Early finishes were the order of the day in three of the Hyndburn clubs matches on Saturday with Rishton the only club to taste defeat on a baking hot day.

Defending champions Accrington’s topsy-turvy campaign continued with a six-wicket win over Lowerhouse.

David Ormerod’s men won at a canter without having to call upon Graham Lloyd with the bat and the skipper himself bowling just seven overs.

Paceman Jimmy Hayhurst and young opener Simon Hanson were the men of the moment, registering career best performances. Hayhurst bagged six Lowerhouse batsmen for 73 runs to restrict the visitors to 173-9.

Hanson then hit a delightful 67 with seven boundaries as the champions won with almost a dozen overs in hand.

Paid man Will Driver (39), Matt Wilson (23 not out) and the newly promoted Graeme Sneddon (17) also made useful contributions in Accrington’s third win of the season.

Rishton’s struggles continued with an eight-wicket home defeat by Nelson.

Craig Smith’s men managed to bat just over half of their allotted overs in being rolled over for 79 with Nelson paceman Sam Halstead picking up 6-43.

Professional Andrea Agathagelou continues to struggle to make an impact with the bat, being run out for nine to take his tally for the season to 109 at 15.6.

Without Tiarnan Hamill, Sam Hacking, Jimmy Bibby, Andy Bartley and Shaun Hutchinson, Rishton got back in the match with Garth Wyse removing both openers to have Nelson struggling at 4-2.

But professional Burton de Wett (40 not out) and the in-form David Crotty (20 not out) eased the visitors to a comfortable win in the 15th over.

Never-say-die Church pulled another stunning win out of the fire on an afternoon when wickets tumbled but the West Enders’ nerve proved the steelier.

Twenty wickets tumbling for 200 - and factor in almost 30 wides and no-balls - in less than 70 overs on a baking-hot day made for batting, are the kind of stats that have the pitch police scurrying to County grounds.

But there was no devil in the Centre Vale wicket despite the fact that no batsman was able to get to 25.

And Church ultimately had the ace in the bowling pack with captain Andy Bentley who has really hit his straps and led from the front with a sapping but decisive unbroken spell which earned him six wickets for the second game running.

Church won the toss and batted and got a start of 29 between Ammer Mirza and Craig Fergusson, aided by some wayward Todmorden bowling, but Mirza edged to the keeper and after one let-off Fergusson holed out, Levi Wolfenden departing next ball - 43 for three.

Pro Luke Woodcock looked in great nick but inexplicably missed one from Lee Pearson and other than a battling 22 from Sagawat Hussain it was largely the bowling side on top as Church slumped to a disappointing 96 for nine.

A last-wicket stand of 20 between Bentley and Sam Tucker did frustrate the Yorkshiremen to some degree though and Church made an early breakthrough when Hussain held a marvellous gully catch to get rid of the dangerous Newbit for just one.

There was no further success until Hussain plucked another out to get rid of Ben Sutcliffe at 39 for 2.

Tod pro David Wiese hasn’t had a great start though and while he looked to be bedding in with the score on 53 he cut one short-pitched Woodcock delivery to Phil Gilrane, who took a magnificent leaping effort at point.

It was fitting that Gilrane, always vocal in refusing to let his colleagues’ spirits dip, should pull off such a vital catch.

From 53 for three Tod panicked almost totally, much in the same incredible fashion as they did in an amazingly similar match last year and another five wickets fell for the addition of just five runs as Bentley and Woodcock applied extraordinary pressure.

Fergusson’s exceptional slip catch to get rid of Nick Barker was inspirational for the visitors but crushing for the home side as they realised they were battling an unstoppable force.

Woodcock reeled off five succesive maidens and crucially removed Howley and Brown in the same over as Tod, with last year’s similarly doomed effort surely to the forefront of their thoughts, hurtled towards self-destruction.

Oliver Wood and Andrew Sutcliffe offered some resistance as the balance shifted slightly but the burly Sutcliffe perished when he was run out by Gilrane with 45 still required.

Wood and last man Pearson added a further dozen to keep Tod in the hunt but Bentley held one back slightly to bowl Wood and seal another incredible victory.