ANDREW Payne hit a magnificent century as Rawtenstall sent reigning champions Ramsbottom crashing to a third straight defeat yesterday.

Payne’s heroics came in a quite remarkable game as Ramsbottom’s grip on the silverware was loosened by their local rivals.

Payne, who made the Lancashire League’s highest amateur score to win last year’s Lancashire Telegraph Batting Tankard, scored 103 and Nilantha Cooray hit 90 in an unbroken stand of 200 for the third wicket in a run fest at Bacup Road.

Fans saw an incredible league record 616 runs in the game as Ramsbottom pro Shanan Stewart hit 150 in his side’s 306-5.

But Rocky were magnificent in reply as they got home quite amazingly with five overs and three balls in hand.

That loss hit Ramsbottom’s title hopes badly, especially as Lowerhouse won yet again, beating Rishton by 74 runs at Liverpool Road.

Francois Haasbroek top scored with 70 as the House made 239-7 before he claimed three wickets in the win.

Lowerhouse are now 38 points ahead of Rammy but just seven ahead of Todmorden, who beat Church to go into second.

Simon Newbitt made a brilliant 125 as Todmorden racked up 242-7 before Qaiser Abbas claimed six wickets to bowl Church out for 124.

Nelson did Lowerhouse a favour by beating high-flying Accrington at Thorneyholme Road.

Neil Thompson made 64 and sub pro Kashif Siddique hit 51 as Nelson posted 207 – and then Clitheroe paid man Siddique claimed 5-22 in 10.4 overs and Richard Meade returned 4-52 as Accrington were 105 all out.

Michael Brown top scored with 46 for Burnley as they beat East Lancashire at Alexandra Meadows.

Despite Brown’s efforts Burnley were bowled out for 203 with young Danny Chester claiming 5-36 to earn a maiden league collection.

But the East Lancs batting flopped, aside from Mini Bhada’s 62, and they were 169 all out.

Haslingden recovered from 10-3 to 169 all out – and were beaten by Bacup at Bentgate.

Muneeb Ahmed made 60 batting at number 10 to boost Haslingden’s total – but solid batting saw Bacup home.

And there was joy for Colne as they won their second game on the spin.

Mansoor Ahmjad (101) was a ton-up hero as Colne posted 241 all out at The Horsfield.

Then Nathan Whitehead claimed six wickets to bowl Enfield out for 208.

Accrington v Nelson

Nelson innings
SR Lemon c Hayhurst b Zaidi 41
NS Thompson st Wilson b Zaidi 64
Siddiq c Ali b Hayhurst 51
P Dibb c Lloyd b Hayhurst 12
TA Lord c Hargreaves b Hayhurst 0
SM Lemon c Wilson b Zaidi 8
K Nazir not out 4
R Bradley not out 2
Extras 25
Total (6 wickets) 207.

Ormerod 16 1 73 0, Hayhurst 13 0 41 3, Zaidi 16 1 52 3, Hargreaves 5 0 25 0.

Accrington innings
SPS Crabtree c SM Lemon b Halstead 1
SJ Hanson c SM Lemon b Meade 14
GD Lloyd c Dibb b Meade 12
Zaidi c SR Lemon b Siddiq 24
GL Sneddon b Meade 7
M Ali c Heap b Meade 6
M Wilson lbw b Siddiq 6
LA Brankin b Siddiq 0
B Hargreaves not out 12
JE Hayhurst b Siddiq 0
DN Ormerod b Siddiq 4
Extras 19
Total (10 wickets) 105.

Meade 17 1 52 4, Halstead 6 1 21 1, Siddiq 10.4 4 22 5.

Nelson won by 102 runs. Accrington 0 pts, Nelson 12 pts.

Colne v Enfield

Colne innings
L Rimmer c Gowers b Jackson 1
S Tillotson b Jackson 0
Amjad c and b Wrigley 101
N Whitehead c Hussain b Coetsee 13
T Jamil lbw b Jackson 0
EM Walker c Gowers b Coetsee 37
J Lambert b Coetsee 17
B Patel b Wrigley 13
A Holt c Bracewell b Coetsee 14
NA Rimmer c Coetsee b Jackson 14
D Wallbank not out 0
Extras 31
Total (10 wickets) 241.

