BACUP avenged last season's Seedhill semi-final defeat with a comprehensive win to book an all-Rossendale final against Ramsbottom.

And the loudest cheer of the day came from the visitors' dressing room as they learned the draw had given them home advantage.

No need for the enthusiastic Bacup faithful to book the double-decker bus which transported them to Nelson, and match-winner extraordinaire Roger Harper, whose near-perfect all-round display booked his side's passage, enthused: "We have a good following, and it's great that the final is at home, although it's wonderful to reach the final and even better to win it wherever it's played."

Near perfect, because the West Indies star gave Phil Pickles a sniff of a slip chance before scoring and later skied a catch the ball after completing his century (with two needed to win) and even - shock - misfielded a drive off his own bowling.

But it was as near-faultless a display as possible from an all-rounder who would walk into England's Test team if the freedom of Bacup is ever accepted as British citizenship.

For once his perennial long-serving opposite number, Joe Scuderi, had to accept 'best supporting role' status for his patient 85. Had Scuderi repeated his quarter-final assault in the dying overs, Nelson might well have set a more challenging total around the 210 mark, but David Ormerod, who shared 20 wickets with Harper at the weekend, induced a miscued pull to Bacup skipper Peter Thompson. Scuderi had looked set fair to add to his two-hour stay which included seven boundaries.

In truth, the Aussie had little support, other than from opener Duncan Spencer (42) and Paul Garaghty whose 39 included six lustily driven fours.

The last eight Nelson wickets fell for 26 runs and the innings ended with the farcical sight of number 11 Parkinson stumped having the temerity to attempt to reverse sweep Harper, becoming Chapman's fourth victim.

Parkinson's costly opening spell hardly improved his day and though openers Taylor and Killelea perished, Harper found solid support in skipper Thompson, then Terry Lord, who bludgeoned a rapid 22.

The departure of both, swiftly followed by Cronshaw and Pooler, got the hosts interested again, but some ill-disciplined bowling - 16 wides caught behind appeal from David Thompson's first ball, caused Scuderi to express his frustration and earn a rebuke from the umpire.

But Harper's 12th boundary ended any lingering hopes, and it was inevitable that another Scuderi wide levelled the scores before Andrew Spencer stroked the winning runs.

"Two hundred and ten would have been more like it, but we had a chance when Roger was on nought, and though it was a difficult one, these are the special ones you take when teams win things," said Scuderi.

"I don't so much see them as personal battles with Joe, we're both important to our teams, but we gave a very determined performance as a team today" added Harper.

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