Colne fell three runs short of victory in a nail-biting and exciting finish at home to East Lancashire on Sunday.
Colne opened their 2013 Lancashire League season on a cold grey day with rain clouds threatening.
Colne’s newly appointed captain Matthew Walker won the toss and elected to bowl.
The East Lancs openers had batted with extreme caution and at the end of the 12th over had been restricted to just 29 runs. Professional Shadley van Schalkwyk was replaced at The Grange End by Adam Holt and there was immediate success with Matthew Walker taking a fine catch in the covers to dismiss Mohammed Bhada for 14.
East Lancs captain David Pearson joined Minhaj Bhada at the crease and pushed the score on to 72 when Bhada was caught by Brad Ramshead off Tayyib Khurram.
David Wallbank was replaced by Khurram Nazir at the Bowling Green End and he took the wickets of Pearson, caught by Walker, for 23, and professional Ockert Erasmus, stumped brilliantly by Sam Tillotson.
Kelly was also dismissed for a duck, with the score on 99-5. Unfortunately, East Lancs battled away and with just three balls to go before their allotted 50 overs and having reached 176-9, Wyn Jones was run out and Colne secured two points.
Nazir finished with the creditable figures of 4-43 off 13.4 overs, van Schalkwyk 2-34, Tayyib Jamil 2-58 and Adam Holt 1-17. Special mention goes to Wallbank who bowled a continuous spell of 11 overs, up the hill into the wind and rain, for only 16 runs. “Mr Extras” accounted for 37 of the total, with 28 wides.
The start of the Colne innings was delayed by over an hour by rain, with the target reduced to 129 from 32 overs. Nazir and Lewis Rimmer were looking comfortable when Turner dismissed Rimmer for one with the score on 18. Nazir and Joel Duerden took the score to 63 when Usama Chaudary bowled Duerden for 14. Colne still looked to be in the driving seat, as Nazir continued to flay the East Lancs bowling. He had scored 50 off just 64 balls when he attempted to clear the boundary again and was caught. With the score on 81-3, Tayyib Jamil joined the pro.
Unfortunately, Erasmus bowled a consistently tight line from the Bowling Green end and when he dismissed Jamil for 16, Colne needed nine off the last over. Six runs and three dot balls later Colne fell short, earning seven points.
Colne are at Church on Sunday.