Jackson 16 4 51 4, Demaine 3 0 24 0, Coetsee 21.3 2 104 4, Afzal 6 1 21 0, Wrigley 3 0 26 2.

Enfield innings
A Fazal c Whitehead b Walker 4
Z Afzal st Tillotson b Whitehead 18
Coetsee b Walker 0
LL Jackson c Tillotson b Whitehead 34
AP Bracewell b Whitehead 43
J Wrigley lbw b Whitehead 42
S Hussain st Tillotson b Amjad 2
K Demaine b Amjad 4
A Gowers c Tillotson b Whitehead 10
JE Cook not out 20
A Whittaker b Whitehead 4
Extras 27
Total (10 wickets) 208.

Holt 5 1 19 0, Walker 7 0 26 2, Whitehead 19.1 1 92 6, Amjad 17 2 59 2.

Colne won by 33 runs. Colne 12 pts, Enfield 4 pts.

East Lancashire v Burnley

Burnley innings
A Beet c Lomas b D Chester 5
MQ Ali c A Chester b D Chester 1
A Tate b Erasmus 18
Wasim b Erasmus 32
CT Burton c Westhead b D Chester 30
MJ Brown c DCT Turner b NJ Turner 46
MR Kelly run out 20
SR Brunt c Westhead b D Chester 7
P Mortimer not out 6
C Hayman c Mini Bhada b Erasmus 2
J Capstick c A Chester b D Chester 0
Extras 36
Total (10 wickets) 203.

Bolton 10 3 20 0, D Chester 9.1 0 36 5, DCT Turner 8 0 39 0, Erasmus 15 1 64 3, NJ Turner 7 0 34 1.

East Lancashire innings
MC Lomas st Burton b Wasim 16
Minhaj Bhada c Kelly b Capstick 62
JPA Turner c Wasim b Capstick 18
Erasmus b Wasim 2
Mohammad Bhada lbw Wasim 14
MJ Bolton c Brown b Wasim 8
DCT Turner c Brunt b Capstick 4
A Chester st Burton b Wasim 13
NJ Turner b Capstick 4
B Westhead st Burton b Capstick 1
D Chester not out 0
Extras 27
Total (10 wickets) 169.

Mortimer 5 0 17 0, Hayman 6 0 22 0, Wasim 19 2 69 5, Capstick 17.1 2 52 5.

Burnley won by 34 runs. East Lancashire 4 pts, Burnley 12 pts.

Haslingden v Bacup

Haslingden innings
Hayes c Warren b Sipocz 5
GA Knowles c Lord b Sipocz 0
J Taylor c McGregor b McCluskie 1
M Imtiaz st McGregor b Naeem 32
LG Ingham c McGregor b McCluskie 8
SJ Kershaw b Sipocz 11
A Marcroft b Naeem 0
G Sudworth c Warren b Naeem 4
M Griffin c McGregor b McCluskie 16
M Ahmed c Cunliffe b Lord 60
JE Neary not out 11
Extras 21
Total (10 wickets) 169.

McCluskie 11 2 61 3, Sipocz 14 4 39 3, Naeem 17 5 33 3, Warren 4 0 30 0, Lord 0.1 0 0 1.

Bacup innings
JT McGregor c Knowles b Sudworth 29
Naeem c Marcroft b Griffin 26
J Cunliffe c Marcroft b Sudworth 10
H Butcher c and b Neary 26
M Thompson c Ingham b Sudworth 21
J McCluskie not out 26
A Spencer not out 13
Extras 20
Total (5 wickets) 171.

Neary 14 2 36 1, Ahmed 8 0 47 0, Griffin 6 0 20 1, Sudworth 17.3 4 50 3, Knowles 3 0 13 0.

