BOWLER Andy Bentley is a man with a mission - and doesn’t mind what tactics he uses to get the better of Church pro Niel Bredenkamp.

The two are battling to finish top of the wicket taking charts at Blackburn Road.

Bentley currently has 42 - the seventh highest wicket taker in the Lancashire League and third amateur behind veterans David Ormerod and Keith Roscoe - with South African Bredenkamp on 40.

"I am going to have to have a word with the captain Phil Gilrane to see if I can bowl a few more overs," said the 24-year-old, who made his Church debut in 1999 aged just 15.

"There isn’t any money on it at the moment but I might have a chat with Niel to make it more interesting.

"I will be definitely trying everything though as I want to finish higher than Niel."

Bentley’s season-best was 52 wickets last summer and he is well on his way to overtaking that.

"I don’t want to put pressure on myself but it has been a good season so far.

"I worked hard in the nets and Mark Aspin has been coming down and doing a lot of coaching with us and I think it has helped.

"He started off on winter nets coaching Phil Gilrane and then me and he takes the warm-up before the games.

"Mark is someone to talk to and he knows the game inside out and he has given us guidance and helped to improve our game."

Dedicated Bentley works at a solicitors in Manchester and says his first statement in any job interview is that he needs his weekends free.

"When I was at university Phil Sykes used to organise my work at a bank during the summer then I was always free for weekend cricket.

"And I don’t think I would have taken a job if it took over weekends - that’s the first thing I said to the solicitors."

And it has been worth any sacrifices. Bentley reckons the season he enjoyed most was 2004 when Church narrowly missed out on the league title and finished runners-up to Haslingden.

"Looking back, I was young and just accepted it at the time.

"I had quite a good season that year and there was the likes of Nick Westwell in the side who took a lot of wickets, Ruven Peiris the pro was brilliant and then there was Mark Aspin and Phil Sykes.

"There as a lot of experience there and it was a really good season.

"When it was happening, I don’t think I appreciated how special it was coming so close as there are such a lot of good teams in the league.

"But we have to hope it isn’t a one-off and it will happen again."

It has been a mixed season, though, so far for Church.

They were boosted with the arrival of highly-rated young professional Bredenkamp and started off with two wins.

But they then suffered a poor run where they slipped down into the bottom two.

But they have since recovered and are hoping to challenge in the top half of the table.

They did fall to a defeat against Ramsbottom on Sunday which Bentley was disappointed with - especially as he drew a blank with the ball - but he is still looking up the table.

"I was a bit disappointed that I didn’t get a wicket. I can’t remember the last time I didn’t get a wicket in a game. It was just one of those days.

"We had chances to win but we just fell a little bit short and we missed out on the little bit of luck."

Ramsbottom made 176-9 with Bredenkamp picking up six wickets to close the gap on his team-mate.

However, Bentley - who has four five wicket hauls and took a -hat-trick last week - top-scored with the bat with 43 but they fell 26 runs adrift.

"Ramsbottom are a good team, like Accrington and Lowerhouse are and we have some tough games coming up," said Bentley.

"But we want to push up the table. At the start of the season we wanted to match the wins we got last year, with it being a new captain in Phil and new pro in Niel.

"We have matched it so far with seven so it would be good to get 10 or 11 and see where we are from there.

"We are doing okay but we have missed the experience of Phil Sykes, who is out with a broken finger.

"We rely a lot now on Alec Holt for his experience and he helps Phil (Gilrane) a lot with fielding positions and he is turning in performances with the bat.

"We are a young side but we don’t want to use that as an excuse but use it to our advantage - we are trying to improve our fielding positions and everyone is learning together.

"I am one of the youngest in the side but I have been here nine years - it has gone really fast - so I don’t feel like that!"

And while there is rivalry between the Hyndburn four clubs when they play each other, Bentley is backing Accrington for honours.

"I want them to win the Worsley Cup. They have done brilliant this season and I am chuffed for them.

"I was pleased when Rishton won the league last season as you want the Hyndburn teams to do well - it is good for the area.

"There is always a good banter when we play each other and, although we want to beat them on the day, you would rather - if it can’t be you - that they won silverware than anyone else."

* Statistics from www.lancashireleague.com.