BILLY Stelling isn't bluffing when he says: "East Lancs don't deserve to win the league this season!"

The popular professional will, of course, be trying his hardest to make sure the Marsden BS Lancashire Cricket League championship trophy finishes up at Alexandra Meadows.

And he does feel it is a possibility for his team to finish top.

But he readily admits that, with the inconsistency they have shown this season, East Lancs could even finish as low as fourth or fifth.

Tomorrow, the Meadows men take on an Enfield side they obliterated a couple of weeks ago at Dill Hall Lane.

But Stelling isn't taking anything for granted, even though his team have narrowed the gap between themselves and leaders Rishton to just five points.

"I don't think we have played well enough to win this league," he said quite bluntly.

"If we had played well throughout the season then we would be 10 points clear.

"But we have fielded poorly and batted poorly at times.

"Having said that, we are not an exception, it has been the same for the other top teams.

"We are probably among four sides who could still finish top - and could finish fourth.

"If you look at the remaining games we have to play teams like Haslingden, Nelson, Todmorden and Rishton and they are all games we could lose if we don't play well.

"So I am not even thinking in terms of winning anything, just the next game."

Stelling firmly denied any false modesty about his team's title hopes.

And, when you consider that the eventual champions are likely to lose double the games Rishton lost last summer, he begins to look more a realist than a pessimist.

But they are all in the same boat.

Tomorrow, East Lancs will be hot favourites to repeat their recent runaway victory over Enfield, but Stelling, again, adds a cautionary note.

He said: "It depends on how we play, it will be a different ball game at East Lancs where Franklyn Rose could cause big problems.

"It's a terrible batting wicket and, if you bat first, you can defend a low total there."

Rishton have come apart at the seams in the last couple of weeks. First their batting collapsed at Haslingden, then the bowling was savaged by Bacup.

They will be aiming to get back on course to retain their title when they visit bottom club Accrington.

The pressure is on them now that their lead has been whittled away to just five points and they will need all the experience they acquired during last year's successful run-in.

Ramsbottom are just about hanging in there, as inconsistent as the rest.

But tomorrow's opponents Church gave them a scare when the teams met at Acre Bottom.

Tomorrow's games: Accrington v Rishton, Bacup v Lowerhouse, Burnley v Rawtenstall, Church v Ramsbottom, East Lancs v Enfield, Haslingden v Colne, Nelson v Todmorden.

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