Burnley take big strides forward

Skipper Bharat Tripathi combined with Jhangir Liaqat to tear through the away side’s batting order leaving them with a season low tally of 38 within 19 overs.

Tripathi took 6-15 from 10 overs and Liaqat picked up 4-10, including the vital scalp of professional Shaun von Berg for two. Ethan Charlesworth (13) and Jack Hilton (10) were the only men in double figures for the visitors.

Rain then took the players off for almost an hour with 12 still needed for victory but when the players returned Vishal Tripathi (20 not out) and professional Chris Holt (17 not out) completed the task of scoring a reduced target of 35 in just 3.4 overs.

The result came after a tie in their opening fixture of the Twenty20 campaign against Rawtenstall on home soil.

Chris Burton made 54, Holt added 40 and Michael Kelly made 23 in Burnley’s 150-6 total.

Rawtenstall sub professional Will Bosisto top scored with 74 in the visitors’ reply. The Australian added 27 with skipper Joe McCluskie (5) and 112 with Owais Mohammed who made 41 on his senior debut for the club.

His exit sparked a collapse with four wickets tumbling in a late scramble for runs.

Burnley also secured a passage in to the next round of the LCB Knockout Trophy after they scraped through by a solitary wicket against Heywood with just two balls to spare.

Tom Lawson claimed figures of 2-7 to restrict the hosts to 117-6 before Dan Pickup hit an unbeaten 53 to guide the visitors in to the right direction. He was ably supported by Holt (26) and Gus Whitehead (22).

They’ll take on Oswaldtwistle Immanuel in the next round.