RADCLIFFE Cricket Club's chances of finishing in the top two of the Championship were dealt a blow when they fell to defeat against local rivals Elton on the penultimate weekend of the season.

The Homer Street men slipped to fifth place in the Central Lancashire League following the 58-run reverse at the Racecourse and must now take maximum points from their final game of the campaign at seventh-placed Ashton this weekend and hope other results go their way.

With league winners Crompton hosting current second-placed side Middleton, Radcliffe captain Chris Berry will be hoping the champions can claim a five-point win and local rivals Elton can also get the better of fourth-placed Milnrow, in order for his team to secure a top two berth.

"It would be brilliant to win and finish second but overall I'm happy with how the season has gone for us," he said.

"Whatever happens this weekend we will still finish the season higher up the league than we did last year.

"As a club we are pleased with the progress we've made."

Despite a poor batting display from Elton's top order - with Mike Hall, Danny Lomax, Adam Stansfield and Jonathan Birkett all dismissed for just four runs - sixth and seventh batsmen Bofana Mahlangu and Chris Barlow steadied the visitors' innings.

Mahlangu top-scored with 69, Barlow hit an unbeaten 53 and David Murray also chipped in with 30 as Elton totalled 191-6.

Saif Ur-Rehman was the pick of the Radcliffe bowlers taking 4-53 from his 16 overs.

The home side made a disastrous start to their reply, losing openers Martyn Coates for a duck and Charlie Hamilton for just three runs off the bowling of Steven Filkins before the partnership of Raheel Majeed and Berry halted the slide.

Majeed, who has re-signed as the club's professional for 2016, top-scored with 60 and Berry also contributed nine, but with the only other notable scores coming from youngster Jake Wilde (19) and Rana Adeel Ahmad (17), the hosts struggled to 133 all out.

Filkins (3-47), Gareth Edwards (3-44) and Mahlangu (3-27) all took three wickets each to clinch the victory for Andy Donnelly's men.

"I wasn't best pleased with our performance," said Berry.

"All credit to Elton they played well but as a team collectively we just didn't turn up.

"The fielding was awful and the batting also let us down."