BURY skipper Karl Belston admits his side are “staring down the barrel” of relegation but believes they can draw on the experience of last year’s great escape.

The Radcliffe Road men avoided the drop on the final day of the last campaign and are in an equally perilous position this season, second bottom of the Greater Manchester League Premier Division, five points from safety with four matches to play.

But Bury are fighting hard, and put pressure on teams above them with an impressive 64-run win against fourth-placed Roe Green last weekend.

Any confidence boost that gave them will have been dented by a below-par display on Sunday in the final of the Derek Kay Cup, when Belston’s men lost by 123 runs against fourth-bottom Egerton.

The skipper will have to pick up his players ahead of another tough challenge this weekend, when they travel to fifth-placed Bamford Fieldhouse. But he is confident his side can battle to safety.

“We are hoping to draw on last year’s experience and hopefully we’ll take our chances against anyone,” he said.

“It’s been said so often that bottom can beat top and it won’t change. Reputations in this league count for nothing.

“We’ve a good spirit and we are hoping to draw deep from the well if we have to.

“It is still all to play for and while we go to Bamford staring down the barrel, we’re not frightened of playing Russian roulette."

Mohammed Jamal and Casmond Walters both made 54 in Bury's total of 137 against Roe Green.

Walters then took two wickets, while Alex Breckin and Mukhtar Nasir shared the other eight as the visitors were bowled out for 73.

Despite the victory, Bury showed frailties with the bat, with the remaining nine batsmen all failing to reach double figures.

And those frailties resurfaced again in the Derek Kay Cup final, this time with much more damaging consequences.

Egerton were restricted to 214-8, thanks to three wickets from Walters, one from Breckin and four run-outs.

But half centuries for Mahela Udawatte (62) and Daniel Partington (51), and 39 from Lancashire spinner Matt Parkinson, ensured they had their work cut out.

Opener Jamal was again Bury's top scorer with 28, but no other batsman was able to get a foothold in the face of an excellent spell of spin bowling from Egerton captain Will Halton, who ended with figures of 6-20 from 9.2 overs.

"We are obviously disappointed to go so far and not bring home the trophy given our league position," said Belston.

"The cup run had become a welcome relief and an enjoyable one with some memorable performances and drama, typified by the bowl-out semi-final win against Denton St Lawrence, when we had our backs against the wall.

"But credit to Egerton who, in recent times, we have had the better of, having faced them four times and only lost once previously.

"They got off to a flyer and we struggled to nail down both ends with only Alex Breckin bowling to form.

"Their pro (Udawatte) quickly ran to 50 and on a good wicket, a score of more than 240 looked easily reachable, but there was some quality middle-order bowling from Casmond Walters, who took three wickets in four balls at one point.

"His bowling slowed them right down but they still held the upper hand with Matt Parkinson and Danny Partington punching the field.

"Again we managed to squeeze them in the final overs and we were more than happy with the 214. We thought it was slightly under par on what was a really good wicket and credit is due to the hosts Greenmount, who put on a superb day from start to finish.

"The difference was Egerton' s fielding. The two catches to get rid of our openers were both spectacular and we soon found it was a mountain to climb.

"We felt confident of dealing with their spin, but they eked us out one by one and Will Halton finished with match-winning figures of 6-20.

We didn't show up. No excuses, Egerton were worthy winners."

Walshaw, meanwhile, moved out of the drop zone last weekend with a 65-run victory over relegation rivals Prestwich.

Their eighth win of the season moved Mikey Watt’s men up to seventh, and they go into Saturday’s match at home to sixth-placed Clifton with a two-point cushion over the bottom four.

Overseas amateur Dylan Blignaut was the star as Walshaw leapfrogged Prestwich, hitting 100 not out and taking 3-34, while Shabnan Ali claimed 4-31.

WOODBANK face a crunch clash at league leaders Flixton on Saturday that could determine the Greater Manchester League Premier Division title race.

Flixton have a one-point cushion over second-placed Woodbank and face a much easier run-in on paper, with their remaining three games all against teams currently in the bottom four.

But while victory could be imperative, captain Anthony Harris will be telling his players to treat it just like any other game.

“You have to play the game not the name,” he said. “If you start thinking about the situation, your concentration will slip, and it will be the side that handles the pressure of the title race the best that will come out on top.

“But while we will be doing our best to play the match down, there is no doubt it is one that has really captured the imagination of the club.

“Woodbank have not been involved in many title races over the years, so I know a lot of members will be going down there.”

Woodbank set up the showdown with a battling 12-run win against strugglers Denton West.

Chris Read was the matchwinner, hitting 86 not out and taking four wickets, including the key scalp of Denton West pro Semila Seyibokwe.

Read was involved in an unbeaten fifth-wicket stand of 115 with Ryan Barker (38no) that took Woodbank’s score to 194-4 in a match reduced to 41 overs. However, Seyibokwe threatened to take the game away from the title chasers, making 74 from 79 balls before he was trapped lbw by Read, who finished with figures of 4-51.

The hosts needed 40 runs to win off 39 balls before Seyibokwe’s dismissal, but tailed off to finish on 182-9.

Flixton pulled off a one-wicket win against Bamford Fieldhouse to keep Woodbank off top spot, while Denton St Lawrence, who visit Woodbank on the final day, remain in a three-way battle for the title, two points behind the leaders after winning at basement club Glossop.

Division One leaders Greenmount remain odds-on to join Woodbank in the top tier, but the promotion party was put on hold after Saturday’s one-wicket defeat at home to third-placed Woodhouses.

They were bowled out for 143, with the bulk of the runs coming from pro Kaustub Pawar (31) and overseas amateur Sachin Varadarajan (55). Pawar also took four wickets, but an unbeaten 40 from Nick Hardman was enough to see the visitors home.

Unsworth slumped to a 13th defeat of the Division One campaign, losing by 82 runs at home to Edgworth, but despite being second bottom they will escape relegation due to league restructuring.

BROOKSBOTTOM, Elton and Edenfield are locked in a battle for promotion from Division Two.

Restructuring of the league next season means four teams will be promoted to Division One, and while all three sides remain outside the top four they still have a chance to bridge the gap in the final four games.

Brooksbottom are best placed after moving up to fifth, four points outside the promotion zone, following Saturday’s 115-run win at Thornham.

Moshin Iqbal and Zohair Qureshi were the star performers. Iqbal made 38 and then removed the Thornham openers on his way to 5-27, while Qureshi finished on 44 not out as he steered Brooks to 185-8 from their 35 overs, then claimed 2-32 as the second-placed hosts were bowled out for 70.

Elton are sixth, level on points with Brooksbottom, but have faded in recent weeks and slumped to a third defeat in four matches on Saturday, losing by 16 runs at Wythenshawe.

Anwar Ul-Haq did not deserve to be on the losing side after taking 8-34 to help bowl out Wythenshawe for 104. He then top-scored with 33, but only one other Elton batsman – Matthew Ward – made it into double figures.

Edenfield, meanwhile, are ninth in the table but just eight points outside the top four after beating Westleigh by five wickets. Fred Nixon took 4-28 as Westleigh finished on 119-7 then openers Ashley Barnes (60) and Paul Gallagher (33) put on 95 for the first wicket to steer them to the verge of victory.

Elsewhere, Elton Vale remain on top of Division Three after winning by 55 runs at home to Denton West.