BACUP saw the chance of a possible Transco Lancashire League and Worsley Cup double literally slip through their fingers as awesome Aussie Brad Hodge led Ramsbottom to glory at Lanehead.

Hodge hit an unbeaten 86 to lead Ramsbottom to an ultimately comfortable six-wicket win as they lifted the Worsley Cup for the first time since beating the same opposition in 1996.

The Victorian run-machine followed up his 63, 48 not out and 73 from the previous rounds with another match-winning knock off just 96 balls as Bacup's total of 190 all out was passed with five overs to spare.

However, the champions and current league leaders were left to rue a number of missed chances as they let Hodge off the hook when he had made six, 32 and then 72.

Shaun Young could hardly be blamed for grassing the first opportunity after he did remarkably well to get his hand on a fierce square cut.

However, Peter Thompson and Neal Wilkinson will have been disappointed to have given Hodge the opportunity to further demonstrate his class.

"We knew that if we took our chances and got Brad Hodge fairly early we fancied our chances, but we dropped him three times," said Bacup wicket-keeper batsman John Chapman, who took the man-of-the-match award for a stunning half-century.

"The first one was a really hard chance to Shaun Young and it was a great effort. He actually caught it and it just bounced out as he landed but the second one was a regulation slip catch and then near the end they still needed 30 when we put him down again."

Hodge was only tested thanks to the efforts of Chapman and Peter Killelea, who rescued the home side from desperate trouble with a courageous 86-run partnership for the eighth wicket.

With Young registering a rare failure, Bacup slumped to 44-5 and then 90-7 following a partial repair job from Terry Lord.

But Chapman then seized the moment, hitting two wonderful straight sixes off Hodge in the 33rd over to take Bacup past 100.

With Killelea offering perfect support and punishing anything lose himself, Chapman threatened to take the game away from Ramsbottom with a classic 44-ball half-century which contained five fours and those two sixes to earn a collection of £365.

The pair added their runs in just 14 overs before Chapman holed out in the deep and Killelea perished in similar fashion just four runs short of a deserved 50 of his own.

"Peter said just play your game which I set out to do and I was happy with it," Chapman added. "I always threaten to do that and get to 10 or 15 and get out to a silly shot. But there were a lot of people there to watch and I wanted to carry it on.

"We got into a good position with 190 where we really thought we could pull it off. But it wasn't to be and they deserved to win.

"The best team won on the day."

With 190 on the board, Bacup looked to have every chance but for once Young and and new ball partner David Ormerod were negated.

Nick Riley hammered a couple of early sixes as Ramsbottom built a solid foundation, barely disrupted even when Riley had to go off after being hit on the head by a short delivery from the lively Andrew Spencer.

Some quick thinking by Chapman finally forced a breakthrough as Tommy Read was caught out of his crease and when Mark Dentith lifted a catch to the mid-off, Ramsbottom wobbled at 50-2 in the 17th.

However, Hodge found the perfect partner in Simon Lord as the pair added 55 and while Hodge was at the wicket Ramsbottom were always likely winners.

No two shots were better than the cover drive and pull which greeted the start of Young's second spell and the paid man found the fence 12 times en route to victory, first with the returning Riley and then in company with skipper Mark Price.

"We felt it was a good pitch to bat on," said Hodge. "John Chapman got their side into a good position with a great partnership and our game plan was to build partnerships.

"Nick Riley was exceptional and that start was very important to us and then the idea was to bat around me. I was a bit lucky, but you've got to take that. There were no risks at all. It wasn't one of my greatest innings but it got the job done.

"While I was out there I thought we were in control of the game.

"The amateurs have been playing really good cricket and they have to come through if you're going to win the game."

For Bacup, one half of the double is gone. But Chapman is determined not to end the season empty-handed.

"If I could have tossed up to win the Worsley Cup or the league championship it would be the championship, although I'm sure East Lancs will push us all the way," he said.

BACUP 190

RAMSBOTTOM 192-4

BACUP

P Thompson c Bell b Daggett...10

D Ayres c Hevingham b Haslam...14

Young c Riley b Read...6

M O'Connor c Dentith b Daggett...2

A Spencer c Lord b Daggett...4

T Lord b Price...25

P Killelea c Daggett b Hodge...46

D Thompson lbw Hodge...0

J Chapman c Bell b Read...55

N Wilkinson not out...8

D Ormerod c Riley b Hodge...3

Extras...17

Total (all out)...190

Bowling: M Haslam 10-2-25-1; L Daggett 10-3-44-3; T Read 10-0-31-2; Hodge 9.1-0-42-3; M Price 10-3-40-1.

RAMSBOTTOM

T Read st Chapman b Lord...15

N Riley c Chapman b Lord...40

Hodge not out...86

M Dentith c Ormerod b Spencer...1

S Lord st Chapman b Wilkinson...15

M Price not out...17

Extras...18

Total (4 wickets)...192

Bowling: Young 10-3-28-0; D Ormerod 8-2-26-0; T Lord 10-0-50-2; A Spencer 10-1-39-1; N Wilkinson 7-0-37-1.