CHURCH professional Ruven Peiris could at least smile at one thing on Sunday - Sri Lanka giving England the runaround in the Third Test which his country won on Monday.
But he found it hard to celebrate anything more after Church slipped to a narrow three run defeat against local rivals Accrington in a tense but exciting Lancashire League clash.
The match swung first one way and then another as both sides fought for the victory but in the end it was Accrington who held firm in front of a bumper crowd at Blackburn Road.
And Church, who needed a run a ball for the final over, were left ruing the one that got away much to Peiris' dismay.
"It is never a good game when you lose so it was disappointing," he said.
"I thought we would do it as our amateurs did really well and we needed six off the final over. We had Nick Westwell in and he has hit the winning runs in the last few games but the last over went for them. They got some late wickets and we needed a run a ball and we just couldn't get it."
And he was furious at his own dismissal as, after he had rattled off 62 and looked comfortable, it was a clumsy run out - as they looked to capitalise on poor fielding - and his exit left Church facing an uphill battle. "It was a bad run out and that was frustrating but it happens in cricket," shrugged the Sri Lankan.
Accrington had set a stunning pace with prolific scorer Nishit Shetty - who tops the averages with exactly 500 league runs - making 53 while opener Adam Wilson celebrated a career best 72 in their 222-6.
The loss of Peiris in the chase handed advantage to Accrington but Phil Sykes (70) played a captains innings and, at 166-3 with 10 overs left, they looked in a decent position. The skipper had a couple of lucky escapes as Matt Donnelly dropped him on 30 - although youngster Donnelly had taken a good catch earlier to dismiss Oliver Rigby - and pro Shetty fumbled a catch from Sykes with four overs left.
The captain looked like he could guide his side through but, as Sykes went for a much-needed slog with three overs left, Graeme Sneddon took a superb catch on the boundary to see him off.
"I knew I hadn't hit it hard enough," said the skipper. "I thought it might just make it but it was a good catch."
Church needed 18 off 16 balls and 13 off two overs with wickets in hand but bowler Westwell couldn't find one of his big hits and he struggled with a groin strain in the latter stages and needed a runner.
It was a tense finale with the crowd avidly watching every ball but last over wickets tumbled and Accrington moved into fourth spot in the Lancashire League as they continue enjoying a productive season.
Peiris, meanwhile, is hoping to help Church find their feet and make a charge up the table. He has got 285 league runs this season but is battling back from a shoulder injury he suffered bowling which forced him out of two games. "I had been doing okay but the shoulder injury hampered me although it is getting better now.
"We want to finish in the top five or six. Last season we were down near the bottom and the season before that we finished second so we want to get back near the top.
"There is still along way to go and we do have a lot of young amateurs who are keen and who are still learning the game. Hopefully by mid-season, they will be a lot stronger and get used to their jobs and we will start winning these close games.
"I want to get 1000 runs as I do every season and I think I have around 350 in all competitions so, so far, it is going okay.
"But it promises to be an interesting season. There are some good pros in the league. Nishit Shetty is doing really well and there are a couple of South Africans who are doing well although they will be missing in July. But it is still early days and there is a lot of cricket to be played."
And, after Sri Lanka's victory in the third Test which levelled the Series, he is hoping to watch his team-mates enjoy more success against England in the One-Day Internationals later this month.
"I am hoping to see a game," said Peiris. "They have done well so far. I was hoping to go earlier but needed treatment on my shoulder but I will try and watch a match."
Church face Bacup and Todmorden this weekend while Matt Wilson's Accrington are up against Burnley and Nelson.
Enfield remain at the top of the table but it was a mixed weekend for the surprise team of the season so far.
They couldn't get their batting going in the quarter-finals of the Get Solutions Worsley Cup on Saturday.
Their top scorer was pro Alviro Petersen with 33 as they were bowled out for 154.
Enfield captain David Bracewell took 3-37 to give his side a fighting chance as Nelson struggled on 88-5 but they couldn't remove Marcus Phelan and Tom Lord who guided Nelson into the semi-finals.
However, they bounced back on Sunday to maintain their position at the head of the pack and protect their unbeaten league record.
Sam Reidy was the hero with bat and ball as his 3-51 helped to restrict Todmorden to 154-8. The opener then made 43, Mas Ahmed (46) and Andy Barker (34) made it a tense finish with Enfield hitting the winning runs with just three balls to spare in their three wicket win.
They face a test tomorrow (Sat) when they come up against champions and second placed Lowerhouse, following their earlier rained off clash. Enfield are up against Colne on Sunday.
Rishton, with sub-pro Justin Kreusch standing in for the injured Vernon Philander, always faced an uphill battle as East Lancs recorded the highest score of the day on Sunday and chalked up their first win.
East Lancs made 263-8 with Richard Rostron (left) and Peter Sleep taking three wickets each. Captain Sleep then turned on the style with the bat hitting 88 from 80 balls but Rishton fell 50 runs short. Rishton welcome Lowerhouse on Sunday, with Middleton pro Arno Jacobs. They have no game tomorrow as they lost to Colne on April 30.
