LES Bulcock, one of the most successful professionals in the Warburton's Bolton League's history, has died at the age of 88.

A native of Colne, for whom he played his early cricket, Bulcock moved into the local league in 1947 at Kearsley, after having represented the Army and Lancashire.

In five years at the Springfield Road club, he took 517 wickets and hit 3191 runs, appearing in two Hamer Cup Finals in 1949 and 1951, both against Heaton, one of which was won, the other lost. In 1949 his 46 and six for 79 went a long way towards winning the game, but two years later his 109 couldn't prevent a Mankad-inspired Heaton from taking the trophy.

In 1951 his club shared the championship title with Walkden. In that season Bulcock broke the league batting record, hitting 900 runs and taking 112 wickets, after which he was inexplicably released to join Walkden, who won the title in his first season.

Four years later he moved to Egerton, helping them to win the Hamer Cup in 1956 by taking five wickets against his old Cup Final rivals, Heaton.

During his 12 years in the Bolton League, Bulcock hit 6,626 runs, and took 1,004 wickets, at an average of 9.06, bowling at medium-fast pace with a well-disguised slower ball responsible for many of his wickets.

His funeral will be held at Foulridge Parish Church, near to Colne, on Monday at 2.15pm.