COLNE 167-3, ENFIELD 161 all out.

Colne professional Ben Johnson is not having too many sleepless nights over his batting form just now.

Even the prospect of next Saturday's first meeting with Allan Donald and leaders Rishton can't seem too daunting when your last six scores read 61, 111, 107, 45, 58.

And yesterday's match-winning 93 not out which steered the home side to an emphatic victory over Enfield.

The league's leading runmaker, relishing his first English professional assignment, passed 600 runs for the season early in his innings with a huge pull which cleared the houses across Keighley Road.

And he finished the game in style with the third of his sixes in a 144-ball innings which also yielded nine boundaries.

The stylish left hander summed up his enjoyment of the season so far, saying: "For starters I'm really happy here, it's my job to score runs and I guess I've been successful so far - it's good to be part of a winning team.

"The last few wickets here have been spot on and that's crucial to be able to bat with confidence.

"The guys all stick together and do the work that's to be done, and these people are really proud of their town - it's great to be part of that."

Perhaps the presence of cricket manager Trevor Lonsdale, on the field at the start as sub for an absent umpire, until veteran Wally Garnett was spirited across from his planned afternoon watching Lowerhouse, inspired Colne's early out-cricket. Nick Moulding got rid of Dean Barker and Mas Ahmed, but second reserve Garnett also saw wickets tumble at frequent intervals. None were more significant than the dismissals of Gary Barker and Franklyn Rose, somewhat over-confidently driving his first ball to mid-off, in Kevin Cullen's first over.

Skipper Andy Barker could only watch in horror at the other end, but after having an amazing let off, dropped by Johnson ("I've not even seen him drop one in practice" - said one team mate) hoisted opposing captain Gary Hunt down Daryll Halstead's throat to leave the visitors on 74-5.

Mick Devenney and Neil Holmes staged a revival but perished in the 20s, Eastham went to an outstanding Nigel Rimmer catch in the deep, then a spirited ninth wicket stand of 39 - the innings' best - between Sean Gambles and Zahid Afzal hauled the total to semi-respectability before Johnson claimed the last wickets with consecutive deliveries.

From the instant the Aussie rifle cracked Rose's second ball to extra cover boundary the paid man looked odds on to bat his side to victory.

And so it proved, his parting salvo of three fours and the winning six in five Devenney deliveries ensuring an acceptably early finish.

"We never got a partnership going," said Barker. "We beat the bat a few times, but their pro never gave a chance - he looks to be one of the best bats in the league, a good prospect."

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