Luke Woodcock is hoping to leave Church challenging near the top of the table before he then returns to help them make a charge for the league title.

The Blackburn Road paid man has been called up to a New Zealand A training camp for three weeks in July and August and will miss a vital part of the season.

But he is confident that Church can carry on without him and is hopeful they can put a run together to close the gap on leaders East Lancs.

And, despite them having to make up a 24 point deficit on the leaders, there will be no writing Church off with Woodcock in great form so far - heading the league’s run charts with 409 runs.

"It is an honour to be called up to your country and the people at Church understand the situation and would not stand in my way," said Woodcock. "It’s a great opportunity for me and we are going over to Brisbane to train.

"Over the last couple of years I have been there or thereabouts and it is nice to be recognised after a good season back home. I will definitely come back for the rest of the season and I am sure the lads will continue to perform in my absence.

"It is still only early in the season and I hope, after winning five successive matches before losing last week, we can go on another good run and make a real challenge. East Lancs, Haslingden and Ramsbottom have a bit of a lead at the moment but there is a lot of cricket to be played and that’s what I have been trying to stress to the lads.

"You only have to look at how much things can change from week to week - we knocked Haslingden out of the cup one week and they turned us over in the league the week after. It’s an even league."

Woodcock had a bad start to his Church career last season when visa problems delayed him for months and, when he did arrive, he was sent straight back.

This time he was held up again - but it was the ash clouds which kept him stranded in a five star hotel in Los Angeles.

"I went from being held up for three and a half months and spending time in a holding cell to being held up for three days in a top hotel in LA! But I have come at the start of the season on the back of a good campaign at home and I have hit good form.

"I had a taste of the Lancashire League last season so I know what it is all about and I am pleased with the way it’s gone run-wise and I have also got about 20 wickets - although I would like a few more."

Woodcock has also been showing other league’s what he can do, sub-pro-ing for Great Harwood and taking six wickets and also in Cumbria where he hit a ton. "I am getting around and I am enjoying it but my main focus is Church. I think we are stronger than we were last year - there are a couple of new faces like Craig Fergusson from Enfield and also opener Ammer Mirza. We have a lot of decent players and we just need to be a bit more consistent."

Church, however, did make hard work of their Sunday win over local rivals Accrington, who are stuttering at the moment.

On a day when rain delayed the start at Thorneyholme Road, reducing the match to 45 overs a side, visiting captain Andrew Bentley wisely elected to bowl first. Although no further interruptions ensued, Church took a grip early on and seldom looked like relinquishing it.

Levi Wolfenden bowled with pace and hostility and, after Simon Hanson edged to wicket-keeper Sam Tucker, the same combination strangled the prize wicket of Graham Lloyd.

Liam Brankin was painfully and palpably leg before, a toe injury ending his afternoon, and when Bentley had Simon Crabtree stumped and Matt Wilson trapped in consecutive balls it was 47-5.

A classic bit of fielding kidology from Phil Gilrane saw Waqas Ahmed run out and only professional Will Driver looked capable of steering Accrington to a respectable tally, punching a number of boundaries through cover and backward point. He found a useful ally in Matt Schofield to add 44 for the seventh wicket but Driver (40) fell to a superb catch by Mirza as 17-year-old Wolfenden steamed in for a second spell.

Gilrane ended Schofield’s resistance and Wolfenden earned a collection when Adam Greenwood ran backwards to end Paul Carroll’s short stay.

Carroll was another injury victim, a calf strain aggravated when bowling later on allowing father-and-son substitute combination Damien Clarke and his 15-year-old son Jake to share the field.

Another LBW decision for Gilrane brought David Ormerod’s innings and his side’s to a close for a disappointing 133 for last season’s champions.

There was early encouragement for the hosts when wicket-keeper Matt Wilson held a juggling catch to remove Mirza off Ormerod and the home skipper got Craig Fergusson snapped by Lloyd at slip. But Woodcock and Wolfenden took advantage of some ragged out-cricket to add 80 for the third wicket.

Wolfenden missed out on a double collection when he was stumped for 40 off surprise package Hanson, who got three wickets in his first four overs. And there was a suggestion of a collapse as Greenwood, Gilrane and Phil Howard were winkled out as Woodcock saw little of the strike and the scoring rate slowed down.

But a couple of squeezed out boundaries from the recalled Ryan North ended any Church panic, leaving Woodcock marooned but happy on 49 not out.

ENFIELD suffered the worst of the weather on Sunday but will be glad their game survived with a victory at Nelson. The Seedhill outfit’s innings finished in a downpour on 77-8 with 33 overs gone as they struggled against Liam Jackson who finished with 6-36.

More rain meant Enfield’s target was again re-jigged to 67 from 27 overs and, although pro Adam Bracewell will have been furious with his duck, Mas Ahmed (23), Aneeq Hassan (27 not out) and Joe Wrigley (10 not out) took them over the line.

And RISHTON were unlucky again to be on the losing side as Lady Luck is really against them this season. Their pro Andrea Agathagelou took five wickets and hit 73 from 93 balls but Rishton - who have just one win all season - fell 47 runs short against Rawtenstall and once more tasted defeat.

The Blackburn Roaders were chasing 169 after John Seedle also chipped in with five wickets.

But despite Agathagelou’s show no one could stay with him with only Mo Patel (21) providing some resitance.