RAMSBOTTOM Cricket Club supporters were made to sweat on a dramatic final day of the Lancashire League season as they clinched the title with one wicket to spare.

After bowling out Nelson for just 78 their task looked a formality, but it proved anything but.

Professional and captain Daryn Smit took 6-10 to put his side in the box seat, but when he was one of three Ramsbottom wickets to fall with just 10 runs on the board in their reply, victory suddenly looked anything but assured.

Ashar Zaidi trapped Will Turner for four and Nelson skipper Neil Thompson (3-26) bowled fellow opener Tom Parton for five before sending Smit back to the pavilion two balls later.

Callum Kay was also dismissed without scoring before Fraser Kay and Dale Gabriel managed to take the score to 44.

Fraser Kay was next to go, bowled by Toxy Hussain (3-19) for 17. Five runs later, Zaidi (3-24) trapped Jon Fielding for two and when Rob Read fell in identical fashion to Hussain for one, Ramsbottom were 50-7.

Gabriel holed out to Lewis Bradley four runs later, leaving Tom Booth, Simon Read and Josh Dentith to scrape the runs needed for the title. Booth did not disappoint, making 19 of a title-winning stand with Read before being spectacularly stumped by veteran Michael Bradley with the scores level.

A tie would have been enough with nine points in the bag but last man Dentith edged the match-winning boundary off the penultimate ball to rubber-stamp Ramsbottom’s sixth Lancashire League title, pipping last season’s champions Burnley by five points.