JUST when things seem to be going great, something comes along to trip you up.

In fact, in Radcliffe Cricket Club's case, it was a double whammy that knocked them off the trophy trail as they went down to a crushing 143-run semi-final defeat in the Inter League Challenge Trophy before failing in the league 24 hours later.

Radcliffe's hopes of a major trophy this season were high after they had moved to within sniffing distance of the Central Lancashire League leaders just seven days previously.

But coming on the back of that cup disaster, their two-wicket defeat at Walsden last Sunday was even harder to bear.

Against East Lancs in the Trophy, the Blackburn side batted first and ran up a sturdy total as their first four batsmen got amongst the runs.

Radcliffe simply had no answer when they took to the crease. Only Damion Keegan really troubled the scorers to any degree with 21. Nick Kennedy was the only other Radcliffe batsman to reach double figures -- and only just at that with 10.

The visitors hopes of reaching the final ended when they drove through the gates and they weren't shouting about their total of 68 all out as they drove hurriedly back through them again a lot earlier than anticipated.

Radcliffe did a little better with the bat up in the hills at Walsden. Batting first, they managed a total of 144 aided by knocks of 33, 25 and 24 from skipper Graeme Simpson, Kennedy and John Macauley respectively.

It wasn't enough though as Walsden hit the target with two wickets and five balls to spare despite the efforts of Dearden and Holt, who both claimed three wickets, the latter boasting figures of 3-19.

A sad weekend then, with just a point to show for it after going into it with horizons so much higher.

EAST LANCASHIRE

v RADCLIFFE

EAST LANCASHIRE

A. Clogue lbw Kennedy...39

P. Bolton b Holt...67

P. Turner c Simpson b Dearden...34

C. de Lang c Dearden b Shah...30

P. Mercer b Shah...5

G. Rose not out...2

K. Umerji run out...1

N. Iqbal run out...1

Extras...32

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Total (for 7) 211

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45 overs

S. Dearden 9-0-56-1; S. Shah 8-2-24-2; J. McLean 4-0-23-0; N. Kennedy 9-0-38-1; S. Holt 9-2-30-1; St Kelley 6-0-32-0.

RADCLIFFE

S. Dearden c Coopes b Mercer...8

D. Keegan c Mercer c de Lang...21

B. Cruse c Fairless b Iqbal...1

G. Simpson c Turner b Mercer...2

N. Kennedy c Egan b Mercer...10

G. Nicholson c Egan b Mercer...1

J. Macauley c Mercer b De Lang...9

S. holt c Clague b Fairless...4

St Keley c Clague b Fairless...1

S. Shah c Egan b Fairless...8

J. McLean not out...0

Extras...3

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Total 68

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25 overs

N. Iqbal 5-1-9-1; P. Mercer 9-1-31-4; C. de Lang 8-1-18-2; J. Fairless 3-0-10-3.

WALSDEN v RADCLIFFE

RADCLIFFE

S. Dearden c Dewhirst b Plane...10

D. Keegan c Dawson b Plane...4

T. Birt run out...0

B. Cruse st Dawson b Bandaratthilake...4

G. Simpson lbw Hooson...33

N. Kennedy run out...25

J. Macauley st Dawson b Hooson...24

S. Holt st Dawson b Hooson...0

St Kelley b Bandarathilake...5

S. Shah not out...9

J. McLean b Bandarathilake...16

Extras...14

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Total 144

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49.4 overs

A. Plane 12-5-37-2; N. Bandarathilake 20-5-50-2; M. Hooson 13-1-36-3; G. Brandwood 5.4-0-16-1.

WALSDEN

M. Dawson b Shah...20

N. Bandarathilake c Simpson b Dearden...24

D. Blake c Macauley b McLean...25

M. Hooson c Cruse b Holt...25

D. Bailey st Macauley b Holt...22

S. Hanson b Holt...4

J. Rollingson c Keegan b Dearden...10

N. Barker not out...7

A. Plane b Dearden...0

C. Dewhirst not out...4

Extras...6

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Total (for 8) 147

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49.1 overs

S. Dearden 18-5-40-3; S. Shah 14.1-0-37-1; N. Kennedy 5-0-27-0; J. McLean 5-2-20-1; S. Holt 7-2-19-3.