IT'S not often that a return of five runs and bowling figures of 4-42 make someone an outstanding candidate for the man-of-the-match accolades.

But Jeff Ellis could justifiably claim the individual plaudits for helping Colne to within a point of top spot in the Transco Lancashire League after holding off the late heroics of Rishton's Paul Clifford.

Clifford's inspired assault on the Colne attack got his side to within two runs of victory before he was run-out off the final ball to leave the home side victors by the smallest possible margin.

Clifford came in at a hopeless position with Rishton marooned on 128-6, having seen their reply to Colne's 176 all out virtually run dry in the face of a miserly spell from Ellis. The visitors had slumped from 92-1 and as Clifford arrived at the wicket in the 45th over Rishton had managed just 38 runs for the loss of five wickets in the previous 20 overs.

Clifford refused to accept it as a lost cause, however, and bludgeoned a magnificent 35 off just 20 balls, including five fours.

Twice he ran twos when difficult chances were spilled by Gary Laycock and then David Swarbrick.

And so with eight needed off the last over and two wickets in hand the pendulum had swung remarkably back Rishton's way.

Professional Ben Johnson had gone for 12 off his penultimate over but this time he managed to stop the flow of boundaries as Clifford and Andrew Clarkson scrambled a two, a bye and three singles.

This left Clifford facing the last delivery with one needed to level the scores. For once he failed to make contact to a ball speared down the leg-side and hoping for a wide to be called fatally hestitated in running, being left stranded half-way when the ball was thrown back to Johnson to take off the bails and seal a dramatic victory.

It was a heroic effort by Clifford who was left with just too much to do by Ellis's magnificent spell. The seamer was the sixth bowler handed the task of halting the Rishton run-chase as they threatened to reel in a Colne total bolstered by some excellent middle and lower order contributions.

Unlikely opener Jason Gillespie had been snared early on by Johnson but sensible batting from John Wharton and Jonathan Dobson gave Rishton scent of a victory.

Dobson twice swept Gary Hunt beautifully for four to prompt Ellis's introduction to the attack. The partnership had added 80 when Wharton miscued an attempted pull from spinner Amair Khan and from there the rot set in.

Ellis bowled his first 13 overs for just 22 runs as Dobson and Rishton were becalmed.

Dobson finally reached 50 off 77 balls with 10 fours but with the run-rate pushing up towards six, he showed his frustration and was bowled by Ellis, who also accounted for Neil Wells and John Davies before Clifford came in to inflict some late damage.

"We just needed someone to tie it down. Gary said it was my chance and it could be my day," said Ellis, who enjoyed his best figures since a seven-wicket haul on the opening day.

"I just did what I do best, try and bowl wicket to wicket with a bit of away swing and it was seaming a bit as well." However, Ellis, whose last two overs cost him 22 runs, admitted that Clifford gave them plenty of cause for concern. "I thought we were going to do it quite comfortably until the lad came in and started hitting it all over. And then when those two highs ones both went down it was looking dodgy.

"Ben had gone for a few in the over before his last one and it was quite gettable with a couple of clean hits. But in the end he bowled it well," he added.

It was a priceless win for Colne who moved move second and into a challenging position as they chase a first title since 1959.

Ellis said: "We bat all the way down. Nick Moulding comes in at number 11 and he can bat. That's shows the depth we've got and I think we've got a good chance of being there at the end of the season."