JACK Simpson has "faced" more deliveries from Ramsbottom's New Zealand star Chris Harris than anyone else in the EW Cartons Lancashire League.

But that was during his days as wicketkeeper with the Acre Bottom club.

Tomorrow at Bentgate, they come face to face again. And this time it's Simpson the opener, and a key figure for his new club Haslingden, who takes on Harris in a crucial top-of-the-table encounter.

Haslingden v Ramsbottom is always a needle match. For Simpson and Bentgate team-mate Steve Dearden, who both quit Acre Bottom during the winter, the derby has extra spice as they face their old club for the first time.

"Personally I want to do well and I know Steve will be anxious to play well too," said Simpson, one of the league's top amateur stars who left Ramsbottom disenchanted with the way he had been deprived of the captaincy.

"As normal, I will be playing to win and I am looking forward immensely to playing against Chris Harris.

"I was instrumental in bringing him into the Lancashire League and his record speaks for itself."

Simpson does not anticipate any hangover from his shock departure and he certainly hopes there won't be any ill feeling.

".I get on with the majority of the players and I hope any rivalry is kept strictly to cricket.

"But I am sure they will be keen to beat us, simply because it's Haslingden they are playing," he said.

"I know Ramsbottom well enough to be aware that they won't need motivating for this game. But that works the same way for Haslingden too.

"Hopefully it will be a nice day and the game is as good as it usually is."

Ironically, he revealed that Ramsbottom - WITH Simpson and Dearden - have had the upper hand in these derbies in the past couple of years.

Now Bentgate's dynamic new duo will be trying to reverse that situation.

There's also a big derby clash at Blackburn Road, where champions Rishton take on East Lancs, the side they pipped by just one point to claim their second successive title last summer.

And there will be no lack of rivalry between South African professionals Meyrick Pringle and Billy Stelling.

The Thorneyholme Road derby could also prove to be very significant as Accrington and Church battle to climb away from the foot of the table.

There are only 10 points between second place and bottom, illustrating how tight the league is at the moment. Tomorrow's games:

Accrington v Church

Bacup v Rawtenstall

Haslingden v Ramsbottom

Lowerhouse v Colne

Nelson v Burnley

Rishton v East Lancs

Todmorden v Enfield

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.