PRO Luke Woodcock starred with the bat as Nelson dumped Lowerhouse of the Worsley Cup to set up a semi-final battle with his old club Church next month.

The Liverpool Road quarter-final loss was Lancashire League leaders Lowerhouse’s first since the opening day of the season – and Woodcock was inspirational with a fine innings to see Tom Lord’s men over the line and into that mouthwatering last-four clash.

Batting first, Lowerhouse collapsed from 32-0 to 43-5 as Neil Thompson (3-15) and Richard Meade (2-15) wreaked havoc until captain Charlie Cottam and 18-year-old Fergus Bailey rallied.

They shared an 83-run stand for the sixth with before Cottam went for 44 and Bailey eventually fell for 50 – but their efforts helped the House up to 169-8 from their 50 overs Peter Dibb, looking good since his move from Ribblesdale League champions, made 18 and Stuart Lemon 27 in a 53-run opening stand for Nelson – but three quick wickets left them on 54-3 and rocking.

However Woodock played a classy innings, hitting 68 not out to see off the rapid threat of Lowerhouse paid man Francois Haasbroek (4-21) as Nelson got home with nine balls and four wickets to spare.

Church’s passage to the semi-finals was via an epic at Haslingden as they got home by just one wicket.

Phill Hayes had top scored with 77 as Haslingden racked up 222-9 at Bentgate with Mo Imtiaz (37) and Graham Knowles (26) also contributing well.

In reply, Church appeared to be coasting at 120-2. But the departure of Saeed Anwar for 44 and Mohammed Jamil for 48 led to a nervy finish.

In the end last man Sam Tucker joined Adam Greenwood at the crease with five runs needed – and they eeked out the win.

Todmorden beat a massively understrength Rishton by 3pm in a game that marked the return to the middle of umpire Clifford Ashworth after he was hit in the face 10 days ago.

With the majority of the Rishton team at the wedding of skipper Jimmy Bibby, third team captain Steve Juliff led the side and batting first at Centre Vale and they were hustled out for just 36.

Professional Qaiser Abbas (3-2), Steve Barker (2-9), Lee Pearson (2-13), Paul Senior (1-2) and James Morgan (1-10) did the damage to Rishton’s much weakened side in just 24.5 overs before Todmorden dashed home in six overs.

They will play Ramsbottom in a repeat of the 2009 final after Jon Fielding’s men beat Enfield by 17 runs at Acre Bottom.

Shanan Stewart hit 76 and David Bell made 60 as Rammy posted 227-5 from their 50 overs.

Enfield were in determined mood but their reply was badly hampered by Simon Read, who claimed 7-31 to put Enfield’s dreams of a win to an end.

Haslingden v Church

Haslingden innings
GA Knowles run out 26
S Kershaw b Wolfenden 4
LG Ingham b Jamil 21
Hayes not out 75
M Imtiaz c Anwar b Wolfenden 37
J Taylor c Gilrane b Wolfenden 8
M Ahmed c Tucker b Wolfenden 8
G Sudworth b Anwar 12
A Marcroft b Anwar 3
JE Neary b Jamil 0
S Shah not out 1
Extras 27
Total (9 wickets) 222.

Wolfenden 10 0 62 4, Jamil 10 3 29 2, Bentley 10 0 56 0, Anwar 10 3 28 2, Gilrane 10 0 43 0.

Church innings
LBP Wolfenden b Neary 11
C Fergusson c Ingham b Neary 34
Anwar LBW Neary 44
N Hussain c Ingham b Sudworth 37
M Jamil c Imtiaz b Shah 48
P Howard c Taylor b Ahmed 2
M Mehmood c Ahmed b Shah 6
PD Gilrane b Neary 7
A Greenwood not out 6
AJ Bentley LBW Ahmed 0
SJ Tucker not out 1
Extras 27
Total (9 wickets) 223.

Neary 10 4 26 4, Ahmed 9 0 59 2, Shah 10 2 34 2, Sudworth 10 0 41 1, Knowles 10 0 52 0, Imtiaz 0.2 0 4 0.

Church won by 1 wicket.

Lowerhouse v Nelson

Lowerhouse innings
JA Finch c Bradley b Meade 1
JJ Whitehead b Meade 18
J Martin b Thompson 2
Haasbroek b Thompson 0
CJ Bleazard b Thompson 2
CR Cottam c SM Lemon b Woodcock 44
FB Bailey b Lord 50
J Beneduce b Nazir 10
MJ Walker not out 16
Extras 26
Total (8 wickets) 169.

Meade 10 5 15 2, Tahir 4 0 14 0, Thompson 10 4 15 3, Woodcock 10 1 51 1, Nazir 10 1 37 1, Lord 6 0 32 1.

Nelson innings
SR Lemon c Cottam b Haasbroek 27
P Dibb c J Martin b Haasbroek 18
Woodcock not out 68
DA Crotty b Haasbroek 0
SM Lemon c Bailey b Haasbroek 25
K Nazir run out 0
NS Thompson run out 13
TA Lord not out 4
Extras 15
Total (6 wickets) 170.

Haasbroek 10 3 21 4, Walker 6.3 0 23 0, Russell 10 1 46 0, Finch 10 1 34 0, PTBM Martin 7 1 27 0, Bailey 5 0 16 0.

Nelson won by 4 wickets.

Ramsbottom v Enfield

Ramsbottom innings
KT Webb c Hussain b Coetsee 27
J Pilling LBW Afzal 1
Stewart run out 76
DM Bell not out 60
AW Bell c Gowers b Wrigley 24
JM Fielding run out 1
Extras 38
Total (5 wickets) 227.

H Fazal 10 1 34 0, DJ Bracewell 3 0 36 0, Afzal 10 1 27 1, Coetsee 10 0 33 1, Whittaker 10 1 48 0, A Fazal 1 0 11 0, Wrigley 5 0 31 1, Hussain 1 0 2 0.

Enfield innings
A Fazal LBW SEJ Read 27
A Gowers st Parton b Fielding 25
Coetsee c Webb b Stewart 10
J Wrigley c Parton b Fielding 41
AP Bracewell c Fielding b SEJ Read 45
S Hussain LBW SEJ Read 0
Z Afzal c Stewart b SEJ Read 3
DJ Bracewell c AW Bell b SEJ Read 16
H Fazal c Webb b SEJ Read 5
J Cook b SEJ Read 5
A Whittaker not out 1
Extras 32
Total (10 wickets) 210.

Haslam 10 1 40 0, Hakin 10 0 48 0, SEJ Read 10 1 31 7, Stewart 10 0 38 1, Fielding 10 1 43 2.

Ramsbottom won by 17 runs.

Todmorden v Rishton

Rishton innings
Silva c Whitehead b Pearson 0
BR Bridson b SR Barker 5
S Wyse c and b Pearson 7
L McVarish run out 0
M Nuttall b SR Barker 0
L Sawyer b Abbas 2
J Brown c Senior b Morgan 10
SW Juliff LBW Abbas 0
D Curran LBW Senior 2
M Dalvi b Abbas 5
D McVarish not out 0
Extras 5
Total (10 wickets) 36.

SR Barker 8 6 9 2, Pearson 6 1 13 2, Abbas 6 4 2 3, Morgan 4 0 10 1, Senior 0.5 0 2 1.

Todmorden innings
SD Newbitt not out 25
BD Sutcliffe not out 10
Extras 5
Total (0 wickets) 40.

Silva 3 0 28 0, Brown 2 0 6 0, Juliff 1 0 6 0.

Todmorden won by 10 wickets.