A COUPLE of Saturdays ago, young Daniel Kegg was stacking shelves in an Asda superstore while Roger Harper was playing one-day international cricket in the Caribbean.

But while the vastly-experienced Guyanan guided his adoring Bacup team mates to their third straight win since arriving back, 17-year-old Nelson seamer Kegg confirmed what a prospect he is by claiming a five-wicket haul - and another much-appreciated collection!

"I'm still at college and it's just what I need," laughed Kegg who burst onto the League scene with a seven-wicket debut against Rishton last weekend after giving up his Saturday job, "it's been amazing just being on the same field as Allan Donald and Roger Harper."

A pity that the lure of the FA Cup Final meant only a smattering of spectators wtinessed a match which, like the Wembley showpiece, slightly failed to live up to expectations. Two of the perennial trophy winners and challengers of recent years struggled to come to terms with a hastily-prepared second-choice wicket and gloomy conditions after overnight rain had seeped under the covers.

"We had a slight advantage because we played on the same track last week," reflected Bacup skipper Peter Thompson, whose half-century steered his side to a healthy total after early alarms. "We knew 120 to 130 would be something to bowl at." Thompson's knock - in a shade under two-and-a-half hours - required monumental patience and concentration after Joe Scuderi had reduced the home side to 52 for 4, including the prize scalp of Harper.

Terry Lord gave his captain support with a typically-bludgeoned 26, but when Kegg got to work and removed the Cronshaw brothers for a pair of ducks, Thompson's target was some way off at 104 for 7.

Andrew Spencer and John Chapman helped Thompson towards his 50 before Kegg accounted for all three to earn his collection and a bonus point.

If Bacup's progress had been funereal, Nelson's was becalmed with Harper and Michael Cronshaw giving nothing away. When Harper got Scuderi to offer a bat pad chance to captain Thompson and followed by having Colin Heap brilliantly snapped up by Cronshaw at gully three balls later the Nelson innings almost ground to a complete halt.

With only 32 on the board at half-way, there was little chance of any fireworks, particularly with Harper's reconstructed bowling action tying one end up. Spencer and Bradley hung around, but David Ormerod tempted both to loft skiers into Harper's hands, among the safest in world cricket, and Bacup's only disappointment was some late-order frivolity from Jason Smith and Martin Heap which denied them the fifth point. "Roger lifts the whole club," said Thompson, "he just has that aura about him and when he turns up you know you have to perform to keep up to his standards."

"We batted poorly and were never really in it," said Nelson skipper Michael Bradley. "We let them get 30 too many. It was doing a bit but you don't expect a beautiful track this time of the year up her and we didn't adapt."

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