THE Bolton Association failed by one run to beat the Ribblesdale League in their under 25s match at Spring View yesterday.

The Association had won the four previous meetings between the two sides but the annual challenge lived up to expectations in that the outcome was only settled in the in the final over.

That continued a remarkable sequence as the match has always gone to the last ball before being decided.

The Association, however, will feel they should have won after dismissing Ribblesdale for 158, Brian Taylor claiming 4-31 and Simon Marsh 3-20 off ten overs.

Nigel Geary then dominated their innings with an unbeaten 64 and with good support from John Hopkins, Ian Green and Steve Knowles the target was within reach.

Unfortunately the side ran out of overs and the 11 they needed off the last two overs became seven of the last and in the end Geary and Ian Nuttall could only manage five.

P Metcalfe c Knowles b MarshM-I33

S Pickles lbw NicklinM-I1

M Rishton c Geary b TaylorM-I56

D Cheeseborough c Geary b MarshM-I20

J Manville c Hopkins b MarshM-I0

P Tilbury c Beswick b HopkinsM-I7

D Howard b HopkinsM-I13

N Weaver b TaylorM-I14

A Rushton c Geary b TaylorM-I0

G Simpson c Marsh b TaylorM-I0

A Morris not outM-I0

ExtrasM-I14

TotalM-I158 Bowling: Nicklin 7-1-36-1, Beswick 8-3-24-0, Marsh 10-4-20-3, Knowles 7-0-26-0, Taylor 5.4-1-31-4, Hopkins 5-1-11-2.

N Geary not outM-I64

J Hopkins run outM-I20

B Taylor c Morris b SimpsonM-I0

S Maiden c Morris b RushtonM-I15

I Green c Metcalfe b WeaverM-I18

J Farrimond run outM-I2

S Knowles c Manville b HowardM-I29

I Nuttall not outM-I0

ExtrasM-I9

Total (for 6)...157

Bowling: G Simpson 10-6-18-1, D Howard 8-1-27-1, A Rushton 8-0-28-1, J Manville 5-0-15-0, P Tilbury 3-0-18-0, N Weaver 9-2-25-1, D Cheeseborough 5-0-21-0.

Ribblesdale won by one run. Little Lever followed up a win over Preston side New Longton in the Lancashire Knockout with victory over Golborne yesterday in the Abbot Ale competition.

Little Lever scored 189-8 before dismissing Golborne for 154 in a 35 run win.

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