granted with the bat, but having the same corrosive effect on Colne as the ailments Fred devoted his post-cricket life trying to produce antidotes to.

Together with Phil Edmondson he battled to 71 for the first wicket, before the introduction of professional Dale Benkenstein, still unable to bowl because of spasms in his back. The South African's nippy 49 contributed to an important stand with Brown of 110 for the second wicket.

But it was a fortunate shot over mid-off's head early into his innings that Brown described as the turning point.

"I was about 30 and mid-off walked in three or four yards before I a shot which just cleared his head and went for four runs," recalled Brown.

"And I knew I was lucky with an lbw decision off Ben Johnson - they were confident when they appealed and I thought, 'That's close!' "But after that I worked it round quite well and the secret was how we ran between the wickets because I only had 10 boundaries."

Earlier Johnson, the Colne professional who seems to be slipping neatly into top form, had also bladed 10 boundaries in a superb 68 before being skittled by David Shorrock.

At that stage Colne were on 122-2 with 16 overs remaining and in a commanding position.

But Shorrock was to claim three more victims, as did David Connolly with only Laycock and Woods keeping the run-rate ticking over for the home team.

Still, it was not a particularly relishing prospect for Burnley having to chase almost 200 runs.

But they managed it, the only criticism from captain Peter Brown - Michael's father - was their slow progress at the start of their reply.

"Chasing 200 is never easy especially when you've got to just 35 or 36 after 18 overs," he said. "We didn't play very well in the early part. But we picked up the tempo and performed well in the middle third of our innings.

"We still have a long way to go in terms of learning how to win the tight matches but this was a satisfying win."

For Colne, it was a case of an opportunity lost.

"With East Lancs losing, we failed to capitalise," he said. "But we play Burnley again next week so there's a quick chance for revenge."

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