Haslingden v Accrington
Sunday September 12th 2004

Musbury Fabrics Lancashire League
Sunday September 12th	Score		Score
Haslingden	144-9	Accrington	DNB
Kabir Khan 28
Steve Dearden 32
Mike Ingham 29
Nadeem Khan 1-53
Graeme Sneddon 5-57
Jimmy Hayhurst 1-16
No Result 3pts each

New champions Haslingden had to be content with a No Result against Accrington after hitting 144-9 in 26 overs after rain had halted the match for almost 3 and a half hours after 15 overs of the Haslingden innings with the home side on 50-2.

Opener Barry Knowles was first to go after top edging a hook off the lively Graeme Sneddon to a zig zagging Zahir Afzal who did well to get under a swirling ball at deep backward square. John Simpson's first full season ended when he top edged a short ball from Jimmy Hayhurst to give the bowler a return catch for 8. Then the rains came and on resumption with another 10 overs to bat acceleration was the order of the day for Mike Ingham and Steve Dearden. Ingham, who had an amazing let off two balls after Knowles was dismissed when Accrington's sub professional Nadeem Khan allowed a simple catch at gully to slip through his hands, was finally bowled by Sneddon for 29 and then Dearden was run out for 32.

Skipper Blackledge was run out for 14 and Haslingden's paid man for the day Kabir Khan hit a rapid 28, including a huge six which bounced off a house roof outside the ground off Sneddon before the bowler had him well held by Mohsin Ahmed at mid wicket. Andrew Smith was then caught by Hayhurst for 8 and next ball Lewis McIntosh was bowled by Sneddon to give the young Accrington all rounder his third wicket in four balls and his first ever senior five wicket haul at a cost of 57 runs. Khan bowled Alan Howarth in the 26th and final over as the rain began to fall once again. The gloom never lifted to allow Accrington to bat.