RADCLIFFE Cricket Club rounded off their 2004 campaign it not quite the way skipper Graeme Simpson would have liked, with a loss and a draw to finish fourth from bottom of the Central Lancashire League.

"It was disappointing to finish without a win," he admitted: "the way the game was going I thought we had a chance, but it was one of those days, once it started raining it was never going to stop.

"Against Middleton on Saturday we fielded like lemons and dropped too many easy catches. Their opening pair started in a blitzkrieg fashion trying to hit everything and it came off.

"We then got three or four easy wickets before we dropped more catches, which meant they got more runs than they should have done. There's a big difference chasing 150 instead of 200."

The end of the season also brought to an end professional Pasan Wanansinghe's two-year association with the club

"Pasan has been an excellent pro and we will miss him next year," said Simpson.

"If the money was there he'd have been re-signed without a doubt, but money is getting tighter and tighter throughout the game.

"We're looking for someone who can do a similar job to Pasan but who doesn't cost as much, which really limits us to a locally-based player.

"We tried to get Mike O'Rourke from Eagley and Andrew Payne from Rawtenstall, but they've both re-signed for their clubs, so we'll just have to keep looking.

"We may have one or two lads returning to us who were pro-ing this season, otherwise it will be very much the same squad as this year.

"Most of them are under 22 and there is some talent there, but they have to learn from their mistakes. They are nolonger kids and some of them have to realise that first team cricket is not all about having a laugh and a pint and then going home. Some of them will be getting a cricketing rocket up the backside."

After a disappointing defeat the previous day, the Racecoursemen signed off for the season with a rain induced draw at home to Crompton on Sunday.

The home side batted first and had departing paid man Wanansinghe to thank for getting the total to 163-9, as his was the last wicket to fall.

However, apart from his top score of 78 the next highest scorer was that slippery character 'Extras' with 30.

Despite posting a beatable total Radcliffe nevertheless felt confident of victory but were denied the chance with the arrival of the rain, with Crompton on 33-2 off 17 overs. With no further play possible both sides had to settle for two points each.

On Saturday Radcliffe had travelled to Towncroft Avenue, where home side Middleton had the best possible start, with openers Kumasa and paid man Fernando putting on 95 for the first wicket.

The partnership was ended when Simpson caught Fernando (53) off a Bruce Cruse delivery, the first of an impressive six wicket haul.

He then had Jim Ryan caught by Wanansinghe for just four, but a third wicket stand of 32 from Kumasa and Degoe took the score to 145-3, before Kumasa's wicket was claimed by Cruse for a top score of 74.

John Punchard's 42 not out then steered the Moonrakers to 217-7, with Cruse finishing with an impressive 6-81.

In reply Hayes went for 18, he was followed by Cruse and Wanasinghe who put on 44 for the second wicket, before the Radcliffe pro was run out for 20.

The innings then stuttered from one wicket to the next, with only Cruse (with a top score of 29) making double figures, and Radcliffe finished on 110 all out.

CENTRAL LANCASHIRE CRICKET LEAGUE

P OW LW D T L LP Pt

Norden... 28 14 8 3 0 3 1 109

UNSWORTH... 28 11 6 4 0 7 4 91

Littleborough... 28 8 9 3 0 8 5 87

Oldham... 28 7 9 4 0 8 4 83

Heywood... 28 7 9 3 0 9 1 78

Walsden... 28 6 9 4 0 9 2 76

Rochdale... 28 11 2 4 0 11 4 75

Middleton... 28 9 3 2 0 14 6 67

Crompton... 28 5 6 7 0 10 3 66

Milnrow... 28 5 6 4 0 13 5 62

Werneth... 26 6 3 5 0 14 4 56

RADCLIFFE... 28 4 3 7 0 14 6 52

Ashton... 28 3 3 4 0 18 8 43

Royton... 28 4 1 2 0 21 3 31

STAND... 28 3 0 4 0 21 3 26