RAMSBOTTOM consolidated second place in the Lancashire League and drew within eight points of leaders Burnley with an emphatic victory built around another superlative performance from professional Daryn Smit - albeit against a very under strength Church team.

Deciding to bat first on a used pitch the Acrebottom outfit at one stage looked to be in a perilous position at six wickets down for just 95 well into their innings.

Kamran Basharat had bowled a tight opening spell taking the first five Ramsbottom wickets including Tom Parton, Callum Kay, Alex Olpion and Martin Cropper.

But amid this mayhem, Smit kept calm and went about his business.

First Dale Gabriel (13) and then Michael Howarth (5) provided the security needed for the professional to prosper. An unbroken ninth-wicket partnership put on 74 and in the last couple of overs Smit plundered 20 or so to reach a well deserved century as Ramsbottom notched up 197-7.

Professional Usman Tariq looked to lead the Church reply but he lasted less than a dozen balls, falling to the caught Smit bowled Read combination, which is becoming an almost standard entry in the score book. With him went the visitors only hope of a serious challenge.

Simon Read leaked 26 runs from 11 tight overs taking three wickets before Dale Gabriel put the remainder of the Church batting on edge at taking quick singles with an extravagant slide, retrieve and throw from an horizontal position to run out a shocked Kamran Basharat.

Smit worked his usual magic taking four wickets for six runs from 31 balls.

Sam Tucker showed some resistance but when he was the last man out to a well judged Cropper catch, the game had been won in less than 28 overs with Church managing just 74 all out.