NISHIT Shetty has been playing through the pain barrier - but he has made his chairman feel great by signing for another season.
Prolific run machine Shetty has been struggling with a back injury which has hindered him in the last month for ACCRINGTON.
But chairman Rod Kenyon was all smiles as the Indian agreed to come back to Thorneyholme Road next summer.
Shetty is top of the league's run-scoring charts with 1069 league runs, averaging 71.26 and a high score of 173.
And the chairman says the former Bolton League pro will mean serious business next season.
"We started working on a new deal about a month ago as we had had a few tentative enquiries about him from Northern League clubs and Lancashire League clubs but he said, if he was coming back, he only wanted to come to us," said the chairman.
"Some of the lads need to improve but Nish is helping them do that and he thinks next year we can make a push for the league title. He has such a good attitude on and off the field. He has great cricket ability, he has good coaching ability and gets on with the lads and has fitted in well.
"As soon as he started with us we knew we had got a little gem.
"He is playing at a higher standard here than he has when he came over the last two or three years and, after we got a package together, he said 'right let's sign.' So, after the Bacup game on Sunday, it was all signed, sealed and delivered," he said.
The 34-year-old signing his contract gave Accrington something to celebrate, but Bacup's high profile New Zealander Chris Cairns made sure it wasn't a perfect day for Shetty. Cairns took six wickets to take his tally to 50 and left Accrington with a double loss weekend.
"Chris Cairns was unbelievable," said the Accrington chairman. "We could do nothing against him. He had all the players and supporters just watching him in amazement - we were impressed."
Shetty was one of Cairns' victims - out for 10 - while skipper Matt Wilson top-scored with 33 as the Bacup pro helped to get rid of Accrington for 129.
Despite two wickets from former Lanehead bowler David Ormerod, the title-chasing club eased to an eight wicket win to keep tabs on leaders Ramsbottom.
The day before, Accrington collpased against Lowerhouse after the defending champions had made 257-8 with Graeme Sneddon taking 4-76. Only Adam Wilson made a major impact in reply chalking up 45 - with eight fours - as Accrington fell to a 137-run defeat and slipped into the lower half of the table.
CHURCH continue their bid to reach the top half of the table after a mixed bag of results.
They came up against title-chasing Burnley on Saturday and had their match held up when police were called following a rumpus on the balcony. Turf Moor players rushed off the pitch to help to stop the melee which was said to involve fans from the nearby football friendly.
At the time Church were chasing 224-7 on a sweltering day at Turf Moor but had a revised target of 214 from 47 overs - with three overs lost while the incident was calmed down.
Despite 80 from pro Ruven Peiris - who now has 1028 league runs for the season - Church found Burnley pro Jon Harvey in top form and his six wickets led to a 57-run loss for the Blackburn Roaders.
However, they turned it around against East Lancs on Sunday and they had birthday boy Sam Holt - who turned 19 last week - to thank for an outstanding contribution.
Holt took six wickets but East Lancs still managed to amass 222-8.
However, Peiris was in top form with the bat this weekend and his 93 alongside Holt's unbeaten 44 steered Church to a five wicket win.
