WORSLEY Cup holders Burnley are through to the semi finals thanks to the record-breaking feats of Jonathan Clare.

The Burnley batsman, re-wrote the record books with a mighty score of 199 - the best ever by an amateur batsmen in the Worsley Cup in the current limited overs format.

Clare smashed 14 sixes and 17 fours - losing five balls in the process - as Burnley beat Ramsbottom in an epic cup clash at the MyProtein Turf Moor.

MORE TOP STORIES:

Burnley, looking for a record third Worsley Cup win in a row, piled on the runs and finished on 371-7, another Worsley Cup limited overs, as Clare and Vishal Tripathi ripped in to the Ramsbottom bowling attack.

Vishal and professional Chris Holt put together an opening wicket stand of 50 before Holt was caught by Callum Kay off Simon Read for 25.

The brought Clare and Tripathi together who put together a brilliant stand off 120 before Tripathi was caught by Michael Howarth off Michael Haslam for 84-ball 81 which included 11 fours and a six.

Clare then dominated partnerships of 36 with Chris Burton (11), 43 with Dan Pickup (14), 42 with Michael Kelly (14) and finally 71 with skipper Bharat Tripathi (5 not out) with a stunning demonstration of batting power as he launched six after six before eventually falling to Ramsbottom professional Daryn Smit with just four balls remaining.

It was a day to forget for the Ramsbottom bowlers as Simon Read (1-56), Jon Fielding (1-55), Tom Booth (0-67), Michael Haslam (1-68) and Smit (3-74) all took a hammering from Tripathi and Clare in particular.

Ramsbottom needed a strong start to have any chance of catching Burnley and they got it Tom Parton led the fightback with a sparkling 40 out of 46 as they raced to 96-1 in the 14th over.

Fellow opener Callum Kay smashed 44 and professional Smit weighed in with 52 before he was brilliant run out by Bharat Tripathi.

Martin Cropper (21), Booth (26), Michael Howarth (18) and Brad Fielding (17) all chipped in as Ramsbottom made 244 all out.

The Burnley skipper took 4-25, comfortably the best figures of an epic match between the Lancashire League’s top two sides.

Burnley will be joined in the last four by Lowerhouse, Nelson and Accrington who beat Bacup last weekend in the only Worsley Cup game to survive the weather.

At Dill Hall Lane, Enfield’s hopes of making a semi finals for the first time in 11 years were wrecked by Lowerhouse paid man Cobus Pienaar with a fine all-round performance.

The South African took 5-28 and then scored 80 as Lowerhouse won by four wickets.

Enfield won the toss and decided to bat.

Liam Jackson, coming in at number six, top scored with 43 with skipper Adam Bracewell (36), Lewis Wright (28), Liam Bedford (21) and professional Graeme van Buuren (16) all contributed as Enfield were bowled out for 184. Matt Walker took 3-29 to accompany Pienaar’s ‘five-for’.

In reply, Fergus Bailey (7), Charlie Cottam (5) and Jonny Whitehead (13) all went cheaply and Lowerhouse were wobbling at 44-3.

And it could have been worse when Pienaar was dropped on two before going on to score 80 that included 10 fours and a six. The South African was supported by Walker (25) and the pair put on 92 before Paddy Martin hit the winning boundary with five balls to spare to finish on 22 not out.

And Nelson booked their place in the semi finals after beating East Lancs from 121 runs.

Batting first, Nelson piled up the runs, scoring 269-8 with Harrison Phelan top scoring with 79 while Russell Bradley (53) and Tony Hussain 50) making big contributions with Khurram Nazir adding a speedy 39.

In reply, East Lancs pro JP de Villiers smashed three sixes and two fours in his knock of 60 but the visitors were bowled out for 148 with Neil Thompson finishing with figures of 5-22.