PHIL Sykes joined an illustrious band of cricketers when he amassed 10,000 career runs.
The Church captain has chalked up the runs over a 21-year span which begun with a first team debut at Rishton in 1984.
He switched to Church in 1991 and in his career has got five centuries and 55 half-tons in the Lancashire League and Worsley Cup.
"It is nice to finally get there," said Sykes, who has got 399 runs this season after a good weekend.
"I knew at the start of the season I was quite close and thought it would come sooner than it did. But I have struggled for a bit of form this season.
"I have, though, been lucky in my career in that I have rarely suffered from injuries and, even when I have had a lean spell, I have come back.
"It is pleasing to reach 10,000 runs and I have enjoyed my cricket and am still enjoying it now."
This is despite a disappointing season for Church after they finished runners-up last time out but are fourth off bottom this season.
"It is interesting as we have the same side but we hit a sticky patch and never got going after that," continued the captain, whose side face Haslingden on Sunday.
"It just shows how big a part confidence plays in cricket. Last season, we were winning the close games and the confidence was high and this season we have lost the close games and the confidence isn't there.
"Ruven (Peiris) is probably the only cricketer who has kept his form this season with 1000 runs and 50 wickets.
"The rest of the team haven't supported him and me and Mark (Aspin) haven't got the runs we should.
"But with three games left, we can still move up to seventh place so, for us, there is still plenty to play for."
Church's highest run scorer is Jimmy Haworth with 11,903 runs in his Church-only career while Steve Metcalf made 10,122.
Meanwhile, Rishton batsman Peter Sleep is looking for a landmark of his own as he is just 62 runs off breaking the club's amateur record.
He has 1007 runs so far chasing 1069 set in 1990 and he has two games to do it. He also holds the club's professional record with 1621.
But Accrington are on the verge of entering the record books for the wrong reasons. They chalked up 16 successive league defeats at the start of the season and Sunday's loss at Enfield meant that the current side equalled the club record of 22 defeats in 1995.
And defeat in the final two matches will mean equalling the 24 defeats of Colne in 1991 and Rishton in 2003.
With East Lancs and title chasing Ramsbottom still to play for Accrington, the omens do not look promising.
Accrington take on East Lancs at Alexandra Meadows on Sunday, having beaten their Blackburn rivals just once - in 1996) -in 24 league matches since 1994.
Elsewhere, Enfield and Rishton face each other on Sunday with Rishton enjoying a rich vein of form.
They celebrated a double win weekend with an eight wicket win over Colne on Saturday with pro Kumar Dharmasena making 59 and Andy Bartley an unbeaten 55. Sleep took 4-65 after Colne had been bowled out for 136.
On Sunday, Sleep grabbed an unbeaten 73 to make it to more than 1000 runs for the season thanks to his side's seven wicket win over Church.
Blackburn Road captain Sykes made 60 in their 147-9 but it wasn't enough.
It was better news for Church the day before when they fought out a narrow nine run win over Bacup.
Sykes hit 40 with Peiris 32 but Nick Westwell came up with the goods late on in what proved a vital 36 in a ninth wicket stand with Andrew Bentley to make 153-8. Peiris then took 5-65 and Westwell 4-51 as Bacup were bowled out for 144.
Enfield won the battle at the bottom with a nine wicket win over Accrington on Sunday.
Accrington captain Matt Wilson had put in two superb batting performances over the weekend and he hit a stunning 75 against Enfield in their 155 with David Bracewell taking 5-36. But South African pro Alviro Petersen did what Tama Canning failed to do and got in the runs with 53 not out while Craig Fergusson hit an unbeaten 70 in the comfortable win.
The day before Enfield had denied title favourites Lowerhouse maximum points in a hard fought game. Mitch Taylor hit a career best 65 not out after his side had been struggling at 60-5. They made 167-8 and it looked good when Jon Finch went early but House stars Vishal Tripathi, with 81 not out, and Chris Bleazard (67) saw Lowerhouse through to a six wicket win.
And Accrington couldn't add to their two league wins this season on Saturday when they lost by 75 runs to Burnley on Saturday.
Damian Clarke took a career-best 6-45 as Burnley made 199 and, despite 56 from Matt Wilson, Accrington fell short.
