Bedford in good nick for Burnley

East Lancs made 184-8 at Alexandra Meadows in the first game of the weekend, but Bedford’s 106 not out – with 11 fours and five sixes – helped Burnley cruise to a nine-wicket win, while professional Chris Holt added 53 from 62 balls as he passed 500 runs for the season.

Joey Marshall helped Bedford see Burnley home with an unbeaten 27.

Earlier, Bharat Tripathi took 3-31 and Jhanghir Liaqat 3-50 as East Lancs closed on 184-8.

Home captain John Turner top scored with 61.

Liaqat took a wicket with his first ball, inducing an edge from Paul Turner, before Cole Hayman removed Minhaj Bhada for 10.

Sub professional Bothwell Chapungu hit 42 from 49 balls, sharing 57 for the third wicket with captain Turner, before becoming the first of Tripathi’s victims.

Turner put on42 for the seventh wicket with Lewis Pearson, who finished unbeaten on 32, but the total didn’t remotely trouble Burnley.

Then on Sunday, Burnley beat reigning champions Ramsbottom by 73 runs at MyProtein Turf Moor.

Holt top scored with 75 as Burnley hit 263-7.

The paid man hit five fours and a six, as he put on 93 for the first wicket with Bedford (31) and 62 with Marshall for the third wicket.

Marshall hit 70 from 53 deliveries, with six fours and a six, while Matt Roberts (28), Michael Kelly (15 not out), Tom Lawson (11) and David Brown (11) also chipped in.

Dale Gabriel took 3-59 for Ramsbottom.

Gabriel then made 28, JJ Fielding 27, Brad Fielding and Callum Kay 24 each, sub professional Daryn Smit 17, Matt Burdaky 14 and Owen Collinge 11 as Ramsbottom were bowled out for 190.

Hayman took 3-11 and Holt 3-61 for Burnley.

LCB Knockout Finalists Lowerhouse lost both league games.

On Saturday, they went down to Haslingden by 12 runs at The Brooks Foundation Ground.

Graham Knowles top scored with 70 in Haslingden’s 231-8. He put on 55 with captain Phill Hayes (21) and 68 with Lewis McIntosh (55).

Damion Keegan (22) and professional Nick Benton (14) also chipped in, as skipper Ben with Heap took 5-31 for Lowerhouse.

Lowerhouse were 84-7, before Joe Martin (28 not out) and Chris Bleazard (44) put on 59 for the eighth wicket, and Martin and Joe Hawke (42) added 74 for the ninth.

Bleazard leapfrogged David Pearson (16,182 runs) into second place in the Lancashire League all time highest run scorers list in the process.

Heap also made 35.

On Sunday, Lowerhouse lost at leaders Clitheroe by six wickets. Professional Ockert Erasmus top scored with 34 in Lowerhouse’s 135-7. Heap also made 22.Fawad Alam then hit 66 in 99 balls to see Clitheroe home.