Bacup won by 5 wickets. Haslingden 1 pt, Bacup 12 pts.

Lowerhouse v Rishton

Lowerhouse innings
BR Heap run out 57
J Martin c Bibby b Holt 1
PTBM Martin c McVarish b Hutchinson 0
Haasbroek c Leathert b Sartaj 70
FB Bailey c and b Holt 34
CJ Bleazard c Bibby b Hutchinson 12
CR Cottam c Bartley b Hutchinson 24
J Beneduce not out 10
MJ Walker not out 4
Extras 27
Total (7 wickets) 239.

Holt 25 4 85 2, Hutchinson 13 1 72 3, Sartaj 8 0 55 1, Wyse 4 0 21 0.

Rishton innings
A Bisoodwall c Cottam b Haasbroek 19
Holt c Whitehead b Haasbroek 12
MT Leathert c Cottam b Haasbroek 0
A Bartley run out 19
Irfan Muhammed run out 41
JT Bibby c Walker b Russell 4
L McVarish c Bailey b PTBM Martin 17
M Patel b Beneduce 11
S Hutchinson not out 13
G Wyse c Russell b Beneduce 1
AA Sartaj b Beneduce 0
Extras 27
Total (10 wickets) 165.

Haasbroek 13 2 39 3, Walker 7 1 28 0, Bailey 7 0 15 0, Russell 8 0 37 1, PTBM Martin 9 1 26 1, Beneduce 2 0 12 3.

Lowerhouse won by 74 runs. Lowerhouse 12 pts, Rishton 0 pts.

Rawtenstall v Ramsbottom

Ramsbottom innings
KT Webb b Cooray 31
T Parton b Payne 14
Stewart c DG Barlow b Shafiq 150
DM Bell st Hanson b Roscoe 19
AW Bell b Cooray 8
JM Fielding not out 67
RE Read not out 0
Extras 17
Total (5 wickets) 306.

Shafiq 6 0 65 1, Payne 11 2 39 1, Cooray 21 3 109 2, Roscoe 12 0 85 1.

Rawtenstall innings
J Kerrigan c Rothwell b Gabriel 42
Dean Barlow c Parton b SEJ Read 6
AJ Clough lbw b Fielding 51
Cooray not out 90
A Payne not out 103
Extras 18
Total (3 wickets) 310.

Haslam 13 2 65 0, SEJ Read 11 0 70 1, Fielding 11 1 75 1, Gabriel 7.3 0 63 1, Stewart 2 0 31 0.

Rawtenstall won by 7 wickets. Rawtenstall 10 pts, Ramsbottom 0 pts.

Todmorden v Church

Todmorden innings
SD Newbitt c Fergusson b Bentley 125
BD Sutcliffe c Hussain b Bentley 0
SR Barker c Fergusson b Bentley 10
Abbas c Gaskill b Bentley 51
N Barker run out 6
PD Senior c Wolfenden b Anwar 1
A Sutcliffe c Fergusson b Anwar 18
MJ Brierley not out 6
F Priestley not out 1
Extras 24
Total (7 wickets) 242.

Jamil 9 2 38 0, Bentley 17 3 85 4, Anwar 17 1 64 2, Wolfenden 3 0 14 0, PD Gilrane 4 0 32 0.

Church innings
LB Wolfenden c A Sutcliffe b S Barker 10
CM Fergusson b Abbas 55
Anwar c Senior b Abbas 4
N Hussain c Priestley b SR Barker 2
A Greenwood lbw Abbas 0
M Mehmood b Abbas 5
M Jamil c A Sutcliffe b SR Barker 3
P Howard c and b Abbas 0
PD Gilrane not out 17
AJ Bentley lbw b A Sutcliffe 10
JP Gaskill lbw b Abbas 6
Extras 12
Total (10 wickets) 124.

SR Barker 13 1 36 3, Abbas 21.5 4 45 6, Pearson 4 0 16 0, A Sutcliffe 5 0 20 1.

Todmorden won by 118 runs. Todmorden 12 pts, Church 0 pts.