Luke Woodcock finally arrived in the Lancashire League on Saturday – and could have been forgiven for wanting to head straight back home until his amateur colleagues at Church fired them to a fine win against Bacup.

The Kiwi was keen to make up for lost time following his much delayed second landing in the UK.

His first trip back in May was brief as customs officers put him straight back on a plane returning to New Zealand because of an issue with his visa.

So with the season at the half-way mark, the 27-year-old was keen to make up for lost time.

But after a second ball duck, Woodcock’s shell-shocked walk back to the West End pavilion must have seemed just as far as the 11,609 miles that separate Oswaldtwistle and Wellington.

At that stage of the game, Church were in trouble at 25-2 as Bacup started so well with sub pro Jonathan Clare ripping out the first two wickets.

And the one that got Woodcock was a real snorter as it jagged viciously to knock his stumps over. Welcome to the Lancashire League.

And when the home side lost another wicket on 28 and were then reduced to 47-4, it really was crisis time.

But Sagawat Husain batted breezily to reach 30 and Levi Wolfenden made 22 as Church recovered well.

They slipped to 109-9, though, as Ben Lord claimed 6-45 before last man Sam Tucker and Ryan North pushed the score on.

In the end, Church got to 133 all out and on a wicket that was giving enough to the bowlers.

It was a good score and Bacup were soon in trouble as Tim Farragher was bowled by Andy Bentley with the second delivery of the reply.

Then in the second over it was 0-2 as Wolfenden had Andrew Spencer quite brilliantly caught by Hussain in the slips.

How Bacup needed a big knock from Clare. The former Burnley wonderkid is now part of the establishment at Derbyshire and is a hugely talented cricketer.

He made light of the difficult track with a glorious flicked four and an effortless straight six straight out of the ground.

But when he was on 15 and Bacup on 28 – just two balls after that picture of beauty of a six – Wolfenden got his revenge by doing Clare for pace and scattering the stumps.

Adam Highly came and went and the distant Pendle Hill disappeared under filthy black clouds – and when the heaven’s duly opened with the score on 33-4, the Bacup fans were certainly happy.

But after the rain delay, Bacup required a reduced 111 with 28 overs remaining.

The game was back in the balance.

But Wolfenden had other ideas. In the first over after the resumption, he had Bleasdale caught again by Hussain, while Bacup skipper Peter Killelea was put down by the normally sure-handed slip off Bentley without scoring.

Wolfenden then dived forward well at mid-on to catch Taylor in style before bowling Scott Thompson to claim his fifth wicket – he finished with 5-39 – and Bacup were 55-7.

Poor old Woodcock had still had no involvement but, finally, with the game rapidly moving to a conclusion, he was handed the chance to show off his left-arm spin.

And with his fourth delivery, he took tge wicket of Danny Hartley.

The game was all but up and Woodcock was happy with his 1-4 from one over… Luke, mate, league life will get better.

Result: Church won by 42 runs (Adjusted target)
Points: Church 12, Bacup 4

Church innings
AF Holt lbw b Clare 9
PJ Sykes lbw b Lord 12
Woodcock b Clare 0
A Greenwood c Hartley b Spencer 1
L Wolfenden c Farragher b Lord 22
S Hussain c Hartley b Lord 30
SR Holt c Clare b Fell 0
PD Gilrane c Hartley b Lord 8
AJ Bentley b Lord 5
R North not out 10
SJ Tucker c Hartley b Lord 9
Extras 27
Total (10 wickets) 133

Bowling: Clare 15 0 54 2; Spencer 8.2 1 19 1; Lord 13.2 1 45 6; Fell 8 4 8 1 Killelea 0.4 0 2 0

Bacup innings
(Target: 112 from 39 overs)
TM Farragher b Bentley 0
A Spencer c Hussain b Wolfenden 0
Clare b Wolfenden 15
A Highley b Wolfenden 8
C Bleasdale c Hussain b Wolfenden 4
A Taylor c Wolfenden b Bentley 5
PJ Killelea c SR Holt b Bentley 13
S Thompson b Wolfenden 8
P Fell c Tucker b Bentley 0
D Hartley c SR Holt b Woodcock 3
B Lord not out 1
Extras 12
Total (10 wickets) 69

Bowling: Bentley 11.5 1 24 4; Wolfenden 10 1 39 5; Woodcock 1 0 4 1