OSWALDTWISTLE Immanuel are hoping to upset the odds by making the final of the Ramsbottom Cup on Sunday.

The league's bottom club travel to Edenfield in the semi-final looking to clinch the win and set up a prestigious final tie against holders Settle or Barnoldswick.

It was 1995 when Immanuel last reached the semi-final and Sunday is one of the biggest games in their history as they look to continue their run in the coveted trophy.

"We think we can beat them, if we all play to our potential," said skipper Gerard Metcalf.

"We have four of five match winners in our team, including the sub pro Ahmer Saeed, and bowlers Kurt Smithson and Andrew Metcalf who are all capable of match-winning performances on their day. I think Edenfield are similar to us in that they have the same."

With things not going well in the league, Metcalf is hoping that his side's name might just be on this trophy this summer.

"I think we are better suited to cup cricket than league cricket as we do have five bowlers," continued the captain.

"We have the bowling depth and regularly use five bowlers in a game so, in that respect, it could work in our favour. Some teams have bowlers who bowl 19/20 overs a game but we do share it out.

"Our problem is that we tend to go through a bad spell in a game and we have got to get rid of this.

"When I look at games over the season, against Edenfield in the league we were 99-3 chasing 111 and lost and we should have beaten them; when we played Read a few weeks ago we dropped around four catches and last weekend against Whalley, we went from 22-1 to 45-6. We are going through a bad spell of five or six overs and that is costing us. We have got to make sure we don't have that on Sunday."

Immanuel are reliant on sub pro, spinner Saeed, after Raja Ali returned to India but Metcalf thinks he has been a good addition.

"He is a better all-rounder than Raja and has more input in the dressing room."

And Metcalf, after taking 5-45 against Whalley, is hoping to keep in the wickets himself despite not bowling as much.

"I think I am half way there to 50 and that is always the aim - to get 50 wickets a season."

And a win on Sunday might just inspire the side, who finished eighth last season, to start climbing the league again.

The skipper continued: "The cup is a welcome diversion from the toil of the league but we are still hoping we can pull away from the bottom. Saying that, if we can reach the final, it will have been a decent couple of years as we did well in the league last year and a cup final this year would make it a successful two years.

"We are not getting carried away though as we have only won one match to get this far. We got a bye in the first round and then beat Earby, the team just above us, in the last round, but we are in the semi-finals and now it is up to us. There should be a decent crowd on Sunday, a good atmosphere and there is a big prize at the end of it."

First though, Immanuel will start trying to claw back the 13 points they are adrift in the league by beating Barnoldswick on Saturday.

Meanwhile, title chasing Great Harwood, have got the jitters as they slipped to their second successive defeat.

After building up a deserved 10 point lead at the top of the table, losses to title challengers Settle last week and defending champions Read this week have meant they now have to share top spot.

It was a disastrous day for Russell Whalley's men against one of their long-term rivals. After some stunning shows with the bat by Whalley and his team, this time they struggled with the top three going - including pro Martin Nurse - with just two runs scored.

Frank Barden did the early damage then sub-pro Tush Arothe stepped in with 5-12, with only Paul Houdsworth making an impression with 20 in their 64 all out.

Read knocked these out with ease - Arothe scoring an unbeaten 46 - with the loss of just one wicket and Whalley will be demanding more from his men at Ribblesdale Wanderers on Saturday as they look to clinch their first league title in 105 years.

Meanwhile Baxenden fell short in a high scoring game against Earby.

It was gutting for Baxenden after their South African batsman Francois Herbst had impressed with an unbeaten 102. Pro Indika Gallage chipped in with 37 in their 205-3.

But Earby's paid man Mohammed Ayub replied with 127 and, despite Gallage taking two wickets, Earby managed to chalk up a seven wicket win.

Baxenden will be aiming to return to winning ways when they are at home to joint top side Settle on Saturday.