More photos from Nigel Stockley with Lowerhouses’ league win in 2011.
Nigels review of the season on the Lancashire League website:
A perfect blend of youth and experience saw Lowerhouse take the Lancashire League title for only the second time in club history by a margin of 30 points from Accrington, who won the Holland Cup for the first time since 1989.
Lowerhouse shrugged off a horrendous opening day defeat at Bacup when they were rolled over for just 47 to rack up 248 points in winning 20 games, the same number that the club won in 2005 when they won the title for the first time. There were some memorable moments en route, non more so than the win at Ramsbottom that ended the 2010 champions record run of 20 consecutive victories.
The new champions Lowerhouse finished with a perfect home record of thirteen wins. The average age of the team was 26 yrs, 5mnths, 16 days. Skipper Charlie Cottam gave his young charges their heads and they repaid him with runs, wickets and a fantastic team spirit. Professional Francois Haasbroek shouldered the bulk of the bowling attack in picking up 75 wickets at 14.7 with seven five wicket hauls and a best of 8-35. He was backed up by leading all rounder Jon Finch, the only regular amateur not to have come through the junior ranks. Finch took 56 wickets at 11.4, saving his best career performance for the game at Todmorden that clinched the title when the medium pacer took 8-38. He also scored 367 runs at 20.4, moving down the order to accommodate the youngsters. Close behind Finch was 18 year-old Fergus Bailey with 23 wickets at 13.7, including a career best 6-31 against Church. Bailey also made 214 runs at 17.8. Jonny Russell took 17 wickets at 31.3, Matt Walker 10 at 29.6 plus an amazing 5-1 in the Worsley Cup at Colne, Paddy Martin 7 and Joe Beneduce 7 at just 5.8. Leading the batting from the top of the order was Ben Heap whose form was a revelation. The 23 year-old scored 557 runs at 30.9 with four half centuries and a best of 97 after missing the first six weeks of the season. Wicketkeeper Joe Martin made 301 runs at 20.1 in addition to 30 victims behind the stumps. Paddy Martin (216 at 15.4) and Walker (113 at 18.8) also made valuable runs from the middle and lower order. Skipper Cottam made 202 runs at 16.8 and veteran Chris Bleazard hit 239 at 15.9. Beneduce (117 runs) also chipped in with valuable runs late in the innings. Hasan Khan made 324 runs at 54.0 with three half centuries in just eight innings before work commitments ended his season.
