CLASSY pro Chris Cook-Martin is loving his first taste of the Ribblesdale League – and is now hoping he can get the runs to make his debut season a big success.

The Oswaldtwistle Immanuel paid man has hit 446 runs in 11 league knocks for the New Lane outfit and now he wants to look at doubling that number to help his side towards the coveted Lancashire Cup places in a season which is shaping up as one of the tightest in years.

Just 49 points separate leaders Clitheroe from bottom club Salesbury – and Cook-Martin’s efforts with the bat have helped Immanuel into fifth as the season hits the half-way spot on Saturday.

Their recent run has seen them beat high-flyers Read and current league leaders Clitheroe – and three wins on the spin have shot Oswaldtwistle up to that impressive fifth place to defy the pre-season predictions of tipsters.

“I started slowly and the team started slowly but we are beating a few teams now and the league is tight this year so you never know what will happen,” said the 25-year-old former Rawtenstall amateur star.

“To be honest I don’t look at the stats too closely – but if I can get up to eight or nine hundred runs it will be a decent season after a pretty slow start.

“And if I could get that eight or nine hundred or even a thousand, it would not be too bad for my first season in the Ribblesdale League.”

Cook-Martin has one century to his name so far and is in good nick at the moment making 84 at the weekend as Immanuel beat Earby in a bizarre match at New Lane.

Earby looked red-hot favourites to win as they closed in on a 190 target only to somehow fall four runs short to give Immanuel their third league win on the spin.

“We have beaten two of the top three in the league and Earby are a side who are likely to be up there as well so Saturday was a big win for us,” said Cook-Martin, who was pro at Bolton Association outfit Astley and Tyldsley last season.

“Saturday was a weird game to play in. Earby had it won or so it seemed.

"I have never seen a side slip like that and fall short when the professional is there.

“I have never seen Ali Azmat bat but I have been told that he hits a good ball and he has had some runs this season.

“But on Saturday he was very patient and we bowled well.

“Gerard Metcalf and Imran Abid are good bowlers for us and they really put the pressure on, they don’t concede many.

“They make it better for me as the pro as well. Gerard is amazing really, he just never gives the batsmen a chance.

“It takes some of the pressure off me. When I have been proing before I have had to bowl a bit but I can concentrate more on the batting now - and they can defend a target.”