While no-one would be daft enough to think that a win in a game under different rules will have any bearing on the Worsley Cup final, Church’s victory over Ramsbottom on Sunday lifted the Westenders’ spirits.

Church had suffered league defeats to Bacup and Enfield while Craig Fergusson’s men had a nightmare start to Sunday’s important encounter.

Church lost both openers with just two on the board as Fergusson was bowled round his legs by Jon Fielding’s opening delivery and  Levi Wolfenden was leg before to the same bowler.

Nasser Hussain and Saeed Anwar added 49 before Hussain was well held by David Bell off Shanan Stewart.

Adam Greenwood and Menazar Mehmood didn’t last long, leaving them 60-5 and half the overs gone.

Mohammed Jamil and Anwar added 64, the latter reaching his 50, but just when he looked set to hit out, he picked out Simon Read in the deep and was out for 69.

Jamil (30) and Phil Gilrane (27) kept the momentum going as Fielding’s last six overs went for 39 runs to leave him still with 7-79.

If the latter half of the Church innings was reasonably entertaining, most of the Ramsbottom reply was attritional stuff.

The visitors, using two bowlers, Jamil and Anwar, squeezed their hosts for every run.

Openers Keith Webb and Alex Bell made 34 off 18 overs when Webb was run out for 21 before Bell was leg before for 17.

Paid man Stewart looked like he may be the man to break free from the shackles with a couple of early boundaries, upping the rate with David Bell before Stewart was caught behind for 21.

In Anwar’s next over Fielding was lbw, and at 76-4 with 34 overs gone, Church sensed a chance.

David Bell and Richard Rothwell added 30, but with around 10 overs left and 66 needed the former was caught for 25, and in the next over, Rothwell perished for 20.

Matt Lees was bowled by Jamil before Simon Read and Tom Parton pushed Fielding’s side towards needing 33 from three overs.

Read was run out, and with 19 needed from the last over, Tim Le Breton was also run out before Hakin was stumped off the penultimate ball.